New Crossroads

On Friday, Thembelani took me home to meet his mother. She still lives in the tiny house where Thembelani grew up in a township called New Crossroads. It is part of the larger Cape Flats development that includes Kayelitsha, Luzuko, Guguletu, Nyanga, and others. These townships were given romantic names by the apartheid government, names that still stand today like sad paradoxes over the depressed communities. In Xhosa, Kayelitsha means "our new home." "Nyanga" means "the moon," Luzuko means "glory," and Guguletu means "our pride." New Crossroads just means what it means in English, but seems as much a dead end as Old Crossroads, the township it was built to replace.

Thembelani's mother and several members of his family live in this tiny three-room house and adjacent shack built by one of his brothers. The two little girls who ran to greet us are the daughters of Thembelani's older sister, Yolanda, 7, and Reantse, 4. I was the first white person they had ever seen, other than on television. The younger sister hadn't started school yet and spoke very scant English, but was immediately familiar and clever with me. We had a fun time running around the yard and playing. It was a big treat for them to run down to the corner to get that giant can of Coke.

I share with you here some images from our afternoon together. The weather was a complete charm, perfect all day.

Thembelani with his mother, Mangwanya.

With Yolanda and Reantse.

Yolanda, Reantse, and I in the yard in front of Thembelani's brother's place.

Thembelani with Yolanda and Reantse.






Thembelani's brother built and lives in this shack beside his mother's house.


This is Thembelani's mother's living room. The house also has a tiny and spotless kitchen, a small bedroom, and a closet of a bathroom. The house is immaculately kept.




Thembelani's mother's street in New Crossroads, with Table Mountain in the background.

Thembelani stands on his mother's front step.

Reantse hangs on the fence outside Thembelani's brother's house.

Reantse proudly changes into her other shoes to show me.

Yolanda and Reantse in the back yard.

With my very good friend.