By Roxanne Reid
At first glance the town of Swellendam in the Western Cape is an elegant blend of museums, restaurants, boutiques, galleries and places to stay. Yet just over the railway line in the satellite township of Railton, things are very different. If you don’t take a township tour in Swellendam, you’re not seeing the full picture or all its colours.
At first glance the town of Swellendam in the Western Cape is an elegant blend of museums, restaurants, boutiques, galleries and places to stay. Yet just over the railway line in the satellite township of Railton, things are very different. If you don’t take a township tour in Swellendam, you’re not seeing the full picture or all its colours.
The lady to help you do that is Meisie Bokwana of Ubuhle Besintu. She was born in Swellendam of a Xhosa father and Pondo mother from the Eastern Cape. Now 60, she’s been teaching local children in Railton about Xhosa culture for ten years. The bonus – and Meisie’s secret weapon – is that she’s helping to keep the kids off the streets and away from gangs and drugs.
When we joined her for a township tour we got to meet some of her 7-13 year-olds when they performed in her tiny garden. A carpet-covered concrete slab was their stage. A bench under some shade was the auditorium. The dancers and singers wore some items of traditional attire, like beads and headgear. Two little girls in striped pink jerseys weren’t really part of the show. They were Meisie’s great-granddaughters, but they didn’t want to be left out of the fun. The three-year-old was already showing an aptitude for stealing the show with her bright eyes and winning grin.
When we joined her for a township tour we got to meet some of her 7-13 year-olds when they performed in her tiny garden. A carpet-covered concrete slab was their stage. A bench under some shade was the auditorium. The dancers and singers wore some items of traditional attire, like beads and headgear. Two little girls in striped pink jerseys weren’t really part of the show. They were Meisie’s great-granddaughters, but they didn’t want to be left out of the fun. The three-year-old was already showing an aptitude for stealing the show with her bright eyes and winning grin.
Meisie Bokwana sings along with her protogees
I couldn’t understand the words of some of the songs but the message of one sung in Afrikaans was clear, ‘No! If I say don’t touch me I mean don’t touch.’ So some valuable life lessons are being taught here too.
After the animated welcome, we walked with Meisie to the shebeen at the end of her street. If it had been the weekend, we could have tasted traditional Xhosa beer made from maize and malt. But it was midweek and mid-afternoon, and the place was deserted. A pool table hid under some dusty black plastic and a juke box slouched in a corner near the bar. Around the hard dust floor, scuffed benches leaned crookedly against the walls. Like most of the houses on that side of the street, the walls were a makeshift mix of corrugate iron and wood.
After the animated welcome, we walked with Meisie to the shebeen at the end of her street. If it had been the weekend, we could have tasted traditional Xhosa beer made from maize and malt. But it was midweek and mid-afternoon, and the place was deserted. A pool table hid under some dusty black plastic and a juke box slouched in a corner near the bar. Around the hard dust floor, scuffed benches leaned crookedly against the walls. Like most of the houses on that side of the street, the walls were a makeshift mix of corrugate iron and wood.
A square of carpet and some animal skins keep the dancers' feet (mostly) off the cold concrete 'stage'
The sangoma lived in the next road, which bordered the open veld. Meisie has big plans for that piece of land. She’s spoken to the mayor about allowing them to build some traditional huts and use it as somewhere to sell beadwork and other handicrafts. She nodded her head a few times to emphasise her point. ‘I don’t want to take this dream to my grave,’ she said.
We ducked through a broken iron gate to visit sangoma Fezeka Jaxa. A quietly spoken woman, she allowed us into her spic-and-span RDP house to see the room where she consults with clients. Herbs and remedies in packets and buckets and jars were neatly piled in one corner next to a grass mat. Against the opposite wall, two plastic chairs for her clients. She might do a consultation if you ask, but we didn’t have time and the kids were waiting for us at Meisie’s, eager to perform another three songs to the beat of the drum.
We ducked through a broken iron gate to visit sangoma Fezeka Jaxa. A quietly spoken woman, she allowed us into her spic-and-span RDP house to see the room where she consults with clients. Herbs and remedies in packets and buckets and jars were neatly piled in one corner next to a grass mat. Against the opposite wall, two plastic chairs for her clients. She might do a consultation if you ask, but we didn’t have time and the kids were waiting for us at Meisie’s, eager to perform another three songs to the beat of the drum.
You need to book ahead by phoning Meisie on 084-7751269. The tour takes about two and a half hours, and you can arrange to sample some traditional Xhosa cooking such as Inyama yenkomo or umngqusho too.
You might also like:
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Copyright © Roxanne Reid - No words or photographs on this site may be used without permission from roxannereid.co.za
You might also like:
20 things to do in Swellendam in the Overberg
Where to stay in Swellendam
Copyright © Roxanne Reid - No words or photographs on this site may be used without permission from roxannereid.co.za
