Cape Town Stories and Poetry
Do you want to know more about Cape Town? Read some stories from and about Cape Town!

Here is a pictorial story written by Iain Harris, founder and owner of Coffee Beans Routes and former journalist. The story is of the Nama people; Nama is an indigenous language which Kurus English draws its name from. (for more about the Name “Kurus” click here.)

DIAMONDS WITH DIGNITY
(LIFE AT THE END OF THE WORLD)

A pictorial story of the people of Kuboes and Sandrift, two towns in the Richtersveld, which was proclaimed a World Heritage Site in 2007. The Richtersveld is an area, approximately 600km north of Cape Town on the border with Namibia.

One of the shops in Kuboes, a tiny town, 162 years old, accessible only by
dirt road. There are three shops. Josua says that they seem to work on
rotation. There are always two bankrupt at a time.

Just behind this archway is a chalet project, in development for tourism purposes. The rust-roofed building used to be the Kuboes museum. Now
it's an empty building.

Through the FortuinsGebou archway, looking into the townsquare, home to
the 150 year old church, the school and the community centre. Every Sunday
a NamaKoor performs.

Inside the home of Groot Oom Gert Domroch and Klein Oom Gert Domroch. Not related. One in his sixties, the other in his eighties. Both were initiators of the case against government. The lady in this picture is Mrs Domroch, Groot
Oom Gert Domaroch's wife. The man is Johan Damarah.

This series of 4 pictures details the Nama Stap dance, performed by kids in Kuboes. Auntie Maria Farmer, pictured above, taught them the dance. She is also a Nama koor singer. Josua calls her the Queen of Kuboes, she has held onto and teaches the youth traditional knowledge.

The first picture below is Patrick's shop in Sandrift. Patrick is a Rwandan who lived many years in Cameroon and has been in Sandrift for five years. He is expanding into a takeaways shortly. He sells everything from lamb chops to hair extensions.

Franky the Portuguese man from Madeira, has grown a little empire here in Sandrift. In this little complex he has a tavern, a bottlestore, a supermarket and a bakery. Franky has been here 10 years now, is married to Ana a lady from the area, and has a four year old boy. Franky sponsors an annual football tournament and the Sandrift team, which he has called Manchester United.

The Orange River in the Richtersveld Park, which is partly national park, partly Trans Hex property, yet with the winning of the landclaim, the property of the Richtersveld community. Only accessible by four-by-four, host to some of the richest biodiversity in the world, yet in some parts deathly dry.

For more stories from Iain Harris about Cape Town its culture and music go to http://www.coffeebeans.co.za/story_harris.htm

For your further Cape Town discovery have a look at Suzy Bell’s stories
(http://www.suzybell.co.za). Suzy Bell is a writer and columnist from Cape Town, South Africa.

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Cape Town Poetry
Poetry is very popular in Cape Town. Many people express their thoughts, opinions, fears and hopes through lyrics and poetry. You will meet Cape Town poets on our Language Excursions in the afternoon.

Here you can get a glimpse of Cape Town poetry:

Jethro Louw


Jethro is a poet from Cape Town, born in Beaufort West in the Eastern Cape. Below is one of his poems. For more on Jethro, and to sample some of his poetry recordings, click here www.coffeebeans.co.za/music_jethro.htm

On and On

We came out dancing at dawn
Chained for so long
We found that the chains was gone
But we never collected words for our freedom song
Now our misery continues on

In our father's chains we were born
We continue to live our lives in a storm

On and On
The melody of a sad song
Love it’s been taken from
Lost in another domestic storm
No one is wrong
We just can't get along
Cry mama when your child is born
Prepare yourself for what will come

Love lives when we are one
Mother the light to her daughters and son
When shooting on a ghetto street
A mad man
Her children
they are shielded by the mom
Dreams, dreams only come true in a song
If its true then sing along
I've lost my soul in the song

And the melody continues on
and on
and on
The melody of a sad song
Love it’s been taken from
Lost in another domestic storm
No one is wrong
We just can't get along
Cry mama when your child is born
Prepare yourself for what will come

As I face a new and lonely dawn
I have to move on
To hold me there's no one
I cry in my hands a strong man
But life threatens ...
Always stuck in between
the ups and downs or what could have been
But yesterday was stored as a dream
Inside I cry I scream
In this life I can never disagree
Only winter when I long for spring
I am waiting for my happiness to begin
On and On

Here you can find the story behind this poem. http://www.coffeebeans.co.za/story_harris_freedomsongs.html

Loit Sôls:


Loit is a Cape Town born poet and guitarist, currently living in Piketberg on the Cape West Coast. He has published two books of poetry, both through Kwela publishers. The first was called My Straat en Ander Stories (My Street and other Stories), the second is Die Faraway Klanke vanne Hadeda (the farway sounds of a Hadeda [bird]).

Below is one of Loit's poems. He writes mainly in Afrikaans.

In the Rock

In the Rock
Language of my people
In the rock
its written in the rock
in the skin
on its face
the language of the Khoisan

endelible printings
spiritual hintings
intoxicated with wisdom
and learnings
and deep deep meanings

its written in the rock
its the language of my people
abc of the khoisan
buzzing with energy
transcending heavens
continuing lines
of modern and ancient

Khoisan paintings
on the footpaths
deep in the veld
between the high grass
and modern fences
a blight on the landscape

For more on Loit, and to sample some of his recordings, click here http://www.coffeebeans.co.za/story_loit.htm

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