JM Coetzee in Texas

Isn’t it rather dismaying to learn that our (are we right to think of him as ‘our’?) foremost writer has sold his literary papers to the University of Texas in Austin?
Of course, Coetzee is free to choose what to do with his papers, and of course he belongs to the world, not just to South Africa, and yes, he did receive a doctorate from the U of Texas in 1965 – so this is not a criticism, just an expression of regret.
Whatever he has achieved in the world of letters, whatever awards he has won, Coetzee’s South African experience remains foundational. For better or for worse, South Africa (and more specifically the Western Cape) has made him the person and the writer that he is. His unique mode of oppositional writing was forged in the South African crucible. This is not to deny the influence of wider intellectual currents, and this is not to say that his writing must be viewed through an exclusively South African lens. But one does feel a sense of loss.
In the Harry Ransom Research Centre Coetzee will be rubbing shoulders with some very illustrious writers. And it will be very convenient for American and European scholars to have him on their doorstep, so to speak. And no doubt NELM would not have been able to compete with the $1.5 paid by the U of Texas. But one can’t help thinking that international scholars might have benefited from making the trek to the small, parochial Eastern Cape town of Grahamstown to study Coetzee’s manuscripts in some place less alien than Austin, Texas. (One can learn a lot about South Africa in Grahamstown, if one keeps one’s eyes open.) What a shot in the arm it would have been, for NELM, and for South African scholars and post-graduate students, to have these documents located more proximately.
Coetzee may well have had a relationship with the University of Texas, but for the thirty most productive and important years of his working life (as a writer and academic) he was employed by the University of Cape Town, which must have provided him with some kind of intellectual and creative space.
Clearly Coetzee had every right to make the choice he made. But one cannot help but wonder what it was that tipped the scales in favour of Austin, Texas.

MOUNTAIN MADNESS – OR TOURISTS, SAFETY AND TABLE MOUNTAIN?

Congratulations to the Cape Times for publicising the recent attack on Obs resident Ian Mackie (he was stabbed while cycling on the mountain near Rhodes Memorial). Congratulations to Ian Mackie for his willingness to publicise this in the press (otherwise we wouldn’t know about it). And congratulations to the MEC for Community Safety for belatedly coming to the party and offering to coordinate ‘a round table discussion’ with the relevant role players. One hopes that this is not just a PR exercise, with one eye on the forthcoming municipal elections. And one hopes that he will keep us informed of progress (if any). And one hopes that TMNP’s head of (in)security, Hilton Blumeris, will be redeployed following his egregious comments – to the effect that security on the mountain is ‘adequate’, and that ‘police will report statistics’. Perhaps he should talk to the car guard at Rhodes Memorial, Thumba Modesta, whose remarks were spot on: ‘Muggings will continue until the place is monitored.’
Let us not lose sight, however, of the underlying problem, which is that TMNP ‘cannot’ divulge statistics re. crime on the mountain, and SAPS (whose duty this should be) will not. The well-known ‘moratorium’ on the release of crime statistics explains this strange state of affairs. One would have thought that in a democracy, where the government and public officials can (or should) be held to account, the police (or the relevant Ministry) would feel obliged to provide the public with the information they need to make informed decisions regarding their personal safety. Apparently not. Must we wait until a tourist is killed on the mountain before anyone takes this issue seriously? Or must we rely on the efforts of civil society groups, like the Table Mountain Safety Action Group?
This leaves one in a bizarre situation: when I am asked by a visitor to Cape Town whether it is safe to walk on the mountain, I can only answer, ‘I don’t know. I don’t know how many crimes are committed on the mountain, or what the most dangerous spots are, or whether the situation is getting better or worse.’ I can only advise them (if they want to take the risk) to leave valuables behind, walk in a large group and arm themselves with stout sticks (for self-defence). Oh, and they should avoid the most popular tourist routes, as these will probably be targeted by criminals. Perhaps Cape Town Tourism should put out an advisory to this effect? It’s ironic, isn’t it. It seems we are able to put on a virtually crime-free World Cup, but we lack the capacity or the will to secure a few well-known ‘hot spots’ on Table Mountain!
A final request: could the Cape Times also publish an article featuring safety on the trains run by Metrorail (and subsidised by the taxpayer). The same questions could be asked. How safe is it to travel by train? What steps are being taken to protect commuters, and how effective are these? How many muggings, or assaults, take place on average every month? (One can predict, of course, that this is information that neither Metrorail nor SAPS will divulge.)

Rebound therapy for 2011

After 2010 we are all in need of rebounding – hence this light-hearted blog.
What are some of the things we are rebounding from?
• The success of the World Cup. It was wonderful while it lasted – but can we find a new national project to refocus our energies? Some suggestions: the education system; the criminal justice system; the health care system.
• We all need to rebound from the antics of Julius Malema (‘bloody agent’).
• COPE needs to rebound from itself – or simply go into liquidation! An awesome lesson on how to self-destruct.
• The DA needs to rebound from the Makhaza toilet saga and the ‘battle of Hangberg’. It also needs to rebound from its ‘victory in Gugulethu’ (Ward 44 - most of the voters actually live in Heideveld) and face political reality.
• The ANC needs to rebound from the politics of self-enrichment and recall Trevor Manuel’s advice to return to its roots and ‘become part of people’s lives’.
• Trevor Manuel needs to rebound from his ‘redeployment’ and become more relevant within the ANC.
• The ANC must rebound from the legacy of ‘quiet diplomacy’ and stop giving comfort to a brutal dictator and his corrupt and ruthless ruling clique (You know who I mean!).
• The Proteas must rebound from their defeat in the second test and realize that a world cup is staring them in the face.
• The Springboks must rebound from their embarrassing Super 14 campaign, find a coach, and realize that the world cup is staring them in the face.
• We all need to rebound from the effects of climate change and the mismanagement of our water resources – before we run out or drinkable water.

I’ll stop there. My own personal rebound strategy? Rebound therapy in the form of a mini-trampoline. According to one website it can work wonders: ‘It not only makes you fit, tones your body and assists with weight loss, but when done properly, it is one of the most effective ways to boost your lymphatic system, detoxify your body and boost your immune system.’ And it’s a lot cheaper than a personal trainer. And you can do it in the comfort and privacy of your own patch of garden.

Disclaimer: this fitness tip for 2011 is offered free of charge, but I accept no liability for possible injury!

After the Twin Towers - rethinking CapeTown

After the Athlone Cooling Towers: A historic opportunity?
For a start, let’s consider the strategic and historical significance of this site. It is situated at the point where three distinct urban zones (products of the apartheid city) intersect: Pinelands (middle class surburbia), Langa (our first black ‘township’), and Athlone (a mainly ‘coloured’ residential area, precursor to Mitchell’s Plain and that amorphous expanse popularly known as ‘the Cape Flats’). Neither ‘black’ nor ‘white’, the development of this liminal site holds the potential to bring together what apartheid put asunder.

The N2
Almost as significant is the fact that this site is located on the N2, the point of entry to Cape Town for migrants from the hinterland and tourists from the airport. Plus of course the thousands of commuters who stream past on their way to or from work. What an opportunity to open Cape Town up to all its inhabitants and to the tourists whose foreign currency is an important driver of the local economy.

The informal economy
Given the inability of the formal sector to create jobs, isn’t this a wonderful opportunity to tap into and channel the creativity that exists in the informal sector? This country provides us with some stunning examples of what can be achieved. I have in mind in particular the well-documented example of the Warwick Junction Urban Renewal Project in Durban (see the book, Working in Warwick by Richard Dobson and Caroline Skinner (with Jillian Nicholson). Their book is a vivid illustration of the success of this Project, and suggests some of the ways in which one could build on the enterprise and skills that already exist in the informal sector (as a walk through neighbouring Langa will illustrate). Some of the possibilities that come to mind include the creation of the following:
• A fresh produce market
• A clothing market
• A flower market
• A food court featuring traditional township and Cape cuisine (a potential tourist drawcard)
• A fish market (linked to the food court)
• An arts and crafts market (nothing mass-produced or imported)
• A market for herbalists and traditional medicines and treatments
• A recycling centre
• Last but not least, a few shebeens!

Add to this mix a tourist centre and information office that would demonstrate that there is more to this city than just Table Mountain, Cape Point, the Waterfront, Long Street and Robben Island (on a good day when the Ferry is working!)

A project centre with rooms for meetings and workshops would be a necessity – as would a child-care centre.

The centrepiece would be the remaining turbine hall, which surely has great potential as an exhibition space– to supplement, extend and popularise the work of existing museums and art galleries in Cape Town. According to the Cape times headline (5 October) it could become an ‘African cultural centre’ – one hopes the word ‘African’ is being used inclusively here.

Planning would obviously be needed to integrate the site into the city’s transport system (rail, bus and cycle) - essential if it is to become a crucial development node.

Of course for any of this to happen will require some creativity and imagination, and the active participation of the traders and vendors and craftsmen and women who would make this work. It has happened elsewhere; it should not be impossible here.

Rob Gaylard

'Save the --- ', or how to assign significance?

I just posted these two messages on my Facebook wall.

"Save Johannesburg. eGoli is threatened by a rising tide of toxic mine water 530m below the surface and rising at a rate of 18m meters a month. But can Johannesburg be saved - or should we evacuate? (See today's Argus p. 5)"

"Save the arum lily micro frog - don't buy illegally picked arum lilies. This little frog breeds in the water and dew held in the lily's cup, and indiscriminate harvesting threatens its survival.( See today's Argus, page 9.)"

They illustrate an ongoing problem – a spin-off of the ‘information age’. We are constantly bombarded by bits of information and by a variety of appeals – from ‘save the micro frog’ to ‘save the Liesbeck’ to ‘save the carthorses’ to ‘save the fynbos’ to ‘save the whales’ to ‘save the planet’. Is there an ascending order of significance? How to assign our time and energy (given that this is finite)? Do we each just pick whatever is in closest proximity to us, or whatever grabs our attention? The smaller and closer, the more likely we are to see some kind of result for our efforts. The larger the appeal (‘save the planet’) the more remote it becomes, and the punier our efforts seem. Do we start in our own backyard (micro frogs, carthorses, the Liesbeck River, the fynbos) and hope that cumulatively our efforts add up to something?

I suppose the only thing that is certain is that its better to do something than nothing. As someone once said, ‘Nothing will come of nothing.’

Waiting for Godot (again)

Have just seen the latest South African incarnation of 'Waiting for Godot' at the Little Theatre. A memorable production of perhaps the twentieth century’s greatest play. Instructive to recognise how much 'Boesman and Lena' owes to 'Godot' – with the important difference that Gogo and Didi’s vulnerability and despair are part of an universal human condition, whereas Boesman and Lena’s predicament is (also) rooted in three centuries of colonial and racial oppression and exploitation. B&L has a very specific South African setting and resonance.
Perhaps the best short description of the play is that provided by an early (and rather bemused) critic, who complained: ‘Nothing happens, twice!’ (This is, of course, entirely the point.) But how entertainingly do Gogo and Didi pass the time! And how poignantly! Are we all just whistling in the dark?

'The Ugly Noo Noo' and the New South Africa

Have just seen Andrew Buckland’s brilliant one-man play, 'The Ugly Noo Noo'. First performed at the Market Theatre in 1988, it has worn extremely well. In fact, it has gained an unexpected contemporary resonance – it was clearly a seminal influence on Blomkamp’s District Nine.
At its most obvious level the play is a hilarious take on the fear and loathing inspired by the infamous ‘Parktown prawn’ – in reality a quite harmless, oversized cricket which invades gardens and houses and has some alarming habits (it can jump waist-high, and defecates in response to threat). It is also an (accidental) alien invader, brought to Joburg in loads of sand from some coastal area. It has adapted to its new urban environment and is remarkably resilient, resisting most attempts to exterminate it.
Back in the dark days of the 1980s, faced with multiple threats, real or imagined (the ‘rooi gevaar’, the ‘swart gevaar’, the ANC underground, MK) the play was a vehicle for political satire and sly subversion. Buckland’s performance inevitably generates sympathy for the despised ‘prawns’ – and provides a mock-serious expose of the ‘species-ism’ of which we humans are guilty. As the prawns are humanised through Buckland’s performance, the humans are defamiliarised. As we are obtain a prawn’s eye view of the human species, we realize what strange creatures we really are!
In the contemporary South African context The Ugly Noo Noo gains further, unexpected significance. One cannot help but be reminded of the recent xenophobic violence, when foreign ‘aliens’ were hacked to death, burnt alive, or driven into refuge camps (an event which also clearly informs Neill Blomkamp’s film).
The play’s exploration of our irrational fears and loathings is as relevant now as it was in 1988. Come back Andrew Buckland!