Black on Black

Catherine and I dashed off to KwaThema this morning after picking up the last batch of our bolts from the fantastic people at Fischer-Upat. We arrived in KwaThema at around 9:30. We started the morning by spreading out our new crusher stone delivery, and laying bricks for a small one course wall which will stop the stone from spreading everywhere. January, our welder, continued with the hand rails and I began to paint the steel undercoat with Lawrence, a volunteer.

Lots happened today. Veli, the painter completed our Power-Salute mural and began to paint the names on the beam. January and Gareth managed to get quite far, finishing another prop, installing two stair uprights and welding on a few more lengths of hand rail. Khula continued with the basketball lines. Robyn made a great dent in the white stripe painting of the tire bollards; they look really beautiful and simple. The white line will also act as a warning for motorists who speed around the corner. We had our no dumping signs delivered today which was really exciting. The beer hall is really coming together, it’s bold, strong, iconic form is being moulded and heightened. The building’s history is evident in the surfaces remaining in the building, the bricks we’ve used to pave, the powerful mural.

Ahaka managed to bolt up the sign boards onto Stan’s container this morning, our sign painter Linda was there punctually and immediately started his undercoat.

The struggle which has emerged around the beer hall is very interesting. I had a very positive, yet angry, conversation with a community member who was appalled at the idea of us leaving the building once it was complete. Mr. Cindi assured him that he would look after it and that any kind of vandalism would result in a ‘black on black’ confrontation. This community member referred to a contestation between himself and a tavern owner on development of the building in the past. It’s all great that everyone seems to have very ambitious plans for the beer hall; I just wish they would see that it is of historical significance, and should therefore not be altered significantly. It is also in a semi stable condition which wouldn’t allow for serious occupation unless mountains of repair work to the concrete was completed. A new building elsewhere might end up being easier.

This evening I was standing alone, taking photographs of the building, when I was confronted by an interested man. He claimed to have wanted to have been a part of the project, but just hadn’t had the time. He expressed his enthusiasm for the work that we were all doing but became quite angry and violent when he worked out that we didn’t have any long term management plan for the beer hall. He referred to his community as a something parasitic and expressed that the community was still suffering as a society in a post-violent state. He certainly had some violence issues to confront, in the way in which he spoke to me. I am very interested to see what happens to the beer hall after we leave. A building designed to now function under the ownership of the whole community will undoubtedly be seized by an individual or group. I have a strong inclination as to who that might be.

We have been promised that our 4m high rubbish pile will be removed tomorrow morning, fingers crossed tightly.

Interview Sound Clips:

http://web.omnidrive.com/APIServer/public/z6wuGYW3nhTkLJbpd8agz2yP

A Parasitic Community

Video:

23 May 2007 (low quality)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuWTgL96pfk