central methodist church - jeppe/inner city

crowded...
what's going to happen?
2008/05/21

seni - his story

my friend Seni

Urban Inspector - part of the task force in the inner city. this is what he wrote to me via email after i had interviewed him...i guess he thought about it a little

"The whole of Sunday and Yesterday we as a region were assisting in these Xenophobic attacks in the Cleveland and Jeppe area, one thing is that for any of us to feel the impact of this situation is to go and be within our fellow Africans who are in dire need of help and the most basic things, like toilet paper, a place to take a bath (privacy) and water, not knowing where and when is food coming, being helpless and really not knowing what the future holds.

I spoke to a number of the victims and was asking them what help are they expecting from South Africa...you will be shocked at the answers we got as 99% of them were saying they can not go back to their countries as they have no family, the families have been wiped off by the civil wars, especially people from the DRC and Burundi they say they rather be killed in South Africa, cause they've got nothing to loose now as all what they have is taken away from them.

I've been around informal settlements, seen poverty stricken families, seen homeless people, seen people dying from HIV related illness’s but what I saw and felt yesterday is beyond explanation and belief to see what we as humans are capable of.

Take a minute and look at your life right now and start appreciating what you have and let us stop the hatred we have, firstly with ourselves, loved one's, neighbours and the human race.

N.B. I’m also one of those who were Xenophobic, but I’ve seen the light, it’s not worth it, what is there to gain."

Sibongiseni N. Tshabalala

who wil save us

the frustration has been building up for a long time...
people are reacting...
the streets have been filled with anger, for a reason?

Immigration has been trying to deal with problems, specially in the inner city
where i shoot most of the time..but it is a process, and much emotion is involved.

traveling with the team from spot to spot..it became harder and harder for me to shoot.

die gevoel in my lyf was nie meer die addrenalien gemeng met haas nie, dit was nou
meer dat ek regtig bang was vir my lewe. die amount van krag op die straat in negatiewe form was scary! ek het op een oomblik in lister medical building opgeeindig, agter die security guard se tafel.

ons moet dit probeer verstaan?...die uibarsting van geweld..teenoor kinders ook?
ek kan nie!!

ek sien op na die inner city task team - RESPEK vir my mede JMPD offisiers en ook die Special SAPS...sonder hulle in die midde stad sou ons seker al by oor die 100 sterftes gehad het. ELKE STORIE HET TWEE KANTE, moenie iemand of iets "smeer" as jy dit nie verstaan nie!

CLEVELAND POLICE STATION

"who is going to save us?"

she asked me...cause i have the urban force task team shirt on?...or cause she wants anybody's help?

i did not know what to say...have a blanket?...Fuck, i felt so useless
1634 displaced outside CLEVELAND POLICE STATION

cowboys

we always rode into the night...
almost like cowboys - windgat!
baie opgewerk, excited en bang
ek minder
sy was altyd daar...
my maak lag en my trane verstaan
tussen dit als deur, my gat beskerm met my kamera in hand

instant trust

liefde vir Petunia

Petunia

rest in peace my dear friend...
we will miss you
it was an honour to work with you...