V&A (yes, again)

So, I ended up at the waterfront again today, in part because I wanted to visit the old clock tower and hang out at the Mandela museum.

This is where the captain (I think) used to sit and watch over the wharf/port. On the top floor, there are apparently mirrors placed all around the ceiling so that the captain would be able to have a full view of everything happening in the area. The color of the clock tower, however, threw me off a bit at first. It was supposed to be, by all accounts, red- was the old captain's ghost pulling one over on the owners of the waterfront? (It's like a Scooby Doo mystery!) 

Sadly, no. The mystery was not a mystery for very long. Rather, the re-painting was done as part of the "World Design 2014" project that the city undertook at the beginning of the year. From the project website: "The World Design Capital distinction is awarded to cities which recognise design as a tool for social, cultural, and economic development. In 2014, Cape Town will host over 460 design projects aimed at transforming the city." Projects such as the yellow clock tower and the giant chair (see below) are meant to help visitors and residents alike reassess the claiming and use of space throughout the city.

This is an important question in any city; however, in South Africa, it seems to take on an even greater sense of importance. In the post-Apartheid era, the government at the national level sought to take land from Whites and return it back to Africans, in an effort to (by my estimation) re-balance power throughout the country. Prior to 1994, over 75% of the land in the country was held by Whites, who made up less than 30% of the overall population (these are not exact numbers, but they are close). Today, despite efforts made by officials at the national level, those figures remain largely unchanged. And I'm wondering if this project, undertaken by Cape Town officials, will help to find ways of encouraging land ownership among non-Whites.

I love this shot. It was a puppet constructed by anti-Apartheid activists in protest of how Blacks and Coloured were being treated. Currently, it hangs on a wall in the Robben Island Gateway Museum and is probably 8-10 feet tall. 

The port from inside an old building (yes, I am enjoying over-processing my photos a bit too much).

Lastly, a ship that has been dry-docked in port for maintenance and repairs. I watched the workers for a bit, cleaning and re-painting the ship, and really wanting to find a way down below the ship for other shots. However, if I'm going to get arrested in a foreign country, I want it to be for something better than sneaking below the hull of a ship to do photography. 

Tomorrow, I head to my first township, Khayelitsha to tour and talk. I have a lot of ideas brewing around in my head, especially since it was announced in the papers today that a new shopping center will be built in another township, Langa. This area has seen protests over the past couple of weeks (and looting one day) over the lack of public housing being built by the government, so I'm interested to see how residents will react to this new project. More on the townships- and their relationships with the local government- later! 

Ta!