I’m always surveying our streets looking for evidence of change. As I drove through Yeoville the other day, a series of billboards in French graced the lamp-posts: “Je ne salis pas” – I don’t litter. I cheered all the way down Stuart Drive into Bertrams, where we are still so Anglo despite the Portuguese cuisine and language of the streets. But anyway, Jo’burg! well done for acknowledging the Francophone presence. We could also perhaps think of some other things to put on our billboards – like for example: Bienvenue! Si vous avez un formation de medecin ou professeur, on avez besoin de vous! or Par le grace de Dieu, apprends nous comment faire la cuisine, or something. Anyway it’s just a little sign that in the minds of our city planners, Africa isn’t out there anymore – it’s right here next door to us – and it doesn’t litter.
Deeper into the city I venture (well, it’s just the best way to avoid traffic) and I am horrified and intrigued by the cleanup of the inner city. It reminds me of when the pope came to LA – there wasn’t a homeless person in sight for months before hand. So 2010 is equivalent to a visit from the pontiff – clean up the streets, throw away the poor, raise the rents and voila! we live in a nice, quiet African suburb of the capitalist metropole… my question is, where have all those people gone?