Reg moet geskied: 'Reclaiming the land'

In 'n onlangse paneelbespreking het Christi van der Westhuizen die volgende opgemerk: "why has reconciliation lost all its traction? Because it wasn't completely and properly entangled with the issue of redress‚ which ultimately speaks to the issue of justice." Sy het voortgegaan: "From the start‚ it always should have been hand in hand with redress‚ because reconciliation is absolutely impossible without redress. I'm talking about socio-economic justice." Ander sprekers het uitgelig dat "reconciliation" in beginsel gebreke is, siende dat daar nooit "conciliation" was om te herstel nie – veral nie na jare se kolonisasie en apartheid nie. Vir meer oor die gesprek, sien die nuusstorie deur Nico Gous op TimesLIVE. 

Dit is 2018, en Suid-Afrika het 'n nuwe tydperk in haar geskiedenis betree. Die land se nuwe president, Cyril Ramaphosa het die kontroversiële aankondiging gemaak dat daar grondonteiening sonder vergoeding sal plaasvind om die ongeregtighede van die verlede te herstel, asook om die kritiese vlakke van ongelykheid in hedendaagse Suid-Afrika aan te spreek. Hierdie verklaring het verskillende emosies by mense ontlok, sommiges is in vrees gelaat, ander in blydskap. Dit het fotograaf Courtney Rabbit laat besin oor die land en haar plek daarin: "I grew up in the city of Cape Town, where the traces of spatial apartheid planning are still very much a part of everyday life. The wealthy white upper classes live in and around the city CBD, and the poorer black classes live in townships far from the city.

"This being despite assertions from the local government that they would provide affordable social housing and mixed developments, inside the CBD and surrounding areas of Cape Town, to reverse spatial apartheid. Every day we see new private developments for expensive apartments and malls because the city continues to sell its property to private developers, entrenching the divisive nature of our city."

Die reeks foto's was op 'n leë stuk grond in 'n gesogte buurt in Kaapstad geneem. Courtney sê daar is baie soortgelyke plotte wat steeds vakant is, wat gebruik kan word om sosiale behuising en mixed developments te bou vir mense van kleur, wat van verskeie ekonomiese demografieë af kom. "We believe that this is possible through innovative and inclusive planning, THIS IS OUR CLAIM."

Fotograaf: Courtney Rabbit

Assistent: Jarret Vincent Trapman

Model: Jethro Jaftha (Agency: My Friend Ned)