KNOWLEDGE PROJECT
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The Cosmo City Knowledge Project is a way to gather information to open up a conversation around history, heritage and culture in Cosmo City. This is to understand how Cosmo City came about, what it currently is and could become in the next 20 years. The project is a community led initiative that makes it possible for residents to initiate research projects and to share new knowledge of Cosmo City with each other. Through community participation, the project intends to create and collect ideas from residents of Cosmo City and to build new relationships within the community.
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The project started in June 2013, with VANSA starting with an extended research process to understand and make itself familiar with Cosmo City. This beginning stage was important as it allowed VANSA to familiarise itself with different stakeholders and residents. The initial intention was to commission four art projects that would require participation and involvement of residents. Through the first research process relationships were established with different residents these help the organisation to better position itself. First large workshop was held in the multipurpose centre in October 2013. Large delegations of international specialists were invited to help develop and shape a possible programme that would run for two years. During this four residents were invited to present a delegation about the difficulties and happenings of Cosmo City. Leading up to the workshop series of mapping workshops were held with a group of learners from oasis, to help create a more in-depth understanding of Cosmo City and its environment. The youth also assisted in showing the delegates the wrong because the city sharing their personal experience of the place as a way of giving insight to other complexities that the elders and the community leader might not talk about. The involvement of the residents, led to the establishment of a committee that would advise and help the project be relevant and be aware of the concerns of the residents. With the introduction of the four artist projects in May 2016, the committee of residence played a vital 2
role in grounding the artist knowledge of the area and facilitated small introductions to people and other stakeholders can assist with the artists finding their feet. The community knowledge project came out of several conversations that started in June 2013. Various stakeholders and residents were asking what they would get back in return. Not necessarily financial but what with the community of Cosmo City gain from their involvement in this project. There was a lot of discussion around several possibilities, mostly focused on a long-term return that would benefit majority of Cosmo City. It also clear that whatever solution was found it would have to integrate younger residents and older residents of Cosmo city and not be politically affiliated. In June 2014, VANSA and the committee start the process of inviting various groups and stakeholders to smaller meetings to discuss the possibility of what the project could be. We met over 80 people during this time who advised and gave inputs into what they thought was possible. Mostly people wanted a museum or a heritage route that would tell the story of how Cosmo City came to be. In the discussions we realised that this was a very complicated story and would have to be dealt with very sensitively. In October 2014, VANSA invited the group of local and international experts to listen to the residents to facilitated the creation a structure 3
and mechanism that would help collect information that would make the telling of the story of Cosmo City possible. After five days of listening to other residents and the committee the structure will was proposed as agreed upon by the people in the room. It was agreed that the structure would be tested for a year to see if it works and to make any changes where it wasn’t. For the last year the project has commissioned five research projects with four projects being completed. With over 20 residents being interviewed for the various projects. There are five basic questions asked beginning of every interview to learn where people have come from, how they came to Cosmo city and what they think of it. The researchers found through an open call that is advertised with flyers. Potential researchers are invited to a one-day workshop where five themes discussed and ideas are developed. The three smaller sessions were proposals refined with the fourth session being a presentation to the residents committee, who then select the project to be researched against a set of established criteria.
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THEMES The research themes are broad but can be combined within the context of the project. History: The history of Cosmo City: Sgodiphola and Riverbend Communities, Skosana Family, Van Tonder Family and other farmers. Current Affairs and new developments. Built Environment: This the way in which people uses space ie. Live, work, and recreate on a day-to-day basis. Eg: Green belt, Back yarding, Urban vs peri-urban and infrastructure. Migration: The movement (typically over long distances) by people from one place to another with the intention of settling temporarily or permanently in the new location. Eg: African Diaspora, Economic migration. Culture: Music, Language, Traditional culture, Contemporary culture.
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Cosmo City is a location in Randburg with different types of ethnic groups from all over Africa due to socio-economic migration and other reasons. Traditional healing is one of the ancient practices that have been practiced in our country, especially within our black communities. This form of practice goes deeper from what an ordinary human being thinks. There are different types of traditional healers, their journeys and customs are not the same but the practice itself has similarities in one way or the other. It is clear that the work they have been doing over the years has benefited the people in our communities and a country at large. It is a custom that has also been practiced in all of Africa and in some European countries. Many people have criticized the work of the ancestors that has been practice by other people. One of the important factors people do not realize is that being a traditional healer is one of the most difficult processes that a person takes on. Most people try to ignore the calling or they try to run away from it. This is because of the criticism and name-calling they hear from people or rejections within the families. Some people have accepted it and went through the training to become sangomas or traditional healers. Others don’t finish the training for some reason or the other and they run away, but would still practice and consult without going through the whole initiation process. These are seen as false sangomas who end up doing wrong deeds and give the whole traditional practice a bad name (CCCKP_ Thomas Ngwenya;Sibongile Mlotshwa_20150612_00:26:58). The whole 10
initiation process must be completed in order for one to practice and become a true sangoma. A Gobela who becomes a spiritual parent must provide accommodation and training where she/he will accompany the trainee home for the last ceremony to be accepted by the ancestor to start the traditional practice, which a person has been called for (CCCKP_Mazwane_20150521_00:25:50). Each of the traditional healers we have encountered all has different stories to tell. With difference of culture, background and customs this makes traditional healing a very diverse rich cultural custom in its own right. One of the sangomas we spoke to emphasized that one could never really understand this religion unless you become a sangoma. There are many imminent layers that is kept within the culture and not shared with just an ordinary person, which should be respected. There are personal sacrifices that must be made when taking upon traditional healing. Change of name and greeting is one of the changes that they go through. When a person gets to the Gobela they start beating the drums so that the ancestor who has called the person comes out and say what they want to be done, it is when they get the name of that ancestor from which the traditional healer will be called by, if the ancestor was a male the trainer will be umkhulu and if it’s of a women it will be ugogo (CCCKP_Mazwane_20150521_00:00:46). One of the traditional healers we had interviewed is Mama Zwane but is now called Gogo Madlabane, as her ancestor who called her was a woman called Madlabane. Gogo Madlabane also told us the way of greeting sangomas or any traditional healer is “thokoza� which means be happy, this form of greeting goes together with clapping hands, kneeling and bowing the head it is a sign of respect to the ancestors and an acknowledgement of understanding the traditional practice. Thokoza is also used in agreement in conversations. It is imperative that we understand that a calling can happen to anyone at anytime. There are rituals done if a calling is to a child or an elderly as the responsibilities of this magnitude are very difficult to understand, to perform and to follow through. Lindokuhle Mabuza known as Mkhulu 11
Ngwengweni who is 9years old is going through initiation to be a traditional healer. Most people would cry child abuse and look down on this tradition for keeping a child from enjoying her childhood. It is human nature to make such assumptions and judge the state of affairs without finding out why this would happen. That being one of the challenges faced by the traditional healers of being labelled and called names, simply because the general public don’t give themselves time to learn on other people’s different way of life. Society has its own perception and some also have concluded on what this practice is from what they read about and from people who speak on unfounded information. We live in a time where people don’t take the time to find out or really get to know a subject and hence such problem of going with the wind occur. Lindiwe Mabuza known as Gogo Mabuza the mother of the girl explains that when she was 7 years she herself had a calling seeing that she was young and it is by tradition that they ask the ancestors for mercy to put it on hold until the child is older. Her parents did the ceremony on her behalf to ask for the postponement of the child’s calling, which the ancestors accepted (CCCKP_mazwane;group interview_20150529_00:12:50). As she grew older she ignored her promise and continued living her normal life until the ancestors started communicating through her child. The ancestor an old man who was known as Ngwengweni would appear physically to the child. He would speak to the child in the dreams, even when she was in school playing with her friends the old man would come and speak to her. He told her to tell her mother to go for initiation together with the child as she has now ignored them and that if they don’t go the child would disappear and never to be found (CCCKP_mazwane;group interview_20150529_00:16:25). Gogo Mabuza and Mkhulu Ngwengweni had to relocate from Mpumalanga to Johannesburg for their training and once the training is completed they would be no reason for both to stay in Cosmo City and again the child will change school and adjust to the new environment. Both Mkhulu Ngwengweni and her mother Gogo Mabuza will be traditional healers once their training is completed. Respect of culture and most importantly respect of the ancestors is the 12
most critical core values of traditional practice, which is evident in this case. Cosmo City is metropolitan place with people from different places within Africa coming to stay and make this place home. Mkhulu Ngwenya and Gogo Mabusa are foreign nationals from Zimbabwe who now reside in Cosmo City. Their culture is a bit different from the South African traditional healers but has similarities in customs. They don’t change their names and don’t consult on Wednesday’s during a full moon. Once in a while they go to a specific mountain to perform rituals for their own benefit, to enhance their healing powers and to ask the ancestors for more wisdom. They explained that there are about seven different mountains that sangomas go to depending on where and how you are trained; these are visited to pray for strength, protection and more power from their ancestors. Mkhulu Ngwenya emphasized that not all sangomas go to the mountains in both countries (CCKP_Thomas Ngwenya:Sibongile Mlotshwa_20150612_00:26:05). Gogo Mlotshwa has undergone training twice, she trained and consulted for seven years and because of the pressure and the hardness of this type of practice she ran away to church hoping it will go away. For years she was an ordinary person until the sign of the sickness she once had that confirmed she had a calling, started coming back. She went to doctors and hospitals around Johannesburg but no diagnosis was made, she then went to see a traditional healer. Mkhulu Ngwenya who told her about ignoring and her calling and abandoning her duties, she had to start all over again with her training to be a sangoma (CCCKP_ Thomas Ngwenya;Sibongile Mlotshwa_20150612_00:01:08). One cannot just stop being a traditional healer and think to take up the responsibilities when it suits them, if you stop you will have to start the whole process all over again (CCCKP_ Thomas Ngwenya;Sibongile Mlotshwa_20150612_00:01:08). Mkhulu Ngwenya who happens to be ugobela to Gogo Mlotshwa had his calling when he was very young and still at school. He had to drop 13
out of school and go for his initiation. He stole his mother’s money and ran away to find his gobela to where his ancestors had directed him. He accepted his calling and has helped a lot of people in South Africa and Zimbabwe. He differentiates the types of spirits that he knows of, this can be identified by the way sangomas dress, the way they would use traditional medicine. He is a songoma with two spirits called Hosana and sangoma (CCCKP_Thomas Ngwenya;Sibongile Mlotshwa_20150612_00:00:10). The Hosana are female ancestors where they beat the drum and the sangoma is a male where they clap hands. It is often said that when a person gets a calling the ancestors guide you to place of training where you will find your Gobela to train you. That was not the case with Gogo Madlabane. She had been sick for over four years, when she was told by a sangoma that she had a calling and in disbelief she ignored it. She decided to consult one last time, if they confirmed she has a calling she would accept. Gogo Madlabane assumed she would receive a sign as to where she should go for her training. Her sickness was getting worse she then decided to go and look for one herself. She went to Soweto, as she was walking she chose the house of the sangoma which was the last on street she was on. When she entered the gate all the pain she was feeling disappeared she turned going back home when she was by the gate leaving the pain started again severely (CCCKP_ Mazwane_20150521_00:17:04). She did this three times until she realized it is where she needs to be. She is now a Gobela herself. An Intwaso is a ritual performed for the trainee where a goat is slaughtered; this ceremony is done before the young sangoma goes back home. Part of the initiation is to examine if the trainee is ready to be a sangoma. It’s very interesting to observe as an outside as objects are hidden and the trainee must say where it is, if she fails to locate or pass the test that would mean she is not ready and would carry on for some time with the initiation (CCCKP_Mazwane_20150521_00:27:25). We were lucky to have been invited to an Intwaso for Mkhulu Ngwengweni and Gogo Mabuza. This was an amazing experience, which added another 14
layer on our research, with the dance and other activities that were performed by the traditional healers who came for the ceremony. A goat’s gall bladder was put on the head of both Mkhulu Ngwengweni and Gogo Mabuza, which is sign that they have passed their Intwaso ritual and soon will be going home to be fully trained real sangomas with ordained certificates. The singing, dancing and the beating of the drum awakens the ancestors. All of the sangomas that were present come and dance different routines. They then come and kneel in front of the person whom the ancestors have chosen to greet them by introducing themselves, by that time they are already in spirit. The response will be to clap hands and saying thokoza, one of the sangomas would come join to respond back and acknowledge the greeting. Respect of the ancestors is very important in traditional healing; it’s important to do and follow what is required of you by the ancestor that called you. There are certain things in life that are too complex to understand. God created some things that have no answers, just mysterious. The most important factor and a lesson for us all is respect. People have reasons of doing what they do it’s just for us to respect each other. There is not one person in their right mind that really wakes up and decides to be a traditional healer, it is very difficult journey walking barefoot, going into mountains, rivers and valleys to perform rituals. We understand that there are false prophets but even them they fully understand what they are in for and have some knowledge on the practice.
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Cosmo City continues to grow as a place of choice and as a community, which was estimated to be around 70,000 in population in 2010 according to the main developers Basil Read Developers. That number has increased substantially over the years with backrooms being built, particularly in the RDP houses. The recent developments and job opportunities in Cosmo City have created an influx into the area, which cannot be avoided. From 2005, when the first residents moved into Cosmo City until November 2015, residents were told that they could not have retail outlets in their RDP houses but some residents have been doing this. During the last count on Wednesday 4 July 2012 Cosmo City had 10 792 families out of an anticipated total of 12 500, according to the then Gauteng MEC for Local Government, Housing and Traditional Affairs Humphrey Mmemezi. Thisnumber came from 4914 RDP houses, 3197 bonded houses, 281 rental-apartments and 2400 semi-financed houses. Cosmo City has eight schools that educate the children of the community, a number of play parks for children to play, allowing them to be children, and various churches that help the community spiritually. Youth unemployment has been high for many years in South Africa and is one of the country’s major socio-economic challenges. Cross-country comparisons regularly affirm that South Africa’s unemployment rates are among the highest in the world. In 2013, the youth unemployment rate was 63% of the youth labour force (3.2 million individuals) according to the expanded definition of unemployment, which includes as unemployed those who are not actively looking for a job (i.e., the non22
searching unemployed, or “discouraged work-seekers�). Roughly 30% of male youth and 36% of female youth are disconnected from both the labour market and opportunities that promote future employability. Unemployed youth are characterised by their lack of employability resulting from a range of socio-economic factors. They often have low levels of education, have dropped out of school and invariably do not have the literacy, numeracy and communication skills needed in the labour market. They also have little work experience, which is a particularly undesirable characteristic for employers. These young people lack strong networks or social capital that allow them to source job opportunities, and tend not to have sufficient financial resources to enable mobility to areas where there is demand for labour. Of those who do have resources available as a result of their family support or network, they often have unrealistically high reservation wages, thereby resulting in relatively long periods of unsuccessful searching. These socio-economic factors have resulted in a gap between productivity and entry-level wages for young workers, which is a constraint on job creation. Research The value of this research shows that the state of Cosmo City today should not deter young people from pursuing their dreams. It provides the latest information and research in terms of our brief history as a community, the unemployment situation we face, the skills that are required in business, the change in the mindsets of residents that are needed, particularly the unemployed youth, to see and aspire to pursuing their own paths and developing their own skills to make a living, be better citizens and FUTURE Leaders! Given the formal and informal businesses in Cosmo City, what can the community (whether employed or unemployed), particularly the youth, learn from these businesses and the people running them. How can they start their own businesses or initiatives, grow them and make a living out of them to improve their lives and the community As Cosmo City residents, we can get the specific unemployment issue in Cosmo City, the skills shortages we have and how then the residents learn from the existing businesses that are working and be inspired to do and follow their own paths and pursue their DREAMS! 23
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Cosmo City (CC) is a place characterized by rapid development with its mixture of bonds houses; flats and RDP houses. The main the main thing that results in the rapid growth of Cosmo City is backyarding for rental purposes. Unemployment is the main issue that made property owners (PO) in Cosmo City to build backrooms for rental purposes (MorakongMphahlele_20150907 _0:02:22). We are building the backrooms ‘because we are not working”. Some property owners are working but decide to build the backrooms for rental purposes because they need enough cash (ThabisoPebane20150908_0:01:51).”I am working but the salary that I’m getting is not enough”. As such; most of them took a loan from the bank in order to build their backrooms (MorakongMphahlele_20150907 _0:02:57). In some of the backrooms before a tenant can be allowed to stay in the backroom there is a written agreement between the property owner and the tenant that they both have to sign. The agreement states all rules and regulations about staying in the yard and also in the backroom; including the general rules of acceptable behavior. It is vital for both the PO and tenant to have the copy of that agreement in order to serve as a reminder for them. Again, before the tenant can be allowed to stay in the backroom, it is important the property owner to study the person who is looking for a place to rent; although they might be sure of the real characteristics of the person by merely studying them; but property owner must not just accept anyone to come stay in their backrooms just because they need money. And most PO in CC keep a record of ID numbers or Passport numbers of their tenants and also Cell phone numbers so that they might provide assistance to the police in case the tenant might commit crime somewhere. 30
Most property owners in Cosmo City use the rental payment form their tenants to support their families and also to pay for University fees and accommodation. The different challenges that most property owners in Cosmo City faces concerning the rental payment form their tenants are that sometimes tenants just don’t want to pay the rent; sometimes they pay late, in the such a way that those property owners who have signed agreement between them and their tenants they indicated that any late payment of rent will result in the payment of R200 extra, as such this serves as a constraint for tenant to pay late but a benefit for the property owner in the sense that there is no one who is paying rent late. Other challenges that the property owners faces from tenants are that others just demand something that the PO has done for other tenant even if they don’t really need; thus this become a clear indication that tenants are competing to demand from the property owner. If it happens that the tenant become unemployed and therefore unable to pay the rent; it is important for the tenant to inform the property owner on time so that they can agree on the amount of money that the tenant cab be able to pay whilst still looking for the other job; but this will depend on the relationship between the tenant and the property owner; thus good relationship imply that the property owner will be concerned about the unemployment status of the tenant; but if the tenant have no good relationship with the property owner will give him or her a notice of two monhths to move out. But the tenants must understand that “we are running business”(MorakongMphahlele_20150907_0:04:41). Another challenges that the property owners faces is that every time when the tenants move out of the backroom to relocate to somewhere; they don’t leave the backroom exactly the way they found it, they left the windows handles and doors broken, as such it is at the expense of the property owner to repair everything that is broken. Concerning the issue of freedom most property owners in Cosmo City have much freedom with their families as they used to have as a result of backrooms. They just have to compromise because they need money. The most common complaints that the property owners get from their tenants from is that sometimes times tenants complain about the noise from other 31
tenants and other tenants don’t want to clean the bathroom. Then the property owner himself or herself have to confront that tenant until she or he agrees to clean. Another complain that they get from tenants is complains about noise from other tenants; then the property owner had to confront those tenants to remind them of the rules of staying in the yard. Most concern for property owners in the use of electricity and water is that during winter electricity usage becomes very high as such they have to increase rent with extra R100; and drops it during summer. What most property owners are worried about is that some tenants just leave the water tap open even the bucket is full until the property owner himself or herself comes to close it. What most property owners realized is that tenants are not the same; some are good to stay with while others are not good at all. As such the way of living in the yard and doing things depends on the type of tenants that the property owner has. Again; maintaining a good relationship with tenants is vital in such a way that sometimes when it happens that the tenant move out of the backroom for employment reasons; he or she might want to come back to stay where he or she was renting before because of that relationship. The issue of safety and security in most backrooms around CC is maintained by putting burglar doors. Again it is important for tenants themselves to maintain their own safety by confronting strangers when they see them in the yard. Most property owner in Cosmo City realized the impact of their backrooms to Cosmo City as a whole is that they serve a means to increase population and also assist most people with accommodation. In addition to that; their backrooms maintain the standard of building in Cosmo City in the sense that the property don’t build shacks. In addition to that; building backrooms outside one’s own borders is a serious risk in such a way that the backrooms might be demolished by municipality and the property owner might have to endure another costs of rebuilding backrooms in his or her yard. The challenges that I’m facing are that “my rooms got demolished”(CCKP_ PatriciaTsolo_2015 0913_0:05:04) ”the rooms that I built before got demolished”.
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Suggestions It is important for property owners to know the exact reasons why he tenants are looking for a place to stay in order to have a sense of the type of a person that is going to stay in the backroom. The property owners might ask for Cell phone numbers of the tenant’s former landlord. In order to eliminate complaints from other tenants complain about others concerning the issue of cleaning; a time table should be drawn by the property owner indicating about cleaning and taking the dustbin out of the yard for PIKITUP to collect it. What I have leant If the tenant moves out of the room it is vital for the property owner to ask the exact reasons that made him or her to decide moving out so that if it is property owner’s fault he or she might get rid of that problem or rectify the mistake before another tenant comes to stay. This helps the property owner not to repeat the same mistake time and again. They should be agreement between the property owners and tenant stating rules and staying in the yard and backrooms and also generally acceptable behavior in the yard and backrooms Good relationship between the property owner and tenant might serve as an encouragement for the tenant who moved out of the backroom for employment reasons to come back and look for place to rent in the that yard which he or she had good relationship with the property owner . It is vital for the property owner to have a record of the ID numbers or Passport numbers as well as Cell phone numbers of his or her tenants; in order to provide assistance to the police in case the tenant might commit crime somewhere. Sometimes a tenant just doesn’t want to pay rent just because he wants to undermines the property owner. It is important for the property owner to educate his or her tenants not come with the attitude that they are paying the rent To maintain security in the yard the property owner and tenants must confront strangers when they see them. 33
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Cindy Ndebele
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Africans from Malawi, Zimbabwe and Nigeria have left their countries because of different situations, hoping to start a better life with their families and children in South Africa. They all wished for change, a healthy lifestyle and job opportunities so that they would be able to take their kids to school and feed them. This still remains a dream, as they are still jobless and their kids are not in school. Most of these families in this situation are from Zimbabwe. They left Zimbabwe because of the current political and economic situation, that we are all familiar with, to find help in our country South Africa, in our city Cosmo city. The research that I have done on how moving countries has affected the families and their children’s access to education has made me more curious about the education system and children’s right of our country. These kids are in South Africa and according to the law and by their rights they are entitled to education and yet the schools in South Africa are excluding them. A big problem is the requirement for proper documentation. This is not easy to get, as it is a very long and expensive process, with some parents not have money to even start as they have given up so much already. The people who are supposed to be helping the parents are sometimes taking advantage of them and demand more money, this often make the process longer and impossible. At Home Affairs the situation is more complicated as the people who are meant to assist are taking advantage of the desperate situation, by asking for large amounts of money from the foreign people, as a bribed to speed up the process. The situation has become so bad that some of these parents are thinking of taking their children back to Zimbabwe. The reality is that the children can go back and study, but when they finish school they will come back to South Africa and still be in the same situation. My advice to the parents is to fix the papers 40
now, to make things easier in the future. At the moment parents are stuck, as they do not know who to turn to for help. Most of them say it will be a waste to go back to Zimbabwe as the situation is still the same. There are no jobs, companies are shutting down and there are no people to look after the kids back home while they are working in South Africa. The levels of corruption and the lack of respect for foreigners in South Africa plays a big role in this situation, because people go to Home Affairs to ask for papers so that the kids can get into school when they get there they are mistreated and are asked for a lot of money that they cannot afford. The Baby Bridge the Gap (a back to school program for kids that are not in school because of documentation issues) parents really wish to change the situation of their kids. It is very painful for them to see their kids being excluded like this, but they can’t do it alone it is a collective effort to get these kids into school, the schools, the parents and us as an organisation we cannot do it alone each of us has a role or contribution to make. Most of the parents initially settled in the informal settlements of Sgodiphola and River Bend (Msawawa). Moving to Cosmo city was really exciting for them because they were coming to a new city that would be clean. They liked that their would be no shacks, cows and goats. Currently some of the families are renting back rooms and while others are renting full RDP houses. The development was really exciting for them because there would be new job opportunities available. Over time this has changed and they don’t feel safe anymore because of the recent strike about the back rooms that took place in South Africa Drive. They are scared because they did not expect that kind of reaction from the people who had big dreams and were very exciting about their new homes and community.
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Pastor Samuel Tabe, Pinky Ncikana, Vinah Tshabalala, John Mongwe ,Nokuthula Nkosi, Flora Phakela, Mama Khoza, Timothy Zulu, Hilda Maboe, Masello Mthetwa , Sinah Saal, Peter Mphahlela, Baba Sithole, Seipati Hanong, Gladys Tlhapa, Kutloano Toko, Kadiatou Diallo, Dorothee Kreutzfeldt, Sello Pesa, Douglas Mothemane, Peter Malesa, Brandon Lithigo, Charles Moshaba, Hope, Oasis Youth, Community Works Program, Phashe Magagane, Marianne Guarino-Huet, Olivier Desvoignes, Brian Mtembu, Humphrey Maleka, Amy Watson, Alex Wafer, Busisiwe Baloyi, Blessing Baatjie, Neo Nkosi, Virginia Msiza, Shireen Ngoasheng, Nkele Mabitsela, Kamohelo Matsepe, Thabang Seisa, Thabo Halahala, Nkateko Ndhlovu, Thinawanga Maphangule, Talya Lubinsky, Jabulani Maseko, Mashudu Phennemene, Robyn Nesbitt, Sifiso Gumede, Bokang Mankoe, Lloyd Maluleke, Mathews Makgothl, Goolam Saber, Sifiso Temba, Lebohang Motaung, Lindokuhle Zwane, Mpume Nombebe, Sibongile Ngqodi, Mzukhona Mantshontsho, Sandra Mashilo, Mbongeni Mankai, Alexander Koch, Philip Horst, Mafanele Hlungwani, Jabulani Phelago, Nomsa Mdlalose, Rike Sitas, Chrischene Julius, Alexander Opper, Nhlamulo Ngobeni, Shyam Patel, Thembi Moyo, Thabisile Zwane, Thomas Nwenya, Lindokuhle Mabuza, Lindiwe Mabuza, Sibongile Mhlotswa, Gloria Rambau, Menda Ramaphko, Thato Morwagae, Given Koka, Thina Maphangula
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The Visual Arts Network of South Africa (VANSA) was initiated by leading figures in the visual arts sector from across South Africa in 2003. People felt that the visual arts - unlike the film, performing arts, music, and publishing sectors - lacked a body that could tackle industry issues: from the need to address historical imbalances in access to opportunities in the visual arts, through to the need to attract more public investment and funding for the sector. Growth, Transformation and Opportunity were the three key ideas that motivated the organisation. CONTACTS: Vaughn Sadie vaughn@vansa.co.za 083 778 8835
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