Day 36

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City planning is a funny thing; the idea that a small group of people wield the power to tell the majority where to live out their lives. In Apartheid South Africa, the Group Areas Act, and other similar laws, took this idea to the extreme through legislated segregation. If you were classified as 'white' in Cape Town, you were allowed to live in the leafy green suburbs near the mountains (either in Cape Town or Stellenbosch), but if you were classified as 'black' or 'coloured' you were relegated to the flats; the dusty, marshy, and generally horrible land in between. 

Thankfully, today, 18 years after the ushering in of democracy and decades after the abolition of this legal segregation, individuals have freedom of movement and can live in any location they choose and can afford. However, as I sit on the Jameson Hall steps at UCT and look out over the landscape, it is impossible to ignore that not much has changed. While the importance of 'race' may be diminishing in terms of where people live, class-based differences still polarise the city; the suburbs are still inhabited mainly by middle and upper class individuals, while the flats, at times, are the picture of poverty. 

In light of this fact, I find the location of UCT fascinating. Nestled on the slopes of Devil's Peak, the campus is literally elevated above the rest of the city. As if those sitting drinking coffee on the steps have made it. We are the elite who literally look down on the individuals who will never be where we are. We are the educated who hold the power of theory and definition. We, just like the statue of Cecil Rhodes which graces the foot of the steps, have the ability to survey the landscape; to see the big picture. We identify 'problems' in the distance and try to theorise solutions. We look out over the city we will, someday, lead or fix or rebuild or cure. And, sometimes we get overwhelmed and opt to stay safe in our ivy-draped ivory tower. 

But, despite our elevation, if we are to be of any use we must remember that our view, while panoramic, is not accurate. If we want to understand the problems on the ground, we must start by climbing down the steps and putting our feet firmly on the ground. 

(Kodak EasyShare C513)