The Visual Messenger

“Kakwater!”

Scottsville Floods 13 July 2008

I got up this morning half past 8. It was my day off. I wanted to buy some fresh herbs and veg to make a curry. It is winter, it is cold and I know I can make a mouthwatering Thai curry.

I went to a shop to go buy the last ingredients and drove to a suburban area to visit a friend. She runs a wood factory and I know the area well.( I got lost there before…) Again I took a wrong turn and ended up in a place called Scottsville.

I wanted to find a place to turn and to my shock found water….lots of it. I realised the whole area have been flooded. In one of the streets I found people blocking the streets and protesting.

It has been raining in Cape Town for the last couple of days and many areas have been flooded. The streets, the houses….I haven’t seen anything like it in a while and realised then that I did not have my camera with me. This was one of the very view times that I actually did not have my camera on me…

I informed one of our Editors of the chaos I am witnessing and immediately drove all the way home to get my camera gear and my laptop. I forgot my gumboots as I left and had to take on the water with my black leather boots.

Upon my return the crowds of people were dispersing. According to an witness to the events, people where burning tires to get attention to their plight. Somehow it seems like people are using tires and fires to communicate nowadays. In the past this action was accompanied by violence and mass destruction. No violence this morning. Just one tire on fire. I missed that.

The members of the community went into a hall upon my arrival and were discussing the matters at hand with various community leaders. And so many people had too-much –to-say-and –then-some-more.

I did not want to listen to all the speeches by-those-who-know-better-that-anyone-else. My objective was visual storytelling and I headed to the water. I know the area to be very dangerous, so I did not want to spend too much time by myself. Immediately I was surrounded by about 10 people who became my guards and guides as I went into Greymourstreet. The street flooded with rain water and what seemed like drain water.

I was taken into various homes and did not have much time to spend. There were too much to document.. I had to think fast and be creative as well. I have never witnessed so much water in one area before. I have seen aftermaths but this time again I was there when it was happening.

I wandered down the street in the water and spoke to some of the people. None of them has any insurance. I walked into one house and the water was up to my knees. The TV in front of me was playing loud and for one moment I was totally confused. I had to tell the young boys sitting on the couch that they have to switch of the TV, because they might be shocked.

I followed my guides and walked through about 7 houses, making my way through the water kitchens, lounges, living rooms, in the garden and in the streets…

I was later told that the water was indeed ‘Kakwater.’

Nevertheless, in the chaos of the water, the drifting fridges, floating cars and ‘Kakwater’, I captured some amazing moments.

The boots was soaked with ‘Kakwater’ and had to be washed. They are hanging upside down in my shower to dry.

‘Kakwater’ is a word that I heard for the first time today. Kak is an Afrikaans word for “shit” and water is water.