Images: (right) Artists impression of the inside of a shebeen in the 1960s
(left) The shebeen we visited in Imizamo Yethu
Thursday evening; so close to the weekend, yet so far. If I had been in Dubai I would have already been kicking off my shoes to welcome those two glorious days of a week (the weekend in the UAE starts on Thursday). This one Thursday though, Magister invited us for a trip to a township where we would get a chance to interact with the people and revel in the night with them. Now I had no idea then as to what a party in a township would entail. All I was told is that we would be given a tour about the people and the township’s history. Oh and we would be visiting a shebeen. They were local gathering places or bars where illicit alcohol was distributed during apartheid as blacks then were barred from most pubs. Shebeens are now legal and very popular in most townships as a way to relax. Well, partying traditional South African style would indeed be interesting was my reaction.
Our buses to take us came, into which we gladly climbed in to escape the cold and rain. We drove and drove and eventually came to a stop at somewhere outside the city. We were briefed on what we would be doing. And then we drove into Hout Bay into the township Imizamo Yethu. Apparently it name means “Together we struggle” after the people in the township refused to move to make way for white residents in the area.
We passed by many tin shacks. I thought our presence would bring a lot of attention to ourselves, but surprisingly none of the people walking by even batted an eyelid. Clearly, they were used to this. Then we finally pulled up by a larger tin house perched on a raised surface. People in the shebeen greeted us like we were long-time friends and we did this regularly. It takes a lot of openness to allow strangers into your house with such warmth and I really appreciated that. On first glances of the interior of the shebeen once can see that it is simple and earthy. Wooden poles and wooden planks supported the structure. There are no long bar tables or stacks of glasses or fancy lights. Just a few seats lined up against the wall in a circle and tables in a corner. It then hit me; these were places where people frustrated by the ills of apartheid could come and relax and vent about the social and political issues of the country. This in its own way was a historic site, a sign of a community. As we sat there, the residents of the township came and greeted us and asked about us. I felt like they were offering us a piece of their culture as if to say this is how it was, a safe haven from our oppressors where we are free. As long as you don't take away this from us you are welcome. We all talked for a while with some of the people about the township and their lives there, with kwaito music playing in the background. Suddenly we were told to quiet down and turn our attention to the center of the room. Five small boys stepped in and starting dancing in a style called “Pantsula”. It was a kind of freestyle that seemed pretty hard to do but the children did it effortlesslu. My first reaction was, why are they forcing these kids to dance in front of strangers especially where there is alcohol present. Later, I thought maybe they wanted to do it and maybe this was quite normal in the community. After all music was an important part of shebeens. A capella performances followed and other dancers came up, all very talented artists fit for any professional arena. Finally we were asked to join in the revelry and were taught a few dance moves.
It was indeed a night to remember. People we did not know or had not even interacted with before now became our friends as we all danced the night away. I don’t know where the people at Imizamo Yethu were actually glad to see us or treated us just like any other tourists, but all I knew was that I felt one with that gathering. I could see how this place become an escape from what happened outside. We all meshed in together, black, white, and brown in that tiny room. Music and thought thrived here. In many ways these shebeens are symbols of struggle by opposing authority and demonstrating freedom of expression. They are a necessary part of the community and have to remain as they are an important part of South African history. In their own way the people in shebeens fought against apartheid by going against the government. Visiting the shebeen was crucial for us to understand this part of the country, away from the museums and the usual sights. Banned places where condemned minds convened.
