14/05/2024
The Bolt we hailed upon arrival in Jo’burg from Manzini used a very unfamiliar route. The driver was quick to tell us to keep our windows up and devices out of sight.
Tall buildings with plastic sheets serving as replacement for broken windows, dirty sidewalks and dangerous looking people giving us the side eye.
“What’s this place?”, we asked.
“This is the most dangerous suburb of Johannesburg. In this place, entire buildings are hijacked by gangs in demand for rent”, said the driver.
He went on to explain that it was dangerous because it was mainly a hub for foreigners( he listed the countries. Yes, na we dey mong) who in his opinion were dangerous and influenced the locals to be bad. Kyerɛsɛ!!!
He then proceeded to tell a few more horror stories about this place. After succeeding in sufficiently spooking us, he drove on for a bit until we were in a visibly posher suburb and said, “You can use your phones now.”
The next morning, during the city tour, the open top bus drove through that same suburb and I was awestruck by the description the guide gave via the headphones.
“This suburb is inhabited by immigrants, street entrepreneurs and penniless new entrants to our grand city…”
Same suburb o! See how flowery language made the place sound like the ideal boot camp for achieving hustler dreams and another made it appear like a mini Black Dolphin Prison without invisible walls.
Packaging, audacity and vibes dey everywhere. Make nobody tell you otherwise.
