Horst Kleinschmidt website
May 2025 last update
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Masiphumelele and Ocean View - my ubumelwane - and the apartheid legacy that lives on in my neighbourhood

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Wag 'n Bietjie. Address in Simon's Town 2021.pdf
File Size: 264 kb
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Leading Causes of Life Initiative - briefing 27. 3 Nov 2020.pdf. Film Interview of Horst obout equity and justice
File Size: 586 kb
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September 2020:

https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2020-09-01-dan-plato-accused-of-recruiting-whites-to-help-against-land-invaders/​
April 2019: A grass-roots activist organisation called Reclaim the City have forced the City of Cape Town to debate the continued spacial apartheid we live in. The essence of the Cities policy is, if you are poor(er) you have no place other than on the outskirts of Cape Town. Reclaim the City have pointed to the very large number of golf clubs throughout Cape Town and the fact that one of them, near Masiphumele pay R1000 rent per annum for 7000 square meters of land. In Masi, back-yarders easily pay R2000 per month for a 16 square meter shack. See this debated in below article.  

https://mg.co.za/article/2019-04-11-00-sports-clubs-eyed-for-low-cost-housing-in-cape-town

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Prof Julian Cook, another resident near Masiphumelele, is another proponent who wants the City to actively counter the apartheid racial and class spatial planning. Alas, none of the political parties have proper policies nor the will to deal with the crude divides we inherited. In fact they pursue divisions - without using apartheid words!

The face of inequality: Masiphumelele in my neighbourhood

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Complaint lodged with the South African Human Rights Commission in Masiphumele and associated photographs are filed under Ubumelwane.
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Masi is a township near where we stay. Its covers an area of little more than one square kilometre. Its population is approaching 40,000. This includes migrants from other African countries. The population here is African and mostly poor. In South African parlance such an area is (still) referred to as a 'township'. 

Masi is surrounded by some 39 square kilometres of what are called suburbs, inhabited by at not more than 18,000 people, most of them white. There is also Ocean View, an area for those apartheid designated as 'Coloured'. But the story below is about Masi.

Like in other townships, there have been repeated fires that raise hundreds of homes to the ground within hours. Some people of the 2006 fire are still waiting for a place to re-build their homes. In the latest fire on 27 February 2016, once again, someone burnt to death. A fire on 29 November 2015 made 4000 people homeless. Some have re-built their homes but when these homes did not conform in size to what the City of Cape Town determined, the City officials broke them down. The destruction of homes re-built after the fire has now happened on three different occasions. More evictions are being threatened. Three months after the fire, thirty-odd people still have no-where to go to and have since lived in the community hall.

UNDER THE HEADING BELOW TITLED UBUMELWANE, YOU FIND THE RECORD OF PUBLICITY AND ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CITY OF CAPE TOWN REGARDING ITS ABYSMAL ADMINISTRATION OF MASIPHUMELE.

Below is a little boy who lives in the hall with his mother and siblings. In the absence of suitable amenities and toys, he or his mother have invented ways to entertain the children living here.

      MASIPHUMELE, isiXhosa for 'we will succeed'.

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Complaint to the SA Human Rights Commission regarding Public Health in Masi, March 2016.pdf
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Masi Health Crises Photos - part 1
File Size: 21957 kb
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Masi Health Crises Photo's - part 2
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Masi Health Crises Photos part 3.
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Paul Hoffman to Cllr Felicity Purchase re Police Station and access to Masi Development Plan
File Size: 82 kb
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Paul Hoffman to Ombud Western Cape.pdf
File Size: 33 kb
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Media coverage late Feb and early March 2016.pdf
File Size: 4845 kb
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24.February 2016. Dear friends in the valley.pdf
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14 February 2016. Another fire!.pdf
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10 February 2016.pdf
File Size: 244 kb
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4 Feb 2016 articles on Masi.pdf
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Sabc film footage of the City of CT destroying the new homes built by the victims of last November's fire. What irony, the material for these homes were supplied by the City.docx
File Size: 31 kb
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19 January 2016. Thank you. docx.pdf
File Size: 30 kb
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16 January 2016. Masi is bleeding.pdf
File Size: 40 kb
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Map of Masiphumelele.pdf
File Size: 15682 kb
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What was learnt from meeting with Table Mountain National Parks on 7 and 15 January 2016.docx
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23 January 2016.pdf
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21 January 2016. Groundup.pdf
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29 December 2015. Masi.docx
File Size: 2640 kb
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28 December 2015. Masidocx
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24 December 2016. Masi.pdf
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22 December 2015. Masi.docx
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21 December 2015. Masi.pdf
File Size: 537 kb
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19 December 2015. Masidocx
File Size: 245 kb
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18 December2015.
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17 Dec 2015: Acact and Dr L van Dijk on Masi fires
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16 December 2015. Masidocx.pdf
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Support to rename Baden Powell Drive to David Stuurman Drive.

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UBUMELWANE

ubuMelwane is the isiXhosa word for neighbourhood. 

Despite the end of apartheid in 1994 the residential suburbs of South Africa remain essentially segregated on racial lines. Affordability but in equal measure prejudice has made integration a distant prospect until now. Racial prejudices and stereotyping remain a major feature in nearly all aspects of life. In the southern peninsula part of Cape Town, where Christine and I reside, neighbourhood and good neighbourliness between these communities remains the exception. The residential area of Masiphumelele is desperately short of land. Africans live here in crowded housing and shacks made from corrugated iron and plastic sheeting. Water, sanitation, electricity supply and storm water drainage services are deficient or absent. The adjacent white suburbs, despite employing the people from 'Masi' view Masi people with suspicion, a place where crime emanates from. They want Masi fenced in and patrolled. Schools and social amenities in our area remain essentially segregated. Suburbs such as Ocean View, where dark-skinned people were moved to under apartheid, remain equally insular from the well-to-do white residential, commercial and recreational neighbourhood.

ubuMelwane is an informal group of residents throughout the segregated southern peninsula who protest the way municipal, provincial and national authorities lack vision and will to change these apartheid demographics. Through practical actions and representations we promote solidarity and collaboration across these divisions to change the unequal access to resources. 

We are advocates of democracy and the urgent implementation of our Bill of Rights. We are part of civil society and not party politically aligned. 

Below is a chronological list of communications, activities, meetings and statements that ubuMelwane has initiated or supported. The first pdf file provides a vision for our neighbourhood into the decade ahead.

ubuMelwane is not part of other organisations mentioned below nor are they affiliated to ubuMelwane.        
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18 Oct 2011
August 2011: A report on Masi residents lobbying for improved conditions. And how Abahlali baseNjondolo won a court victory for shack dwellers
File Size: 46 kb
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3.4.2014. Invitation to the Masi launch of the book: "In search of happiness" by Sonwabiso
File Size: 108 kb
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1.4.2014 On Kalk Bay's social History - Patric Tariq Mellet
File Size: 45 kb
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March 2014. A report on Masi residents securing concessions from the City Council. And an important court judgement for shack dwellers.
File Size: 247 kb
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ubumelwane.pdf
File Size: 95 kb
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27.2.2014 Fund raising concert for Masi housing while honouring the passing of Pete Seeger
File Size: 56 kb
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27.2.2014 In honour of Pete Seeger
File Size: 77 kb
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8.2.2014 A protest about the way people in shacks are being moved from one temporary site to another
File Size: 161 kb
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14.12.2013 Support for Dr. Luth van Dijk's petition to the City from Vincent Green
File Size: 58 kb
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22.12.2013 Ubumelwane supports the petition of Dr. Lutz van Dijk
File Size: 39 kb
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30.11.2013 Article by Dr. Lutz van Dijk of HOKISA on overcoming inequality
File Size: 2056 kb
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26.11.2013 Dr van Dijk: End charity!
File Size: 100 kb
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24.11.2013 Report on funds raised at concert
File Size: 22 kb
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22.11.2013 Invite to concert
File Size: 82 kb
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Sarita Stern opera singers to raise funds for Amakhaya Ngoku housing association
File Size: 706 kb
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24.10.2013. "Nobody will ever kill me" a book by a Masi resident.
File Size: 113 kb
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7.9.2013 Local resident Joline Younge on the achievements of Ocean View artists Peter ClarkeOn the death of local artist Peter Clarke
File Size: 283 kb
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31.8.2013. Support for a book written by local resident, Ronnie Kasrils on his deceased wife Eleanor
File Size: 128 kb
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August 2013 Ubumelwane meets Amakhaya Ngoku
File Size: 27 kb
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12.82013. Invitation to meet to ubuMelwaners to meet Masi housing association Amakhaya Ngoku.
File Size: 70 kb
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8.8.2013_ubumelwane__and_municipal_land.pdf
File Size: 5025 kb
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12.7.2013_Ronnie Kasrils addresses Neighbours on what he perceives as South Africa faustian moment
File Size: 25 kb
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12.7.2012 On keeping political party politics out - by Prof. Jonathan Jansen
File Size: 102 kb
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21.3.2013 Young Masi people at Holocaust memorial seminar on Human Rights Day
File Size: 865 kb
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10.3.2012 Ubumelwane supports the call for a free Eritrea
File Size: 26 kb
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11.2.2012 Notes on an ubuMelwane meeting to learn about community issues
File Size: 44 kb
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April 2012 Cosmas Desmond memorial meeting
File Size: 1046 kb
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December 2011 Invitation to honour local resident Randolph Vigne on receiving the Order of Luthuli at the national honours awards.
File Size: 40 kb
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