BUILDING BRIDGES IN SOUTH AFRICA

I still have many good memories of my life in Claremont, where I was born in 1945 and I lived for 33 years: I recall my neighbors, my school and my Church, St Saviours, which I grew to love and where I attended Sunday school, became an altar boy and where I was a founder member of the Youth Group. We remained part of the parish even after we were forcibly removed under the Group Areas Act to Grassy Park on the Cape Flats. I had some idea of this as I had been actively involved in Anti-Apartheid activities in the form of drama by our church youth group.

When the time came for us to move, my mother had said we were moving because our home was too small for our family of eight. But we watched her as she walked around the house on the last day and, seeing our fruit trees, she told my oldest brother: “Take a saw and cut the bottom stem of all the trees. We must not leave the best for the whites.” She never came back to the house.

We had to make huge sacrifices after we were moved. We had to work together to survive. Soon hatred began to take hold of our lives. But the worst was when a white church warden at St. Saviours asked us why we did not move to a church in Grassy Park. This really upset the family and the hatred towards whites grew.

The hatred even overflowed into my workplace At times I would say that I forgive my white colleagues but deep down I would not forget. Life for me became very difficult and I became confused as to where I wanted to be or become. This drove me to work hard and at times I even asked myself at times if there is a God and why he does not hear me. But I continued to attend St. Saviours. This went on for many years until I met someone who understood me. And she introduced me to her friends. This changed my life but I would have arguments with them because of my hatred towards other people. My family and friends used to say that they do not understand me: I would either become very aggressive or very quiet and not talk for many days.

I always thanked God for giving me the one person who stood by me and tried to understand who I was. She tried to take me but never forced me to go to listen to talks about reconciliation until my son became involved with the Cross of Nails (CCN) and attended a conference in Germany in 2002. Because it was my son that was invited I also got involved and showed interest in reconciliation. In 2005 I was introduced to some members of CCN at Good Shepherd where I met whites who were truly committed to reconciliation and forgiveness. There again I became quiet and my mind started to bring back all my memories of the past while sitting there and listening to them. I have always listened to others but never felt the sincerity in what was said. I felt that whites said things because they felt they had to.

Now with this committee I felt something which I never did before. During our preparations for the Cross of Nails Community (CCN) conference I had the opportunity of journeying with CCN members. We visited a humble labyrinth in Kommetjie. I started walking but something within me did not feel right. This feeling made me turn back while the others continued. Watching them in their walk I realized that I made the right decision as I had not forgiven completely.

Afterwards, I was fortunate to be able to share some of my experiences with the one who introduced me to the labyrinth. This I felt was rewarding and she became very interested and a good listener.

In 2006 I met many young people from other CCN communities visiting Cape Town from around the world and learned about new ideas of forgiveness. With them we visited the Kommetjie Labyrinth again.  I felt differently. When I stood there, I realized that I was ready to completely forgive and forget the past.

The walk was inspiring because as I walked I could feel a sense of relief as well as the many things I have bottled up inside me. At one stage I picked up a stone as it reminded me of our stone-throwing days in younger years. I placed it in the centre of the labyrinth because I felt that I could leave all my hatred there and walk back with new ideas and views of life.

The walk back was really rewarding as my attitude had changed completely.

Today family and friends are trying to find out what has happened to me. I hope that this experience in visiting a labyrinth will be as rewarding to others as it was to me.

- Mervyn Davids, Cape Town , May 21^st 2006 -

BACKGROUND:

In the mid 19^th Century St. Saviours Anglican church was built in the suburb of Claremont, Cape Town. Members of many of South Africa’s diverse population of African, Khoisan, English, Dutch and Malay peoples were reflected in the congregation.

 Nearby in the lee of Table Mountain and set in beautiful indigenous forest Protea Village was established on Protea Farm when slaves were released in 1834. Protea farm was bought by the Bishop of Cape Town and became a suburb known as Bishopscourt . In 1865 a simple church was built by the villagers, a chapelry out-station of St. Saviours. It was consecrated as the Church of the Good Shepherd. In 1886 the villagers built a new sandstone church and over time, together with nearby Bishopscourt parishioners, they added stained glass windows, a font and a chapel. By 1913 three sturdy stone cottages had been built alongside the church by Kirstenbosch for some of the many Protea villagers who worked as gardeners in establishing the now world famous Botanical Gardens. The links between St. Saviours and Good Shepherd continued to be close.

 In 1948 the Nationalist Party was voted into power by white South Africa and the apartheid policy introduced. The 1950 Group Areas Act defined by racial grouping where people could live. In 1964 a 100 Protea Village families were forcibly removed and sent to live in suburbs on the Cape Flats, a distant, desolate and undeveloped area allocated for people of mixed race. By 1968 Good Shepherd church was closed and the stone cottages boarded up. Most of the rest of the houses were demolished.  People of colour living in Claremont also had to move to the Cape Flats. The memories and the pain of this hurt remain vivid with many people until today. Many continued to be part of  St. Saviours congregation even though they now lived far away. 

 The Church of the Good Shepherd was reopened to regular use in 1977/8 at the request of local residents. A plaque was erected to commemorate those forced to leave Protea Village. Over time a number of people from those who had been dispossessed started worshipping again together with parishioners from the surrounding mostly white affluent areas and tentatively began reestablishing relationships.

 In 1995 the first Protea Village Reunion Service was held at the Good Shepherd. Not linked to the church, a Protea Village Community Trust was formed to submit a Land Claim in terms of new legislation. Included amongst the active helpers and supporters were some white parishioners.  In 2002 forty-six dispossessed families who chose to do so received financial compensation. Eighty-six families await final signing over of their dispossessed land. Funds are being raised to enable them to rebuild on their old land. Hopes are high that building should start soon.

 In 2000 in recognition of their work of reconciliation Good Shepherd Protea became a one of the 150 Centres for Reconciliation in the world that are part of the international Community of the Cross of Nails (CCN), a ministry linked to Coventry Cathedral (www.coventrycathedral.org ).  In 2006 a Cape Town CCN Organising Committee hosted a Youth Conference for 40 youth from 10 countries. The Committee included Mervyn and Elizabeth Davids. 

 -        Clare Wilson –

 Heavily indebted for details to Jenny Wilson, CCN Youth Conference Committee

(no relation) 

 These documents were written in response to a request from The Labyrinth Journal for their Spring 2006 Issue entitled “Building Bridges”. This is the full length version.

 A shortened version appears in the Journal.

 Click here to see the Journal .