“Life was simple,
it wasn’t glamorous,
but it was good”
David Wilson, 17 May 2019
“Our hearts are there, our souls are there. No matter what happens, nothing will ever take that away.“
William Francis, 16 May 2019
“Growing up in Protea Village, it felt like we were this one massive family… there was such a strong sense of community, everybody knew your name, and everyone looked out for each other.”
Viveca Abrahams, 11 May 2019
“Life was simple, it wasn’t glamorous, but it was good”
David Wilson, 17 May 2019
“Our hearts are there, our souls are there. No matter what happens, nothing will ever take that away.”
William Francis, 16 May 2019
“Growing up in Protea Village, it felt like we were this one massive family… there was such a strong sense of community, everybody knew your name, and everyone looked out for each other.”
Viveca Abrahams, 11 May 2019
Restoring Dignity
Between 1959 and 1970, the Protea Village Community were forcibly removed from their property when Protea Village was declared a ‘White Group Area’. They had lived here since the abolishment of slavery, helping to build Kirstenbosch Gardens and the Church of the Good Shepherd.
Now, over 50 years later, 86 of these families will be returning home and their goal remains as it always has: to see the sustainable and responsible restoration of their community, their property, their homes, and their legacy. Here are some of their stories…
“I was born there, and I’m looking forward to returning. I am looking forward to taking morning walks and being surrounded by peace and tranquillity.
This place is much more than a set of houses, it’s our legacy. I don’t think you will find a dry eye when they hand over the houses, I think it’s going to be an emotional day.”
Jacqueline Dankers, 11 May 2019
“They just came with a lorry and everything was thrown on that lorry and then they brought us down here. It wasn’t really a proper house, it was cold, with no proper ceilings, no flooring.
Some people lost their furniture in the process, and a lot of people’s stuff was broken, because they just threw it on the lorry.”
Cecilia Bosman, 10 May 2019
“I was about 16 years old when we were evicted. One thing that really stuck with me was the value of the soil in Protea Village compared to the soil in the Cape Flats.
We never knew soil could be any other colour other than black because we only knew our rich, black soil. Then we got to the Cape Flats, and found this powdery sand.”
Cedric Van Dieman, 16 May 2019
“They just came with a lorry and everything was thrown on that lorry and then they brought us down here. It wasn’t really a proper house, it was cold, with no proper ceilings, no flooring.
Some people lost their furniture in the process, and a lot of people’s stuff was broken, because they just threw it on the lorry.”
Cecilia Bosman, 10 May 2019
“Growing up in Protea Village, it felt like we were this one massive family… there was such a strong sense of community, everybody knew your name, and everyone looked out for each other.”
Viveca Abrahams, 11 May 2019
“Our hearts are there, our souls are there. No matter what happens, nothing will ever take that away.”
William Francis, 16 May 2019
“Growing up in Protea Village, it felt like we were this one massive family… there was such a strong sense of community, everybody knew your name, and everyone looked out for each other.”
Viveca Abrahams, 11 May 2019
“Our hearts are there, our souls are there. No matter what happens, nothing will ever take that away.”
William Francis, 16 May 2019