Protea was half city, half farm. There was only one tar road right around the township (the bus-line), no electricity and no sewerage. Some residents had livestock such as cattle, sheep, and fowls. Most boys had doves. There was only a primary school and the Catholic church school at the convent.
“We used to go to school bare feet,” remembers Diana, “only the rich, who were just a handful, used to wear socks and shoes. We used to get one slice of bread and a cup of milk at school and a vitamin pill.”
“I remember how we were chased by some of the bulls, peacocks, geese and scorpions when we came from school. There was a bioscope where the blacks had to sit on the one side and the coloureds on the other side, a butcher who used to spray doom on the meat for the flies (thanks God we are still alive) and a park to play in.”
There were only two central places where friends and lovers used to meet – Jacobs/Macco’s (shop) or ndokuthola ublome emlanjeni soka lam’ (I will meet you at the river).
“In the 1970s, the boers took away the river claiming it for themselves to water their mielie fields and water for their cattle. I remember how the young boys used to steal their mielies. They had catapults to shoot birds or hunt for rabbits and striped mice. We made fires in small drums in the field with cow dung to cook the birds and the striped mice.
Leticia Snyders in Numsa’s head ofice is also from Protea. She can remember the time of the riots. She used to sleep with her shoes on “in case of an emergency when we might have to take to the road!”
Today Protea is a sight for sore eyes. When the claimants of Protea moved out of the township, the houses were occupied, each room even the bathroom and the coal-sheds had a family in. The committee went recently with the Lands Claim Commission to follow up on the history of how the claimants used to live, but to the committee’s surprise, there was not even a road to enter the township. The group had to get out of their vehicles because the road was full of ditches and dongas.
The Peffer’s residence is now a Spaza Shop and the open spaces where the cattle used to graze, are occupied by shacks. The primary school, as well as the churches, are occupied by families. The Catholic Convent is now a Police Station and a Court.
“So there is no way that we can go back to Protea,” says Diana!
NOTE: Those of you still waiting for your claim to be paid out, make sure that you have a bank account, and a valid I.D. The voucher you receive is only valid for six weeks thereafter you will not be able to claim the money.