Three Times I Walked Down Roeland, Interaction and Sounds.
By Qotoyi Xolani
Photograph: Roeland st. Courtesy: Maryam Adhikarie. (2019). Retrieved from [www.bookreviewsandthings.com].
Roeland is a historic and vibrant street located in Cape Town, South Africa. Just between the busy District Six and the City centre, this street is rich in cultural heritage and modern significance. It is home to landmarks such as the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) and the iconic Book Lounge, a popular spot for literature enthusiasts. Roeland Street also intersects with diverse aspects of city life, from educational institutions to local businesses, and offers a unique blend of old-world charm and contemporary urban energy.
Photograpg : CPUT Roeland Street Campus, Google 2024.
I started my walk right next to the engen garage, facing the CPUT faculty in the street.
My roommate attends there, he is always talking about Roeland Street with pride. I think he loves the fact that they are separated from everyone else who goes to District 6 main campus.
As I was walking down the street, the first person I interacted with was an unhoused looking person, a woman, a white woman. She had her eyebrows drawn up as If she was Dracula. At the very same spot there was yet another unhoused person, they had me in between of them. The woman approached me, somehow she scared me, I am almost not afraid of anything but I felt chills everytime she took a step towards me. She said “Can I have a R2 please?” I politely said I don't have one, I didn't. She couldn't hear me so she approached yet again I nearly ran.
Photograph: Harold Cressy High School
As I walked past Harold Cressy High School, what I heard were sounds of laughter and joy from the scholars, the kind of joy that you cannot simply find walking on campus of a university. It reminded me of my high-school years and how far I have come and the friends that I left behind. Which kind of reminded me that despite the hardships, I am in a privileged position.
Opposite or just ahead of HCHS, there is the Western Cape Archives and Records Service, which is fascinating to me when I got to think about it, first of all the name of the place is also written in Xhosa, “ooVimba boGcino-mpepha be Phondo Lwentsona Koloni” which obviously highlighted inclusion, unity and oneness as it is also written in Afrikaans.
However even deeper for me, the is a much easier way of writing archives in Xhosa but it was written in that form, as a “word bender” myself, it meant something more to which I cannot describe. And yes, I also thought about the secrets, truths and discovery that is hidden in or places in those buildings.
The next time I Walked Down at Roeland I was with two of my brothers, they were job seeking. We were next to The Book Lounge when one security approached us, he asked what we were looking for and he started giving us all the advice and places we can go to that may be accepting CV's. It was a blessing. “ This must be a sign from the ancestors that you will be getting a job today guys “ I said.
The third time would be when we were wasted when we walked inside a bar called Roeland Liquor when an older guy told us if we could offer him one bag of Marijuana he could get us free booze, unfortunately we did not have any Marijuana with us.
Seems like I will always be approached walking in that street, haha.
“Of course I knew that Cape Town is world class city but when I saw them shooting these movies, I was blown away. From all the equipment and everything. It was fascinating to me, obviously it became a norm after as they shoot often. ” This is Pumelela, a Cape Peninsula University Student telling me about the first time he saw a movie being shot.
Here are thoughts of Sonwabile about this strert “As a journalism student, living in Roeland Street was an eye opening experience due to the vibrant landscape of the street, the landmarks (CPUT campus, city Varsity, parliament, SAHRA, THE CHURCH) experiencing news broadcasting live, TV adverts , Protests, seeing politicians, and the army brought a sense of gravitas to what I was getting myself into.”
In terms of architecture, I love how there are buildings that still resemble architecture from the past and modern architecture as well. it simple represents the saying "You can't really know where you're going until you know where you have been.” These powerful words by the legendary Maya Angelou .
Unlike In the inner city where there's noise, At Roeland I Could walk and hear birds singing, I could hear myself think.
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