Lwandle in the 1980s

Image 1: 'Talking men'

All photographs by Andrew Bermann

In the 1980s Lwandle was under threat of removal to Khayelitsha. The Urban Foundation

commissioned a report at the time and ultimately Lwandle managed to resist removal. The images below were taken by Andrew Bermann as part of information for the the Urban Foundation's report (a copy of which he has kindly donated to the Lwandle Museum archive).

Andrew's account of the visit is interesting. A group including Basil Davidson, Andrew, Andre Penz and others were taken around Lwandle by the Hostel Dwellers Association. They were address in the Community Hall, now part of the Museum (see image below) afterwhich they were taken on a walk around Lwandle to spaces such as the kitchens, the ablution blocks, the dining hall, and individual hostels where people stayed. Andrew, whose passion is photography, describes that he only had his Leica 35mm camera, a flash and two rolls of film.

He cautioned that the photographs cannot be seen to be a comprehensive documentation of the place as it was a quick viist to select places. However the images are documentary - they were used to motivate against the removals in the report - and now provide an instructive resource for the Museum's purposes.

Image 2: 'On stage'

Image 3: 'Kitchen Men'

Image 4: 'Family Living'

Image 5: 'Eating Area'

Image 6: 'Cooking Area'

Image 7: 'Chickens'

Image 8: 'Bucket Toilet'

Image 9: 'Brown Pants'
The following two images were taken by Andrew subsequent to the visit when he managed to get to fly over the area.

Image 10: 'Aerial Near'

Image 11: 'Aerial Far'

Information communicated to Noeleen Murray, Rondebosch, 8 April 2010