New Graffiti in Darrenwood

Old and new graffitiBarbed wire and graffiti

Bright

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Wordless Wednesday - In an empty park

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Abandoned

I noticed how this property had changed a few weeks ago, and stopped on Beyers Naude Drive today to take photos. It used to be a plant nursery. These 2 buildings were probably staff quarters and have been abandoned, but the main house has now got squatters in it (who were watching me very curiously. I didn't feel threatened by them at all).
OMW did I have fun though, I want to go back there when I'm not wearing a LBD and high heels to take more shots :)

I love this picket fence next to the ruin, it's so out of place.

Failed Squatter camp photos

I took these photos of the Zandspruit Squatter camp 2 weeks ago as I drove past, on the way back home from a playdate. I balanced my camera on the steering wheel to take the shots, as I didn't want to stop there because I had the 2 kids in the car at the time... and it's a very dangerous place. In fact, go to one of the SA news sites and type in Zandspruit and read the horror stories if you're so inclined. So they're not perfect, because I was just clicking away without planning any shots.
Then for the photohunt on Saturday I was determined. I was going to stop there and take proper photos... it was ideal... all those metal "houses". Not go into the camp mind you... but just stand on the outside on Beyers Naude and take some shots of the streets from there. Even I'm wasn't stupid or brave enough to go further. But my plans were thwarted... Lance refused to stop there and I was too scared to do it on my own.

So, since then I've been chatting to people about this idea of mine, and the look on their faces just said it all. Some of them have worked closely with the police in the area in the past (as medics), and they then told me more about the one photo I took 2 weeks ago.

You can see all the shacks in these 2 photos. The road you can see is the main road, and extremely busy at the best of times.

And here, every available space is used as a shop.
Even the boot of cars are used to sell things from.

OK, this is the one. Not that there's much to see, but the story is horrific. I took the shot, and then looked again to see what everyone was looking at. As I past the traffic light I noticed a body on the ground.. blood everywhere! And everyone was just staring at it.
And then 200m further down the road... cops... stopping taxi's at a roadblock to check for roadworthiness!!
Before you ask... I didn't stop. There was no way I was getting involved with the kids around, and besides, the road was busy and I was sure someone else would stop.
Anyway, I told my story yesterday, and then I got told what it probably was. Zandspruit is notorious for what is called "kangeroo courts" (like vigilanty justice). This body was probably dragged out of the camp after the person was found guilty of something.

Apparently the cops normally wait until the crowd disperses until they go and retrieve the body. It's too dangerous even for them to intervene!

Bear in mind, that this was the same day that the 7 year old girl went missing in Zandspruit and her body was found the next day. And then there were riots on the Monday right where I took those photos.

So, now I feel a bit silly for trying to take the photos there. Next time... I'll try the same thing at another squatter camp... one that is a lot safer :) BTW, I did take photos today, I just thought this story was more interesting.

I suppose I shouldn't really post such a negative story about my country, but I felt I needed to vent a bit. The fact that I'm too scared to drive down this road at night to visit friends and go out for dinner at the wonderful places that are past this spot, make me mad. But then listening to everyone talk about it... I just resign myself to the fact that it sounds like the police are fighting a losing battle there... and it's never going to change.

Judges graffiti

Took this on Judges avenue in Windsor East today. Apologies for the skew photo, but the graffiti is painted on a wall on a very busy road, and there's a crash barrier in front of it so I couldn't stand further away. In fact one of the reasons I like this so much is because of it's location. It's on a garden wall on a busy corner and it just brightens up the whole drab suburb.

This is only part of it, I'll post more another day. The words in the red bubble on the left say "Cum get some", in case you were wondering.
If anyone has seen nice graffiti around Jo'burg please let me know ;).

Graffiti on Monkor

This is on Monkor Ave in Kelland. I stopped on the way home from work today to get the shot. This is much more artistic than the last graffiti photo that I took.

I'm going to be on the hunt for more. I've seen some lovely examples, I just have to stop in dodgy places to get those shots.

Graffiti in suburbia

I pass these postboxes on my route to work every day, and I always wonder who decided to paint them in the middle of a suburb. And I can actually read the one word, which is amazing, and it's english! LOL! Do you think the guy who painted it didn't like his post one day?

I actually stopped the car today and, in fact, got out of it to take the shots! Wonders never cease. LOL! There was a guy who stopped to get his post while I was there, and he didn't want to even get out of his car because of my camera - it was very funny.