Photographs won’t solve the plight of these people

Tracy Lee Stark

Walking through the tented camp in Turffontein, one becomes immediately aware of the absolute despair of the displaced people that are now living there.

They don’t want to be photographed, they don’t want to talk anymore, they say they have already been stripped of their dignity since the fire and evictions that forced them there.

Walking around taking pictures displaying their helplessness does nothing to help them, we are told.

They say the photographs don’t do much to help when they are hungry, have no water and are unable to feed their children.

The temporary shelters provided by the city offer no privacy, leaving them exposed not only to the elements but to us, the media, who walk through the camp taking pictures and speaking to those willing.

“Please rather let me use your cellphone to call a friend in town to bring me food. It will help me more than taking my picture,” says a man when I ask if he minded his photo being taken.

As journalists, we sometimes feel that telling stories is enough, but today it felt that it wasn’t.

Then, for a moment, we forgot about our jobs, and the need to document this dire situation.

We should have been able to do more, we agreed. This led us to making calls to a few organisations which provide aid, including Gift of the Givers.

A hot meal may make them feel visible again, if only for a while.