Let’s watch… and learn

More or less slap-bang in the centre of the country, where the Orange River cuts a broad, mighty swathe through the arid Northern Cape Karoo, lies a town with a peculiar fate: Most South Africans have never been there, or have no desire to ever set foot in the place. Yet most of us have an opinion about this town. And media houses from all over the world have reported on this place, even if it was mostly a case of a journalist who pulled off at the main intersection, ordered a coffee, spent half an hour watching people come and go, and then let their personal bias leach into the story to portray the town as a hateful, backward and even comical place.

We’re talking about Orania, of course. And, like most other South Africans, we too had never been there before. We also have to admit that the place we pictured was not exactly pretty: desolate, arid, dreary and in the middle of nowhere.

It was time to see it for ourselves, with an open mind. Yes, there’s the political baggage, but it’s not as if that kind of politics is limited to Orania. What’s more, a community is more than its politics.

We were surprised in more ways than one. First, the reactions from friends and colleagues who heard we were planning to visit Orania: “I’ve always wanted to go there!” “How interesting; we’re looking forward to reading your story.” And even a “Please take me with you!”

We hit the road early in December. We got there at dusk, and the picture we had in our minds was blown to smithereens almost immediately. It was green and the place was bustling. We were struck by the absence of high fences and gates, and we couldn’t help but notice that every person we passed gave us a friendly wave. And we came to the conclusion that this was a quiet, tranquil place where people didn’t hesitate to roll up their sleeves – even during the heatwave that we experienced while we were there. In short, it’s a town that we dare not ignore.

We can hear some of you asking, “And the politics?” It’s not our place to judge that. We went to have a look at how Orania functions as a town. Read our story on page 42 and let us know what you think.