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Cape Town Townships

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My waiter at one of the Best Cape Town Restaurants were I was having a delightful dinner, mentioned that I should take my car to a township called KwaMandlenkosi. He told me that I would not be disappointed. The next morning I decided to take his suggestion and make a day excursion to this place. I was really impressed when I travelled along N1 Highway and came across The KwaMadlekosi Township. It was located about 1 kilo-meter south of Beaufort West, Africa. I found out later that KwaMandlendosi was the home of the late pioneering heart surgeon, Professor Christian Barnard. I had no idea, he lived in South Africa.

Apparently, the township had become the focal point of one of the shortest African tourism routes for the Open Africa Project and that it was the first in the Great Karoo. It has been designated as a development area named after Mandlenkosi ‘Tsaka’ Kratchi who was a promising young boxer which came to an untimely and unfortunate death. He became a hero during the struggle against apartheid. So, the members of this township are determined to follow his lead by actively improving their township despite their overwhelming poverty and deprivations.

During my visit, I took a pilgrimage to Kartchi’s home and grave site. I wondered through all the many talented craft shops, huts really, and bought some traditional Xhosa items and some wonderful beadwork. I got to taste some local cooking and drank an African beer with the locals at the shebeens. My last stop was to visit the school and was treated to an impromptu performance of a traditional Xhosa choral singing.

The township is in strong contrast to Beaufort West, which has some fine Victorian buildings. KwaMadlenkosi homes are built in a unique style which incorporates clay, shale stones and hessian. Beaufort west is well known for being the only town in Africa where pear trees grow all along the sidewalks, but KwaMandlenkosi has an initiative to plant many hundreds of trees over the next few years in memory of all its noteworthy citizens and community leaders. My waiter last night wasn’t wrong, I was not disappointed.

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4. Western Cape Town
5. Protoculture in Cape Town

Tags: best restaurants, Cape Town, Great Karoo, KwaMandlenkosi, Mandlenkosi 'Tsaka' Kratchi, Professor Christian Barnard, Townships

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