Going Dutch

For years now I have travelled the great southern lands, especially this one, South Africa, the Happysadland. It’s harshness, it’s diversity, strangeness and unique beauty has settled like dust in every pore of my being. As tough as it is to say, after independence in 1994, a disastrous and corrupt ANC (African National Congress) rule has caused many small towns to almost disintegrate in terms of maintenance and management. Many municipalities are now dysfunctional and bankrupt. But, my heart pumps out hope, images, and stories, for on the other hand, the resilience of our people remains remarkable. Somehow, we laugh and cry away our troubles, and many of us now turn to the creed of our Rugby World Cup winning Springboks—-“Stronger Together”. So came into being, after visiting many small towns, the realisation that many towns in every corner of this land, carried English, German or Dutch names. Many were named, in loneliness and longing, by the pioneers that trekked into the interior in the early 18th century. My heritage, baked since 1696 by the African sun, lies with my Dutch, Afrikaner forefathers. In this book, ‘Going Dutch’, I follow a trek northwards, visiting all nine South African towns that were baptised with Dutch names. This resulted in a trip to the Netherlands to photograph the mother cities of these South African towns. These visuals of the Dutch cities, with their enormous contrasts and architectural beauty, punched and rattled loose all that dust that had been ingrained in my pores over the years. It lifted me pictorially and spiritually to a new height, which I hope that this book will show in some way.

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