The Mall

March 7

Went into the Mall on my own yesterday and had to hope I would be able to find my way back since there are few road sign and the “village” is not laid out in a grid. I was instructed to use a kombi which is mini-van (blue license plate) and is part of what we would consider a bus line. No kombi appeared, but an informal taxi did stop and gave me a ride along with 2 other people (50¢). Licensed taxis also have blue license plates.

After performing my errands I bought the South African magazine DRUM and went to the Welcome Bar for a beer. DRUM has an interesting history part of which is told in the recent South African movie of the same name. In the 50’s it had a white editor but used black writers to tell stories of black lives, occasionally touching on some of the injustice of the system. Now the magazine is the same as all the other celebrity driven magazine around the world. (Extensive coverage of Winnie Mandela’s 70th birthday party). In the bar I was quickly joined by 3 young men who knew Tom. One was a teacher of World Religion at a local college, another a former teacher who was an aspiring writer and the third a business man looking for a business. All were very earnest and wanted to know if I had read any of Bessie Head. It has been a couple decades since I have read her so I will have to borrow Tom’s copies. One of the men was especially passionate about the fact that she speaks what he feels as a citizen of Botswana. More about Bessie Head later.

I did find a kombi to take me back to the ward. There is a “bus rank” where all the taxis and mini-vans gather and you locate the route you want and get in. When the van is full (I counted 20 people!) we left. This particlar van stalled several times and then the driver flodded the engine. We all got out, walked back to the rank, and got in the next vehicle and were off. I was in the back corner and was one of the first to reach my destination so several people in front of me had to get out so I could emerge. All this is done unhurriedly with smiles and greetings.