BEHIND BORDERLINES

Kei River
The mighty Kei River that served as the border between South Africa and the pseudo-state, Transkei, from 1976 – 1994. We spent a number of hours at this river, at the former border posts, interrogating Khaya’s, her parents’, and the government’s pasts.

Old Kei Crossing
An old bridge over the Kei River, or, as we were known to say, Bridge over the River Kwaai! We spotted numerous rusty bridges through the former Transkei.

Crew at Kei River
That’s Khayakazi (co-director and protagonist), Ndumiso (ears), and Karen-kazi (eyes) standing on the new bridge over the River Kei.

Directors and Sound at Kei River
That’s Khayakazi (co-director and protagonist), Ndumiso (ears), and Tina-Sonke (director) on the new bridge over the River Kei.

Khaya and Locals
That’s Khaya sitting in the long grass, chatting with the people who (wo)manned the tourist information centre at the Kei River. The huge billboard (the message of which no-one could explain to us) in the background is testament to Vodacom’s ubiquity and puts paid to any ideas that this idyllic green land, carefully framed by Karen-kazi, is untouched by humankind.


Khaya Points
Khayakazi at the tourist information centre.

BORDERLINES

Borderlines, is a 48 minute documentary that Free Range Films is producing for the SABC. Borderlines follows Khayakazi Soldati as she returns to the former Transkei in the Eastern Cape to uncover the past she feels her parents hid from her. Khaya feels guilty that she knew neither about apartheid nor about the war her compatriots were waging against the apartheid government in South Africa while she was growing up within the lap of the former homeland luxury.

We learnt interesting facts about the Transkei, about life within the borders, and about the absurdity of men playing for power. One such absurdity was that in a newspaper interview, the first prime minister of the Transkei and second president, Kaizer Matanzima, when asked about the Transkei’s relationship with the Ciskei (another homeland created by the apartheid boys in the Eastern Cape), explained that the Ciskei was simply another ploy by the South African white boys to keep black people separate, and that the Ciskei was rightfully a part of the Transkei, and should not attempt to play at being a sovereign state.

As we were telling the story of the old Transkei, I insisted that Khaya find us an old flag for our story. She began her research in December 2006, we started filming at the end of January 2007; it is now the middle of February 2007, we have completed filming, and a flag is yet to surface. The custodians of the past let that one slip. I do however, wonder, if the slip was meant to be the final subversive act of rejection of the idea of separate development.

Of course, separate development lives on in South Africa, despite what all the nation building lifestyle adverts tell us. But in a small enclave of a VW Sharan, hired for our trip, South Africa found a bubble of integration. This comic strip featured below depicts some of the in-jokes of Team Kazi. The comic was created by Karen Landsberg, camera person on the shoot. Let it be known that Karen demands the DOP credit on the film (see frame 9 of the comic), but we will study her shots before we agree to elevate her to this esteemed position.

Thanks to all for their spirit and for their openness!

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