The Golden Mile Photo Walk
Mbusi Mzolo
The term, photo walk, was foreign to me prior to receiving an invitation to be part of one as part of Contemporary Archive Project’s (CAP) team building exercise. I made a mental note to find out more about this activity. I was not sure whether there will be photographers making photos of us as we walk or whether we will be making photos showing people walking. My literal, and possibly pedestrian contextualization of a photo walk turned out to not be so far off from what happened on Saturday 1 February 2025. In her greetings, co-founder Niamh Walsh-Vorster mentioned that a photo walk would be a fun and relaxed way for the new cohort of CAP to meet and make. After the date and time had been agreed upon, we had to figure out what type of environment we wanted between the Durban CBD and the beach – the beach won. The meeting point was Suncoast, the steps facing the ocean next to Mugg & Bean. An invitation was extended to other members in the wider CAP Community after all the details had been sorted. The plan was to walk the Golden Mile towards the Skate Park and just have fun with the cameras while engaging in conversation amongst us and the people we met along the way. Sometimes you plan things down to the smallest detail and they go according to plan. Other times the same elaborate plan falls prey to external elements that threaten its survival. Our plan’s principal anchor was time. When people experienced delays, adjustments had to be made as it affected the start of the walk. After the minor setback we were all together and ready to get on with the walking and photo making. I heard the photographers amongst us express displeasure with the natural light, but the photos have no traces of the complaints, I choose to read that as testament of their competence. There was no brief so anyone could just make a picture of whatever they found interesting. Geographically, we all knew which direction we were headed in so there was no need to move like some type of herd, there was however an unspoken agreement: make sure no one is too far behind or out of sight from the group. The stopping, making, and walking catalyzed conversations between us. This free flow dynamic worked well as an icebreaker. We learnt more about each other as people and our roles in CAP. ‘Ease’ and ‘safety’ are some of the terms that came up when I asked for post-walk reviews from fellow walkers. The ocean has a calming energy that seemed to let people feel more relaxed around strangers. To complement the tranquil energy the ocean emits, the Golden Mile has a high concentration of police officers, it is perceptibly a lot safer than the CBD. Most of the people we came across honoured the photographers’ requests to be photographed. Amidst all the positive feedback, we did experience unfavorable interactions. The no-picture-please camp points of contention ranged racial profiling to invasion of privacy – the veracity of the claims is doubtful. Some people were open to being subjects, even going as far as requesting multiple takes. In between the multitude of eager subjects there were a few people who did not want to be part of what we were doing. There was an incident where someone rejected the request to have a photo of their pink hair made because they possibly felt they were being fetishized. The dichotomy between the free flowing and sticky situations is one of the things that made the experience enjoyable and insightful. We learnt how to deal with either outcome on the spot without the pressure of a deadline or the weight one might place on themselves when they go out with a desired outcome. This Golden Mile Photo Walk was purely experimental and meant to build bonds between CAP members. The cherry on top of it all is, we had portraits made at no cost. We hope you join us for our next photo walk, it might be in the CBD or in the mountains.
Itemu elithi “photo-walk” (uhambo lwezithombe), belingaziwa kimina ngaphambi kokuthola isimemo sokuba ngibe yingxenye yaloluhambo lwezithombe lokwakha ithimba leContemporary Archive Project’s (CAP).
Ngakubeka engqondweni yami ukuze ngithole kabanzi ngaloluhambo lwezithombe. Bengingenaso isiqiniseko sokuthi bazoba khona abathwebuli abathwebula izithombe zethu njengoba sihamba noma sizobe senza izithombe ezikhombisa abantu behamba. Indlela ebengicabanga ngakhona loluhambo lwezithombe beyingahlukile kangako kulokho okwenzeka ngempela ngoMgqibelo mhla lulunye kuNhlolanja ngowezi-2025.
Ezibingelelweni zakhe, ongomunye wabasunguli u-Niamh Walsh-Vorster uveze ukuthi uhambo lwezithombe kungaba indlela ejabulisayo nenethezekile yokuthi ithimba elisha leCAP lihlangane, futhi lakhe izithombe.
Emuva kokuba sekuvunyelwene ngesikhathi nosuku, kwadingeka sithole ukuthi hlobo luni lwendawo esiyifunayo phakathi kwedolobha iTheku kanye nasebhishi – ibhishi lawina. Indawo yokuhlangana yabaseSuncoast, izitebhisini ezibheke olwandle eduze kwaseMugg & Bean. Isimemo sadluliselwa kwamanye amalungu eCAP ngemva kokuba yonke imininingwane isihlungiwe.
Uhlelo bekuwukuhamba i-Golden Mile ngasepaki yesikeyiti futhi sizijabulise ngamakhamera ngenkathi sixoxa phakathi kwethu nabantu esihlangana nabo endleleni. Kwesinye isikhathi uhlela izinto ngokucophelela kube ukuthi zihamba ngokuhlelo. Ngenxa yezimo ezithile ezengamele impilo ungahlela ngezinga eliphezulu kodwa imiphumela yehluke kakhulu kunezifiso zakho.
Ihange eliyinhloko lohlelo lwethu kwaba isikhathi. Lapho abantu bethola ukubambezeleka, kwakufanele kubekhona izinqukuqo ohlelweni njengoba kwaphazamisa ukuqala kohambo. Ngemuva kokuphazamiseka okuncane sonke sabesesihlangene futhi silungele ukuqhubeka nokuhamba nokwenza izithombe.
Ngezwa abathwebuli bezithombe phakathi kwethu bezwakalisa ukungenami ngokukhanya kwemvelo kodwa izithombe azinawo umkhondo wezikhalazo zabo, ngikhetha ukukufunda lokho njengobufakazi bekhono labo. Kwakungekho ukwaziswa ngakho-ke noma ubani wayengenza isithombe sanoma yini ayithandayo. Ngokwendawo, sonke sasazi ukuthi siphokophele kuphi ngakho-ke sasingekho isidingo sokweluswa njengohlobo oluthile lomhlambi, nokho kwakunesivumelwano esingashiwongo: sokuqinisekisa ukuthi akekho osemuva kakhulu noma ongabonakali phakathi kwethu.
Ukuhambe sima, ukwenza izithombe, nokuzulazula nakho kwalekelela ukuthenini sakhe izingxoxo phakathi kwethu. Ukukhululeka phakathi kwethu ikhona okwenze nokuxhumana kwethu kwabalula. Sifunde kabanzi ngomunye nomunye njengabantu nangeqhaza lethu kwaCAP.
‘Ukukhululeka’ kanye ‘nokuphepha’ amanye amagama aqhamuke lapho ngicela ukubuyekezwa kwangemva ngohambo lwethu nozakwethu. Ulwandle lwabonakala lunamandla enza abantu bazizwe bekhululekile phakathi kwabantu abangabazi. Ukuhambisana namandla anokuthula akhishwa ulwandle, i-Golden Mile inenqwaba yamaphoyisa, ngokusobala iphephe kakhulu kunedolobha.
Iningi labantu esihlangane nabo lizihloniphile izicelo zabathwebuli zokuthwetshulwa. Kukho konke ukusebenzisana okuhle, kwabakhona nokusebenzelana okungekuhle. Izindawo ezingavunyelwe ukuba kuthetshulwe kuzo izithombe zazisukela kweyokuhlukahlukana ngeyobuhlanga kuya kweyobumfihlo-ubuqiniso bezikhalazo buyangabazeka.
Abanye abantu babevulekele ukuba bathwetshulwe, baze bacele bephindelele. Phakathi kwababekuthakasela ukwethetshulwa kwakukhona abantu abambalwa ababengafuni ukuba yingxenye yalokho esasikwenza. Kube nesigameko lapho othile enqaba isicelo sokuthi kwenziwe isithombe sezinwele zabo ezibomvana ngoba kungenzeka ukuthi wayenomuzwa wokuthi wayethakathwa.
Ukuhlukana phakathi kwezimo ezikhululekile nezizwelayo ingenye yezinto ezenze injabulo futhi kube nokuqonda konke obekwenzeka. Sifunde ukuthi singabhekana kanjani nanoma yimuphi umphumela ngaso leso sikhathi ngaphandle kwengcindezi yesikhathi esiwumnqamulajuqu noma isisindo umuntu angase abeke kuso lapho bephuma nomphumela awufisayo.
Loluhambo lwezithombe kwi-Golden Mile bekuwumsebenzi omuhle futhi kuhloswe ukwakha ubumbano phakathi kwamalungu eCAP. Okube kuhle kakhulu kwakho konke ukuthi, sinezithombe ezenziwe ngaphandle kwezindleko. Sithemba ukuthi uzobanathi ohambeni lwethu olulandelayo lwezithombe, kungaba sedolobheni noma ezintabeni.
Ngakubeka engqondweni yami ukuze ngithole kabanzi ngaloluhambo lwezithombe. Bengingenaso isiqiniseko sokuthi bazoba khona abathwebuli abathwebula izithombe zethu njengoba sihamba noma sizobe senza izithombe ezikhombisa abantu behamba. Indlela ebengicabanga ngakhona loluhambo lwezithombe beyingahlukile kangako kulokho okwenzeka ngempela ngoMgqibelo mhla lulunye kuNhlolanja ngowezi-2025.
Ezibingelelweni zakhe, ongomunye wabasunguli u-Niamh Walsh-Vorster uveze ukuthi uhambo lwezithombe kungaba indlela ejabulisayo nenethezekile yokuthi ithimba elisha leCAP lihlangane, futhi lakhe izithombe.
Emuva kokuba sekuvunyelwene ngesikhathi nosuku, kwadingeka sithole ukuthi hlobo luni lwendawo esiyifunayo phakathi kwedolobha iTheku kanye nasebhishi – ibhishi lawina. Indawo yokuhlangana yabaseSuncoast, izitebhisini ezibheke olwandle eduze kwaseMugg & Bean. Isimemo sadluliselwa kwamanye amalungu eCAP ngemva kokuba yonke imininingwane isihlungiwe.
Uhlelo bekuwukuhamba i-Golden Mile ngasepaki yesikeyiti futhi sizijabulise ngamakhamera ngenkathi sixoxa phakathi kwethu nabantu esihlangana nabo endleleni. Kwesinye isikhathi uhlela izinto ngokucophelela kube ukuthi zihamba ngokuhlelo. Ngenxa yezimo ezithile ezengamele impilo ungahlela ngezinga eliphezulu kodwa imiphumela yehluke kakhulu kunezifiso zakho.
Ihange eliyinhloko lohlelo lwethu kwaba isikhathi. Lapho abantu bethola ukubambezeleka, kwakufanele kubekhona izinqukuqo ohlelweni njengoba kwaphazamisa ukuqala kohambo. Ngemuva kokuphazamiseka okuncane sonke sabesesihlangene futhi silungele ukuqhubeka nokuhamba nokwenza izithombe.
Ngezwa abathwebuli bezithombe phakathi kwethu bezwakalisa ukungenami ngokukhanya kwemvelo kodwa izithombe azinawo umkhondo wezikhalazo zabo, ngikhetha ukukufunda lokho njengobufakazi bekhono labo. Kwakungekho ukwaziswa ngakho-ke noma ubani wayengenza isithombe sanoma yini ayithandayo. Ngokwendawo, sonke sasazi ukuthi siphokophele kuphi ngakho-ke sasingekho isidingo sokweluswa njengohlobo oluthile lomhlambi, nokho kwakunesivumelwano esingashiwongo: sokuqinisekisa ukuthi akekho osemuva kakhulu noma ongabonakali phakathi kwethu.
Ukuhambe sima, ukwenza izithombe, nokuzulazula nakho kwalekelela ukuthenini sakhe izingxoxo phakathi kwethu. Ukukhululeka phakathi kwethu ikhona okwenze nokuxhumana kwethu kwabalula. Sifunde kabanzi ngomunye nomunye njengabantu nangeqhaza lethu kwaCAP.
‘Ukukhululeka’ kanye ‘nokuphepha’ amanye amagama aqhamuke lapho ngicela ukubuyekezwa kwangemva ngohambo lwethu nozakwethu. Ulwandle lwabonakala lunamandla enza abantu bazizwe bekhululekile phakathi kwabantu abangabazi. Ukuhambisana namandla anokuthula akhishwa ulwandle, i-Golden Mile inenqwaba yamaphoyisa, ngokusobala iphephe kakhulu kunedolobha.
Iningi labantu esihlangane nabo lizihloniphile izicelo zabathwebuli zokuthwetshulwa. Kukho konke ukusebenzisana okuhle, kwabakhona nokusebenzelana okungekuhle. Izindawo ezingavunyelwe ukuba kuthetshulwe kuzo izithombe zazisukela kweyokuhlukahlukana ngeyobuhlanga kuya kweyobumfihlo-ubuqiniso bezikhalazo buyangabazeka.
Abanye abantu babevulekele ukuba bathwetshulwe, baze bacele bephindelele. Phakathi kwababekuthakasela ukwethetshulwa kwakukhona abantu abambalwa ababengafuni ukuba yingxenye yalokho esasikwenza. Kube nesigameko lapho othile enqaba isicelo sokuthi kwenziwe isithombe sezinwele zabo ezibomvana ngoba kungenzeka ukuthi wayenomuzwa wokuthi wayethakathwa.
Ukuhlukana phakathi kwezimo ezikhululekile nezizwelayo ingenye yezinto ezenze injabulo futhi kube nokuqonda konke obekwenzeka. Sifunde ukuthi singabhekana kanjani nanoma yimuphi umphumela ngaso leso sikhathi ngaphandle kwengcindezi yesikhathi esiwumnqamulajuqu noma isisindo umuntu angase abeke kuso lapho bephuma nomphumela awufisayo.
Loluhambo lwezithombe kwi-Golden Mile bekuwumsebenzi omuhle futhi kuhloswe ukwakha ubumbano phakathi kwamalungu eCAP. Okube kuhle kakhulu kwakho konke ukuthi, sinezithombe ezenziwe ngaphandle kwezindleko. Sithemba ukuthi uzobanathi ohambeni lwethu olulandelayo lwezithombe, kungaba sedolobheni noma ezintabeni.
Mbusi Mzolo
Translation by Sinenhlanhla Msweli
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