Chatsworth: the Making
of a South African Township edited by Ashwin Desai and Goolam Vahed is
published by UKZN Press and was recently launched at Ike’s Bookshop.
In 1960, apartheid’s planners created the ‘Indian’ township
of Chatsworth, evicting people from established neighbourhoods around Durban
and forcibly settling them into the grid of a modern racial ghetto. Making home
within this architecture of exclusion, along streets without names, tens of
thousands of new residents began building new lives and new communities,
developing an urban space with a unique cultural vibrancy born of creativity
and economic struggle.
With the dismantling of Group Areas legislation from 1990,
and within South Africa’s continually changing political landscape, Chatsworth
has witnessed innovations of livelihood, shifting boundaries of identity and
protracted social challenges. This book brings together an exhilarating mix of
voices that collectively tell the story of Chatsworth’s origins,
transformations and ongoing rhythms of daily life. Its narrative richness is
further enhanced with classic photographs, some dating back to the period of
early settlement, as well as a contemporary photo essay by distinguished
photographer, Jenny Gordon.
Ashwin Desai
is a professor at the Centre for Sociological Research, University of
Johannesburg, and a regular newspaper columnist. He is the author of such
titles as Reading Revolution: Shakespeare on Robben Island (2010); Inside
Indian Indenture: A South African Story, 1860–1914 (co-written with Goolam
Vahed, 2010); and The Poors of Chatsworth (2000).
Goolam Vahed
is an associate professor of History at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. His
previous works include: Ahmed Deedat: The Man and His Mission (2013); Gender,
Modernity and Indian Delights: The Women’s Cultural Group of Durban,
1954–2010 (co-written with Thembisa Waetjen, 2010); and Many Lives: 150
Years of Being Indian in South Africa (co-written with Ashwin Desai and
Thembisa Waetjen, 2010).
The book’s 40 chapters explore the many sides of
Chatsworth’s history, covering aspects ranging from sport and religion to gangs
and politics. The narrative richness of the book, its attention to detail, and
sensitivity to how broader changes impacted on life in the township is enhanced
with poignant photographs of the township’s past, as well as a stunning
contemporary photo essay.
Chatsworth: the making
of a South African Township is a 500-page, glossy-paper hardcover full of
rare photographs ISBN: 978 1 86914 255 1. Recommended
Retail Price R425. More information from Cedric Sissing at Adams Bookshop on
082 873 2702 or Joanne at Ike’s on 031 303 9214.
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