Dawn light on the confluence of the Liesbeek and Black Rivers where we do our bird count. Egyptian Geese fly by. The cranes behind the little undamaged island stand silent, hopefully haemorrhaging money into bankruptcy for a company that sought to wreck the place with the collusion of the city that ignored its own environmental impact assessment which declared that it was wholly inappropriate to build on this environmentally sensitive floodplain. ...
Imam Rashied of Claremont Main Road mosque (thanks @suhairsolomon) tries to explain to a metro cop - probably surprised to find himself facing off against a series of the Cape’s religious leaders (including anti-apartheid hero, Allan Boesak - over whose shoulder the imam is pointing) that the activity is around a celebration of the sacrifices made by Khoi pastoralists who were the first to shed blood against colonial raiders, and who were the first to have their land usurped right here in Observatory. ...