Vuselela Ons Luister

The District Six Museum Vuselela Ons Luister Series stems from our oral history work with people who have suffered under forced removals as a result of the apartheid government’s Group Areas Act of 1950.

Here we have stories of Cape Town and the surrounding areas, focusing particularly on experiences of forced removals during a period that saw District Six bulldozed, Sophiatown destroyed, South End gentrified and Claremont disrupted. Yet, these are not stories of loss and despair, they are stories of resilience, perseverance and triumph.

This programme is funded by the Mellon Foundation.

Occasionally English South Africa History · Documentary Lisa Hendricks

15 Episodes

Broken Palaces

David Bam said it perfectly, they lived in the “broken palaces” of District Six. When everyone was packing up their belongings, loading them onto trucks and arriving at locations alien to them, the Bam family stayed behind, defying The Group. As demolitions were taking place, they moved from one “broken…

22 Nov 7 min

The Dry Docks of District Six

Why did they call it the “Dry Docks” of District Six? Was it because so many stevedores lived there? Was it because they had a view of the Cape Town harbour? Or was it because the streets in the area were named after historic dockyards in England? We may never…

21 Nov 10 min

The Separate Amenities Act

In 1948, the National Party won the election, and South Africa became known as an Apartheid State. New segregationist laws were introduced, people were racially classified, and public spaces were categorised as European and Non-European. In this podcast, you will hear some of our interviewees reflect on their experience of…

20 Nov 20 min

Leaving Luyolo

Leaving Luyolo tells the story of the 1965 forced removals from Luyolo, a township located on the Simon’s Town mountains overlooking Long Beach. Established in 1896, Luyolo’s first residents were labourers working on the Southern Railway line. They were young single men living in dormitory-style housing units. By the late…

19 Nov 13 min

The Kommetjie of Old

This is the story of Jacob and Louisa Daniels from Kommetjie, a small coastal village on the South Peninsula of the Cape. Jacob Daniels first arrived in Kommetjie in 1918. By 1967, he married Louisa, and together they raised a family of twelve children who enjoyed all the natural beauty…

18 Nov 9 min

We Lived off the Land: Stories of Simon's Town

The Simonites, as they like to be called, remember a different way of life, picking fruit from their neighbour’s trees, foraging for berries in the mountain and scavenging for limpets amongst the rocks on the beaches they called their own. Guest: Sakiena Meyer, Elizabeth Petersen, Patricia Langford, Vivienne Cloete, Nancy…

5 May 2023 10 min

The Story of St Stephen’s Church

No amount of distance could keep her away. 43 years after being forcibly removed from District Six to Mitchell’s Plain, community historian, Rosaline Issacs, speaks about her connection and love of St Stephen’s Church, Bree Street, Cape Town. Guest: Rosaline Isaacs Featuring: Ayanda Mpono Story, narration & sound design: Lisa…

21 Apr 2023 7 min

The Bioscopes of District Six

This podcast looks at the famous bioscopes of District Six, from the Avalon Bioscope to the National Bioscope. We will hear directly from the patrons of these bioscopes, who each in their own way, shared a bit about the quirks and character of their favourite bioscopes. We have the Avalon…

17 Apr 2023 14 min

My Beloved Bruce Street

In this podcast, Clifford Schoonraad takes us on a journey through his beloved Bruce Street and all the families who lived there during his time. What do you remember of the smaller streets of District Six? Guest: Clifford Schoonraad Story and narration: Lisa Hendricks Featuring: Ayanda Mpono Sound Engineer: Ivor…

17 Apr 2023 5 min

A Story of Defiance

This podcast revolves around John Ernstzen, a ‘deep trade unionist from the university of the workers’ who spent many of his early years in District Six and in Warwick Street, Woodstock. In the 1980s, John played a major role in unifying the Cape Town Municipal Worker’s Association and its national…

14 Apr 2023 17 min

A Story About Love

This podcast is a story about love, it is a story of secrecy and acts of defiance in the face of great adversity. In this podcast, we will hear the story of Maureen Gallon and her husband Gino who, despite the Immorality Act and the Mixed Marriages Act of 1949,…

14 Apr 2023 8 min

Welcome Home

The apartheid government’s Group Areas Act of 1950 displaced communities from one area to another throughout South Africa. This podcast explores what these new communities were like, how people rebuilt a sense of community and how their new house, their new neighbours and this new community became home. What was…

14 Apr 2023 12 min

Our Last Days

This podcast deals with the experiences of people who, under the apartheid government, were forcibly removed from their homes and communities because of the colour of their skin. We will hear first-hand accounts of what it was like to be separated from your family, your friends, and your community and…

14 Apr 2023 15 min

A Long-awaited Return

A 27-year journey. Years of waiting did not deter Abdullah Edwards from realising his life-long dream. Sitting in his new home, he talks about his return to his beloved District Six. Guest: Abdullah Edwards Featuring: Matthew Nissen Story, narration & sound design: Lisa Hendricks Sound editing: Dean Jates Music by…