For the 2018 Easter Weekend, I travelled to Goshen for an Art Meandering at the Makwande Republic. This was the second time that I spent time in a village in the Eastern Cape. I grew up in Port Elizabeth, but everything beyond East London had always seemed so far, so I had never travelled beyond. I was overjoyed to have the opportunity to be with the people of Goshen, they were incredibly welcoming. The Art Meandering was organised by Ukhona Mlandu, and it looks like it will be an annual event.
I, along with others from different cities in the country, was guests of the village and we stayed at people’s homesteads. We were guests of the different families in the village. The weekend was spent doing excursions in the mountains and the valley near the village. We had around the fire conversations with people from the village. We had around the fire discussions with each other as young black people who live in the cities of South Africa, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. This was an incredible time.
On the last day of the weekend, we as guests of the village cooked for the village. The Sunday afternoon was the best as people from the village were treated to an afternoon of conversation and food from guests of the village. It was a fantastic weekend. I look forward to the 2nd annual Art Meandering at the Makwande Republic in 2019. For a more detailed analysis of my adventures at the Makwande Republic Experience visit the Queer Consciousness website. Here are some photographic memories from The Makwande Republic Experience.
