But, in our little dorp, we are just as likely to witness storms, both human and natural, as any other place in the world, and in 2012, Swellendam was shaken by two events which will remain in the memories of the inhabitants for a long time to come.

The fire in the mountains raged for 7 days

The fire which raged for seven days in the Langeberg Mountains in January last year, gave rise to spectacular photos: awe inspiring landscapes, mountains fringed by gold, the drained faces  of exhausted fire-fighters, and subsequently the naked, dead trees in monochrome, strange, quiet beauty.

No-one could fail to be affected by the devastation – the thought of the wildlife that had been lost, the destruction of natural life, the concern for those who fought so hard and long to get things under control. But fourteen months on, the return of birds and animals, the new growth of foliage and fern, the footprints of porcupine, baboons and leopard remind us of the power of Nature to reclaim her own.

The exhausted fire fighters dredged up smiles for the camera

Then, in November, another kind of devastation swept Swellendam, also giving rise to spectacular photos: plumes of black smoke from burning tyres, fire silhouetting buildings in Railton, the strained faces of exhausted police and subsequently, the bare streets, closed shops, and eerie quiet desolation.Although it took place at the same time as the farmworkers’ strikes, the problems in Swellendam were unique to the town, and had more to do with the frustrations of the people with local politicians and administrators.

No-one could fail to be affected by the destruction – the thought of the trust that had been lost, the destruction of livelihood, the concern for those people caught up in a monster not of their own making. After the initial shock, the repercussions: the anger and disappointment, the recriminations and blame: all expressed in different ways, rational, passionate, intellectual, crude and emotional.  The key factor was that these feelings had a way of being  communicated: –  through the medium of modern technology people were able to say how they felt, without fear of harm or revenge. The platform offered by the local press through Facebook offered the opportunity to all to enter into safe debate.  Much of what was written was shocking, some of it was ridiculous, and some was uninformed and demonstrated great gaps in the understanding of the situation.  But all of it came from passion,  and shock at what had happened in the space of one short day!

Fire silhouetting buildings in Railton

Four months on, wounds are still raw. Not enough time has passed yet for significant healing and re-growth.  Some of the problems which caused the fire of rebellion are still deeply rooted, and it will take a long time for mankind, with long held, man-made preconceptions and prejudices to show a healthy and strong re-growth.

A POSITIVE OUTCOME

“There is a fire in human nature tending to purify — so that among these human creatures there is continually some birth of new heroism. The pity is that we must wonder at it, as we should at finding a pearl in rubbish” John Keats

The cleansing effect of the fire in the mountains had a parallel in the cleansing disruption of the trouble in November.

Individuals  removed themselves from the mess of political and administrative dysfunction – projects were started or rejuvenated which were aimed at bringing together the divided community of Swellendam:  local restaurants joined together in an initiative called  StreetSMART raising funds for practical ways of supporting young people from underprivileged communities, Swellendam Tourism, CAP and Score are working on a project to create an Under 19  soccer team called Swellendam United, which will represent the town in the Metropolitan Premier cup in 2014, Journey Trails are running weekend leadership courses in conjunction with Bontebok Park, the community came together recently for an amazing CANSA relay, the recent Swellendam Show was inclusive and heart warming.

All night CanSA Relay

For the fynbos indigenous to this area, fire is essential : for cleansing, germination and healthy re-growth.  For people – sometimes the same is true.

Photos: Cathy Hommes Van Eeden, Carlo Jorge