Time Travel work is growing in KwaZulu-Natal
The people in these groups, about 40 persons altogether, take a Time Travel training course in 2011 and 2012. The course is lead by Kalmar läns museum and Bridging Ages South Africa, and is divided into three two-day sessions with homework in between. Each Time Travel group has chosen their own site(s) and are now making plans how to develop these sites for events and Time Travels for schools, local people and tourists. The groups support each other and also get great help from the Port Shepstone Museum as well as the KZN Museum Service and the leaders of the course.
Scenario, New families are moving into Tin Town, Gamalakhe, October 1968
The truck came early in the morning to their homes in Albersville. A man shouted out the names of the families that had to leave and the number of their houses in the new place. Then they were told to leave within an hour. There were no opportunities for protests. Collect your stuff and do it fast, they were told. Everything went so fast. Why do we have to leave our house? Where are we going? When arriving in Gamalakhe the families on the truck are looking astonished and increasingly worried. Is this the place where we are going to live? How can we survive here? No work, no shops, no schools, no streets and so far away from town. They feel frustration and some of them anger. The truck driver is looking for the house for the Smangele family, house nr 258. Where is it?
The Time Travels in Gamalakhe was a great success and this brought hope and confidence to the community in recording their history and introducing learning in schools about immediate local heritage. Those that were interviewed were excited to contribute with stories of the area and the studentswere equally excited of getting to know their community. In total it was a win-win situation.
Thulas Mkhize and Gulshera KhanThe Gamalakhe and Port Shepstone Time Travel Committees
