Bridge People

I have decided to photograph the bridge dwellers of the CBD. I always want to speak to the small shadows who I see while driving my car past the various underpasses of Cape Town. And now I do.

As I suspected they are mostly criminals and people who have migrated here from other African Countries. They live in sooty, dirty surroundings and are transient as a result of the city's irregular clean up policies. At some point I suspect it will become clear to me that they are chancers of note. In some way I will have to resist their urge to throw the dice at my feet.

My favourite shot so far is of a man called Christopher who has been through the gaol system. He is the kingpin of a small community who live under an extension to an exisiting structure.

He sits with his hands on his knees.

Samson is the main wearing the chain and he lives with 12 other men from Tanzania.

The woman with the shaved head is 'Sintel' - Chantelle. She aint got no teeth. Her boyfriend is Lunga(Union Jack) from the Eastern Cape. He rules his roost and shaves her head with a bare Wilkinson Sword razor blade exactly like the one I photographed in Pollsmoor(colour shot above). This wrapped blade is what gang members use to climb bluntly through the echelons.