Who belongs in a city? | OluTimehin Adegbeye

Translator: Ingrid Lezar Reviewer: Altus van Tonder

Cities are like siblings in a large polygamous family.

Stede is soos broers en susters in ’n groot poligame familie.

Each one has a unique personality and is headed in a distinct direction.

Elkeen het ’n unieke persoonlikheid en volg sy eie bepaalde pad.

But they all have somewhat shared origins.

Maar almal het soortegelyke herkomste.

Sometimes I think postcolonial cities are like the children

Soms dink ek postkoloniale stede is soos die kinders

of the two least-favorite wives,

van die twee minste geliefkoosde vroue,

who are constantly being asked,

wat die heeltyd gevra word:

"Ah, why can't you be more like your sister?"

"Ai, hoekom kan jy nie meer soos jou suster wees nie?"

(Laughter)

(Gelag)

The "why" of cities is largely the same, no matter where they are:

Die "waarom" van stede is grootliks dieselfde, ongeag waar hulle is:

an advantageous location that makes trade and administration possible;

’n gunstige ligging wat handel en administrasie moontlik maak;

the potential for scalable opportunities

geleenthede wat kan opskaal,

for the skilled and unskilled alike;

vir beide die geskooldes en ongeskooldes;

a popular willingness to be in constant flux

die mense se ontvanklikheid vir voortdurende beweging

and, of course, resilience.

en, natuurlik, taaiheid.

The "how" of cities, however, is a whole other story.

Die "hoe" van stede is egter ’n totaal ander verhaal.

How are they run?

Hoe word hulle bestuur?

How do they grow?

Hoe groei hulle?

How do they decide who belongs and who doesn't?

Hoe besluit hulle wie daar hoort en wie nie?

Lagos is my home.

Lagos is my tuiste.

You can always find the Nigerians

Jy kan altyd die Nigeriërs vind

by following the noise and the dancing, right?

as jy die geraas en gedans volg, nè?

(Laughter)

(Gelag)

Like any major city, that place is a lot of things,

Soos enige grootstad, is Lagos baie dinge,

many of which are highly contradictory.

en baie daarvan is uiters teenstrydig.

Our public transportation doesn't quite work,

Ons publieke vervoer werk nie heeltemal nie,

so we have these privately owned bright yellow buses

so ons het dié helder geel privaatbusse

that regularly cause accidents.

wat gereeld ongelukke veroorsaak.

Luxury car showrooms line badly maintained and often flooded roads.

Vertoonlokale vir luukse motors staan op bouvallige strate wat gereeld oorstroom.

Street evangelism is only slightly less ubiquitous

Straatpredikante is net ’n raps minder volop

than street harassment.

as teistering op straat.

Sex workers sometimes have two degrees, a bank job

Sekswerkers het soms twee grade, ’n werk by die bank

and a prominent role in church.

en ’n prominente rol in die kerk.

(Laughter)

(Gelag)

On any given day,

Op enige gegewe dag

there can be either a party or a burned body

kan daar óf ’n partytjie óf ’n gebrande lyk

in the middle of a street.

in die middel van die straat wees.

There is so much that is possible in Lagos

So baie is moontlik in Lagos

and so much that isn't,

en so baie is nie

and very often the difference between possibility and impossibility

en die verskil tussen moontlik en onmoontlik

is simply who you are,

is meestal eenvoudig wie jy is

and if you're lucky enough, who you're connected to.

en -- as jy gelukkig genoeg is -- watter konneksies jy het.

Belonging in Lagos is a fluid concept

Tuishoort in Lagos is ’n wisselende konsep

determined by ethnic origin, sexual orientation, gender,

wat bepaal word deur etniese herkoms, seksuele oriëntering, geslag,

but most visibly and often most violently,

maar mees kennelik en gereeld mees geweldadig

class.

deur klas.

Before Nigeria became a country,

Voor Nigerië ’n nasie geword het,

fisherpeople from the inland creeks started to come down the Lagos lagoon

het visservolke van die binneland na Lagos se strandmeer toe begin kom

and establish villages along the coast.

en dorpies langs die kus gevestig.

About 60 years later, my grandfather, Oludotun Adekunle Kukoyi,

Omtrent 60 jaar later het my oupa, Oludotun Adekunle Kukoyi,

also arrived in Lagos.

ook in Lagos aangekom.

Like me, he was an alumnus of the University of Ibadan,

Soos ek was hy ’n alumnus van die Universiteit van Ibadan,

a young member of the educated elite in the independence era.

’n jong lid van die opgevoede elite in die onafhanklikheidsera.

Over time, he built an illustrious career as a land surveyor,

Mettertyd het hy ’n uitmundende loopbaan as ’n landmeter opgebou.

mapping out now-bustling neighborhoods

Hy't vandag se bedrywige buurte uitgestippel

when they were just waist-high wild grass.

toe hulle nog heuphoog onder wilde grasse gestaan het.

He died when I was nine.

Hy's oorlede toe ek nege was.

And by that time, my family, like the families of those fisherpeople,

En teen daai tyd het my familie, soos die families van die visservolke,

knew Lagos as home.

Lagos as hulle tuiste geken.

Among the Yoruba, we have a saying,

Ons het ’n Yoruba gesegde:

"Èkó gb’olè, ó gb’ọ̀lẹ,"

"Èkó gb’olè, ó gb’ọ̀lẹ,"

which can be translated to mean that Lagos will welcome anyone.

wat vertaal kan word as: Lagos sal enigiemand verwelkom.

But that saying is becoming less and less true.

Maar dié gesegde raak al minder waarheidsgetrou.

Many Lagosians, including the descendants of those fisherpeople

Baie inwoners van Lagos, ook afstammelinge van dié visservolke,

who arrived generations before my grandfather,

wat generasies voor my oupa aangekom het,

are now being pushed out

word nou uitgedruk

to make room for an emergent city

om plek te maak vir ’n opkomende stad

that has been described as "the new Dubai."

wat al as "die nuwe Dubai" beskryf is.

You see, Lagos inspires big dreams, even in its leaders,

Julle sien, Lagos wek groot drome op, selfs in haar leiers,

and successive governments have declared aspirations

en een regering na die ander verklaar hulle strewe na

towards a megacity where poverty does not exist.

’n megastad waar geen armoede bestaan nie.

Unfortunately, instead of focusing on the eradication of poverty

Ongelukkig, in plaas daarvan om op die uitwissing van armoede te fokus,

as you would expect,

soos mens sou dink,

the strategy of choice focuses on eliminating the poor.

fokus die gekose strategie op die uitroeiing van die armes.

Last October, the Governor announced plans

Laas Oktober het die goewerneur planne aangekondig

to demolish every single waterfront settlement in Lagos.

om elke waterkantnedersetting in Lagos te sloop.

There are more than 40 of these indigenous communities

Daar is meer as 40 sulke inheemse gemeenskappe

all over the city,

oral oor die stad

with over 300,000 people living in them.

en meer as 300 000 mense woon in hulle.

Otodo Gbame,

Otodo Gbame,

a hundred-year-old fishing village

’n honderdjarige vissersdorpie

with a population about three-quarters that of Monaco

met ’n bevolking omtrent driekwart so groot soos Monako s'n

and similar potential for beachfront luxury --

en met soortgelyke potensiaal vir luukse strandlewe --

(Laughter)

was one of the first to be targeted.

(Gelag)

was een van die eerste teikens.

I first heard of Otodo Gbame after the demolition started.

Ek't die eerste keer daarvan gehoor na die sloping begin het.

When I visited in November 2016, I met Magdalene Aiyefoju.

Ek't in November 2016 besoek afgelê en Magdalene Aiyefoju ontmoet.

She is a now-homeless woman

Sy is nou ’n hawelose vrou

whose surname means, "the world is blind."

wie se van beteken "die wêreld is blind."

Magdalene's son Basil was one of over 20 people

Magdalene se seun Basil was een van die meer as 20 mense

who were shot, drowned

wat geskiet, verdrink

or presumed dead in that land grab.

of vermoedelik dood is tydens die grondrowery.

Standing outside her shelter, I saw the two white-sand football fields

Van haar skuiling af kon ek die twee witsandsokkervelde sien

where Basil used to play.

waar Basil voorheen gespeel het.

Spread all around us were the ruins of schools, churches,

Oral om ons het skole, kerke,

a primary health center, shops,

’n primêre gesondheidsentrum, winkels

thousands of homes.

en duisende huise in puin gelê.

Young children enthusiastically helped to put up shelters,

Jong kinders het gretig gehelp om skuilings te bou

and about 5,000 of the residents, with nowhere else to go,

en omtrent 5000 van die inwoners, met nêrens anders om te gaan nie,

simply stayed put.

het eenvoudig gebly.

And then in April,

En toe in April

state security personnel came back.

was staatsekuriteitspolisie weer daar.

This time, they cleared the community out completely,

Dié keer het hulle die gemeenskap heeltemal uitgedryf,

with beatings, bullets and fire.

met slae, koeëls en vlamme.

As I speak, there are construction crews preparing Otodo Gbame's beaches

Soos ek hier staan is daar boumaatskappye wat Otodo Gbame se strande voorberei

for anyone who can afford a multi-million-dollar view.

vir enigeen wat ’n multimiljoen- dollaruitsig kan bekostig.

The new development is called "Periwinkle Estate."

Die nuwe ontwikkeling se naam is "Periwinkle Estate."

Forced evictions are incredibly violent and, of course, unconstitutional.

Gedwonge uitsettings is ongelooflik geweldadig en, natuurlik, ongrondwetlik.

And yet, they happen so often in so many of our cities,

En tog gebeur hulle so dikwels en in so baie van ons stede,

because the first thing we are taught to forget about poor people

want die eerste ding wat ons geleer word om van arm mense te vergeet

is that they are people.

is dat hulle mense is.

We believe that a home is a thing a person absolutely has a right to,

Ons glo dat elkeen ’n reg op ’n tuiste het,

unless the person is poor and the home is built a certain way

tensy die persoon arm is en die huis op ’n sekere manier

in a certain neighborhood.

in ’n sekere buurt gebou is.

But there is no single definition of the word "home."

Maar daar is nie slegs een definisie vir "tuiste" nie.

After all, what is a slum besides an organic response

Buitendien, wat is ’n krotbuurt anders as ’n organiese reaksie

to acute housing deficits and income inequality?

tot hewige behuisingstekorte en inkomste-ongelykheid?

And what is a shanty if not a person making a home for themselves

En wat is ’n plakkershut anders as iemand wat ’n tuiste skep

against all odds?

ondanks alles?

Slums are an imperfect housing solution,

Krotbuurte is ’n gebrekkige behuisingsoplossing,

but they are also prime examples of the innovation, adaptability

maar hulle is ook puik voorbeelde van innovasie, aanpassingsvermoë

and resilience at the foundation --

en taaiheid wat die fondasie --

and the heart --

en die hart --

of every functional city.

van elke funksionele stad vorm.

You don't need to be the new Dubai

Jy hoef nie die nuwe Dubai te wees

when you're already Lagos.

as jy reeds Lagos is nie.

(Applause)

(Applous)

We have our own identity,

Ons het ons eie identiteit,

our own rhythm,

ons eie ritme,

and as anyone who knows Lagos can tell you,

en soos enigiemand wat Lagos ken jou sal sê,

poor Lagosians are very often the source of the city's character.

is die arm inwoners van Lagos juis die bron van die stad se karakter.

Without its poor, Lagos would not be known for its music

Sonder haar armes sou Lagos nie bekend wees vir haar musiek

or its endless energy

of eindelose energie

or even the fact that you can buy an ice cold drink or a puppy

of die feit dat jy ’n yskoue drankie of ’n klein hondjie

through your car window.

deur jou motorvenster kan koop nie.

(Laughter)

(Gelag)

The conditions that cause us to define certain neighborhoods as slums

Die omstandighede wat veroorsaak dat ons sekere buurte as krotbuurte beskou

can be effectively improved,

kan effektief verbeter word,

but not without recognizing the humanity and the agency

maar nie sonder dat die menslikheid en mag van diegene wat daar woon

of the people living in them.

erken word nie.

In Lagos, where public goods are rarely publicly available,

In Lagos, waar openbare goedere selde openlik beskikbaar is,

slum dwellers are often at the forefront of innovating solutions.

is inwoners van krotbuurte gereeld die mees innoverende probleemoplossers.

After being disconnected from the grid for months

Na hulle maande lank van die kragnetwerk ontkoppel was,

because the power company couldn't figure out how to collect bills,

omdat die verskaffer nie kon uitpluis hoe om fooie in te samel nie,

one settlement designed a system that collectivized remittances

het een nedersetting ’n sisteem ontwikkel wat betalings saamvoeg

and got everyone cheaper rates into the bargain.

en boonop vir almal goedkoper pryse onderhandel.

Another settlement created a reform program

’n Ander buurt het ’n verbeteringsprogram geskep

that hires local bad boys as security.

wat plaaslike skollies as sekuriteit gebruik.

They know every trick and every hideout,

Hulle ken elke skelmstreek en wegkruipplek,

so now troublemakers are more likely to get caught and reported to police

so nou kan moelikheidmakers makliker gevang en aan die polisie rapporteer word

and fewer of the youth end up engaging in criminal activity.

en minder jong mense raak by misdaad betrokke.

Yet another settlement recently completed

Nog ’n buurt het onlangs

a flood-safe, eco-friendly communal toilet system.

’n vloedbestande, omgewingsvriendelike gemeenskaps-toiletsisteem ontwikkel.

Models like these are being adopted across Lagos.

Modelle soos hierdie word oral oor Lagos opgeneem.

Informal settlements are incorrectly named as the problem.

Informele nedersettings word verkeerdelik as die probleem gesien.

In fact, the real problems are the factors that create them,

Die werklike probleme is die faktore wat hulle skep,

like the entrenchment of poverty,

soos hoe diep ingewortel armoede,

social exclusion

maatskaplike uitsluiting

and state failures.

en staatmislukkings is.

When our governments frame slums as threats

Wanneer ons regerings krotbuurte as bedreigings uitmaak

in order to justify violent land grabs or forced evictions,

om gewelddadige landrowery of gedwonge uitsettings te regverdig,

they're counting on those of us who live in formal housing

maak hulle staat op ons wat in formele behuising woon

to tacitly and ignorantly agree with them.

om stilswyend en oningelig met hulle saam te stem.

Rather, we must remind them

Ons moet hulle eerder herinner

that governments exist to serve not only those who build

dat regerings daar is om te dien:

nie net diegene wat luukse huise bou of in hulle woon nie,

and live in luxury homes,

but also those who clean and guard them.

maar ook diegene wat hulle skoonmaak en bewaak.

Our --

Ons --

(Applause)

(Applous)

our realities may differ,

ons werklikhede verskil dalk,

but our rights don't.

maar ons regte verskil nie.

The Lagos state government,

Die Lagos staatsregering,

like far too many on our continent,

soos te veel ander op ons kontinent,

pays lip service to ideas of inclusion,

bring lippehulde aan idees van insluiting,

while acting as though progress can only be achieved

terwyl hulle optree asof vooruitgang slegs moontlik is

by the erasure, exploitation and even elimination of groups

deur uitbuiting en selfs uitwissing van groepe

it considers expendable.

wat hulle as ontbeerlik beskou.

People living with disabilities who hawk or beg on Lagos streets

Gestremde mense wat smous of bedel op Lagos se strate

are rounded up, extorted

word opgetel, afgepers

and detained.

en gevange gehou.

Women in low-income neighborhoods are picked up

Vroue in arm buurte word opgetel

and charged with prostitution,

en van prostitusie aangekla,

regardless of what they actually do for a living.

ongeag wat hulle beroepe eintlik is.

Gay citizens are scapegoated to distract from real political problems.

Gay burgers dien as sondebokke om aandag van regte politiese probleme af te lei.

But people, like cities, are resilient,

Maar mense, soos stede, is taai

and no amount of legislation or intimidation or violence

en geen hoeveelheid wetgewing of intimidasie of geweld

can fully eliminate any of us.

kan ons heeltemal uitwis nie.

Prostitutes, women and women who work as prostitutes

Prostitute, vroue en vroue wat werk as prostitute

still haven't gone extinct,

het nog nie uitgesterf nie

despite centuries of active suppression.

ten spyte van eeue se aktiewe onderdrukking.

Queer Africans continue to exist,

Queer Afrikane bestaan voort,

even though queerness is now criminalized in most parts of the continent.

al is queer-wees in meeste dele van die kontinent nou ’n misdaad.

And I'm fairly certain that poor people don't generally tend to just disappear

En ek's redelik seker dat arm mense nie net verdwyn

because they've been stripped of everything they have.

omdat alles wat hulle gehad het gestroop is nie.

We are all already here,

Ons is almal reeds hier,

and that answers the question

en dit beantwoord die vraag

of whether or not we belong.

van of ons behoort of nie.

When those fisherpeople started to sail down the lagoon

Toe daai visservolke afgeseil het

in search of new homes,

op soek na nuwe tuistes,

it could not have occurred to them

het hulle nooit kon droom

that the city that would rise up around them

dat die stad wat om hulle sou oprys

would one day insist that they do not belong in it.

eendag sou aandring dat hulle nie daar tuishoort nie.

I like to believe that my grandfather,

Ek wil glo dat my oupa,

in mapping new frontiers for Lagos,

met die optrek van nuwe grense vir Lagos,

was trying to open it up

dit probeer oopmaak het

to make room for other people to be welcomed by the city

om ruimte te skep vir mense om deur die stad verwelkom te word

in the same way that he was.

nes hy verwelkom is.

On my way here, my grandma called me

Op pad hierheen het my ouma my gebel

to remind me how proud she was,

om my te herinner hoe trots sy is,

how proud [my grandfather] and my mother would have been.

hoe trots [my oupa] en my ma sou gewees het.

I am their dreams come true.

Ek is hulle drome wat waar geword het.

But there is no reason why their dreams -- or mine, for that matter --

Maar daar's geen rede hoekom hulle drome -- of myne --

are allowed to come true

mag waar word

while those of others are turned to nightmares.

terwyl ander s'n in nagmerries verander word nie.

And lest we forget:

Ons moenie vergeet nie:

the minimum requirement for a dream

Die minimum vereiste om te kan droom

is a safe place to lay your head.

is ’n veilige plek om jou kop neer te lê.

It is too late now for Basil,

Dis te laat vir Basil,

but not for Magdalene,

maar nie vir Magdalene of

not for the hundreds of thousands,

honderde duisende ander of

the millions still under threat in Lagos

die miljoene ander wat steeds in Lagos

or any of our cities.

of ander stede bedreig word nie.

The world does not have to remain blind

Die wêreld hoef nie blind te bly

to the suffering that is created when we deny people's humanity,

teenoor die swaarkry wat ontstaan as ons ander se menswees ontken

or even to the incredible potential for growth that exists

of teenoor die ongelooflike potensiaal vir groei wat bestaan

when we recognize and value all contributions.

wanneer ons alle bydraes herken en waardeer nie.

We must hold our governments

Ons moet ons regerings

and ourselves

en onsself

accountable

aanspreeklik hou

for keeping our shared cities safe for everyone in them,

vir die behoud van veiligheid in ons gedeelde stede, vir almal in hulle,

because the only cities worth building --

want die enigste stede wat die moeite werd is om te bou --

indeed, the only futures worth dreaming of --

voorwaar die enigste toekomste wat die moeite werd is om van te droom --

are those that include all of us,

is dié wat ons almal insluit,

no matter who we are

ongeag wie ons is

or how we make homes for ourselves.

of hoe ons tuistes vir onsself skep.

Thank you.

Dankie.

(Applause)

(Applous)