Whenever I hear the opening lines of an acapella sang at the end of my favourite musical the saltwater wells in my eyes as I think of a promise unfulfilled, writes Gasant Abarder in a new #SliceofGasant.
Abarder, who recently launched his book, Hack with a Grenade, is among the country’s most influential media voices. Catch his weekly column here.
It goes: ‘When the southeaster blows, in a street called Hanover… wherever we go, District Six. When the southeaster blows, we will remember… wherever we go, District Six.’
These words were made immortal by the dynamic duo of the late Taliep Petersen and David Kramer. They wrote the most relevant and memorable musicals of our times. District Six – the Musical, was their finest work and it ran for decades all over the world.
I have seen it a few times live, studied it on video, and know the lyrics to almost all the songs and even some of the dialogue. But perhaps the most special performance was just a few days ago, last week, before Freedom Day. This time it wasn’t directed by the dynamic pair.

We often dismiss our kids, the Gen-Zs, as apathetic and disaffected. But they have something to say, like the students in 2015 during the Fees Must Fall protests. If we listen and give them a chance, they may just hold the solutions for our troubled world.
So, when Westerford High School in Newlands, announced it was staging its own production of District Six – the Musical, I scrambled for tickets. The performance was incredible, and these kids are more than alright. They did justice to a timeless story with incredible performances on stage.
Loukmaan Adams, a winner of the Lawrence Olivier Award for his performances in the Petersen-Kramer musicals, was a special guest in the full school. His broad smile was eclipsed only by the broader smile of historian and storyteller Dr Joe Schaffers.

The idea by the drama teacher Daniella Brown was to stage a local story. As director, she started rehearsals in 2020. But COVID-19 had other plans.

‘We chose work that meant something to our community and our diverse community at Westerford, especially. Unfortunately, the pandemic cut it short two weeks before opening night,’ she said before Tuesday evening’s performance.
‘It stuck with me for three years and I just couldn’t let go of this musical. I knew we had to finish it. We had to get our opening night. I’ve watched two casts now so significantly changed and impacted by it. It is so much more than a stage production and so much more than a theatre production. It is a powerful story of a beautiful community and it’s a heartbreaking story. I just want everyone to hear it.’
Dr Schaffers sat in the rear of the school hall looking like a proud parent.

‘At last, something about District Six is being done on the other side of the line. We were inclined to only keep to ourselves and not expose the story to the other side of the line because there are still divisions. When I heard what this school was doing, I thought now we are getting somewhere, where everyone can get to know what the debacle of District Six was all about,’ he said.
‘It’s not only about the joy, dancing and singing. It’s also about the pain and the suffering of people. It shows that our youngsters have crossed this particular barrier.’
For Loukmaan, it was extra special, sitting in the audience and watching characters from a musical he had been involved in from its debut showing – as a nine-year-old Broertjie to later lead as a talented singer from the district, Cassiem.
‘I needed to know why. Daniella told me they were tired of doing American productions like Hair and Cats. They wanted to do something they could relate to with authenticity. I was blown away. I wanted to be part of it and see how we’ve evolved as a society in Cape Town,’ she said.
‘The story is still relevant. There is nothing in the history books the kids can learn about District Six. It’s about time because we drive past this area on the freeway on our way to Cape Town and we don’t know this amazing story.’
The performances and production of this school musical – accompanied by live music from the school’s own music students – are so good it can comfortably play at the nearby Baxter Theatre. As those first chords of that acapella song were sung the tears rolled down my face.
As’ad Salie, who plays Nines, the leader of the Sexy Boys gang, steals the show and makes magic on stage. The love triangle of Mary (Thato Makotso), Sandy (Julia Boulle) and Cassiem (Simbarashe Chigoche) with powerful vocal performances could not have been better cast. A special mention to the sterling Libhongo Lubambo as Damaka – the wise, blind man on the corner of Hanover Street. Asher Hyde plays the role of Mr Goldman, the Jewish businessman-patriarch of the area with aplomb.
These kids know about District Six. The lyrics of that acapella song goes: ‘How can I ever say goodbye, goodbye to District Six? Surely, I’m allowed to cry and blow her one last kiss?’
We can’t say goodbye. The talented kids of Westerford High School have made sure of that.
Also read:
The stealing of a suburb: More Gym and less Pie in Woodstock’s Gympie Street
Picture: Gasant Abarder