Kameraad Mhambi

When asked by the UK Guardian why he moved back from the west to Johannesburg South Africa, Rian Malan answered: ‘Where you live is boring’. Well Kameraad Mhambi has been following a photographer called Gee-raff on Flickr for some time. He provides visual proof that you can accuse Joburg of many things, but not of being dull. But has it become too interesting perhaps?

Zuma, originally uploaded by gee-raff.Police watch over a large crowd during South African deputy President Jacob Zuma’s rape trial.

What follows is a short interview with Neil and some of his photos on Flickr and his blog. His pics are reminiscent of some modern wild western – set in a big city. Replete with licentiousness, lawlessness and fast money, oh.. and of course…. rugby. Below you’ll find just some of the lawlessness. And yes – if your thinking this seems a bit District 9 then your not far off.

My name is Neil McCartney, I was born in Scotland but spent most of my life in South Africa, and I always knew I wanted to be a photographer but I guess I got a bit confused. When I was young I had all the iconic images from the Vietnam war as posters on my bedroom wall, then after school I flew back to Scotland and joined the army, I thought that I wanted to be a soldier, but I realized quite soon that I was more interested in capturing the images than being in them.

Riverlea, originally uploaded by gee-raff. The community of Riverlea near Nasrec protested yesterday, 22 October 09. They had running battles with police shooting rubber bullets and them stoning the police. A small group of youths also threw stones at passing trains, the protesters are demanding houses and service delivery.

So I studied a bit, worked on a cruise ship in the Caribbean, and after that I wasted all the money I made there during a trip to Dubai, as I spent a month just wandering around taking pictures. I volunteered my time at a local Afrikaans newspaper and eventually got offered a job at the Citizen, of which I am now the Chief Photographer.

Hillbrow, originally uploaded by gee-raff.
Hillbrow in Johannesburg South Africa is notorious for its violence over New Years, this draws many photojournalists including myself to spend New Years in Hillbrow.

KM: The Citizen is based in Johannesburg, arguably one of the strangest and most violent modern cities in the world. But it is also a photogenic city. What say you?

Johannesburg is very much a city of contrasts, the extremely poor live right next to the extremely wealthy, and that I believe helps keep the crime rate so high, but I guess I love being here, always something going on.

Edenpark 3, originally uploaded by gee-raff.
An Edenpark resident gestures to cameras with a Red Ant helmet before burning it along with a few shields, helmets and overalls that were left behind as the Red Ants fled from the crowd. yesterday. Edenpark residents were up in arms after Alfred Ngobeni was murdered by Red Ants, that were trying to evict some of the residents that lived there.

Shot, originally uploaded by gee-raff.
The body of a bankrobber lies on the street behind a EMPD bakkie in Castleview, Germiston after a shoot out with police. Seven of the robbers where also arrested after they tried to rob a bank in Wadeville. A police man was also injured during the shoot out.

Freedom Park, originally uploaded by gee-raff.
A metro police officer fires baton rounds to disperse groups congregating around blockaded roads in Freedom Park , Johannesburg.

Cash-in-transit heist, originally uploaded by gee-raff.
Nine security guards were injured, one seriously after being shot in the neck during a cash in transit robbery on the N12 highway in Germiston, Johannesburg yesterday.

Robbery, originally uploaded by gee-raff.
One suspect was caught by security guards after a COIN van was robbed of four boxes of cash at a garage on Katherine road, Sandton ,14 January 09. Two of the boxes were recovered after a chase, but only one suspect was arrested.

KM: How do you cope with all the traumatic scenes you often see?

I’ve never had a problem with the things I have seen, it seems to worry others more than it does me.
Even my work place got a therapist for us after the xenophobic violence; I told him that I’m more upset about missing some of the violence than about the violence I had seen. Guess that makes me a bit of a feeling less bastard, no problem with me.

Traders, originally uploaded by gee-raff.
A trader that sells pirate DVDs flees from Metro Police during a operation to enforce the by-laws in Bryanston.

KM: You must know about the Bang Bang Club? Knowing about their experiences, did it inspire you or make you think twice about your chosen profession?

Having read the Bang-Bang Club book, it simply reinforced the feelings that I had to be a photojournalist. I guess my timing was just off; )

Jet Park fire, originally uploaded by gee-raff.
A large LPG fire at a chemical distribution center in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Cash in Transit Robbery, originally uploaded by gee-raff.
Ten armed men robbed this cash-in-transit vehicle in Malvern near Johannesburg. They crashed the stolen BMW into it, shot at the windows numerous times, disarmed one of the guards and sped off in another stolen car which was found abandoned a few blocks away.

Chopper crash, originally uploaded by gee-raff.
A SAPS chopper lies in a sand soccer pitch after hitting power lines and crashing whilst chasing two armed robbers in Meadowlands, Soweto. I kind of see that this helicopter could be symbolic for the SAPS, a once proud machine slumping over after being beaten by the constant crime we have in this country, even from within.

KM: You have spent time in police cells. Why? Is it hard to work as a photographer in South Africa?

I’ve been arrested twice spent quite few hours in a dingy cell with house breakers, wife beaters and murderers, its quite funny but both the times I was in the cells, I kind of made friends with the dodgy chaps in there, guess it might have been the vulgarities I was using when describing what I thought of the policemen that arrested me, but both times, it was not really a problem, not that I fancy going back;)

KM: Have you ever thought of trying another profession?

I wouldn’t mind being a fashion photographer, but I guess I’ll move that way as I get older.

Kaserne refugee camp, originally uploaded by gee-raff.
A guard watches the empty tents of the Kaserne refugee camp near Johannesburg. The old Kaserne shunting station will be used to house thousands of refugees that fled from xenophobic violence.

KM: You took photos at the refugee camps – what were these camps like?

The refugee camps were hell holes, but way better that being killed by rampaging mobs. Actually to tell the truth, I reckon some of the poorer folk would have regarded them as a bit of an upgrade, cause some of the shacks that people live in are way worse that the insulated UNHCR designed tents that many stayed in.

KM: You have written a blog post about 2008 xenophobic violence:

“Last night, a couple of colleagues and I were driving around an informal settlement in Primrose, Johannesburg looking for pics on the ongoing xenophobic violence that has spread from Alexandra to other areas around Gauteng. I seen a few men standing around a man lying in the street. We turned around and drove towards them, the man was very injured and they were about to set him on fire, we stopped and the crowd started shouting in Zulu at us to leave, we drove away fast to get the cops, hoping to save the guy from an agonising fiery death, as we were on our way to go to where we knew some cops were, I seen about 10 policeman patrolling between the shacks in the darkness, I jumped out of the car ( it was still moving, may I add) and ran towards the cops, understandably they were on edge, having been fired at a few times already tonight, as they seen me running towards them screaming “COPS!” each one of them raised their rifles and pointed them at me, about to shoot at me until I screamed as loud as I could” PRESS!!!!”….

Must admit, that was a bit hectic.

Anyway, when we got back there the guy was obviously a long time dead, as his head seemed to have been bashed with something very big and very hard.

But at least we tried… “

There have been many times that I feel my presence has either sparked of a situation or stopped it. One example, I was in Alexandra (the township that all the xenophobic violence started in). We had been at the clinic to see last night’s casualties, and I see a man running down the road, so I naturally knew something was up and I chased after him right into a crowd of really pissed of people, they got hold of him and were jumping on him, kicking, hitting him with rocks sticks and various other things. I pushed through the crowd to the guy (not to save him, simply to get a frame) they must have thought I was nuts as I’m the only white guy pushing every one out the way so I can get a picture. They started to shout ’”shoota” which is slang for media photographer, and they left the guy alone, one guy went up to the bloodied man and pulled him up kind off like a hunter with his trophy and said to me to take a picture, I put my camera down and said ‘no way”

KM: We don’t currently hear much of about xenophobic violence in the press. Do you think it has stopped?

The xenophobic violence has pretty much stopped but its simmering and will probably start up again soon; it’s simply poor people’s frustrations that make it flare up.

KM: What’s your current favourite camera and why?

Last question is easy, the Nikon D700, it’s the camera I use every day; I know it back to front.
I’m not one of those that do the whole Nikon-Canon thing, but it’s the one I use and I’m very happy with it.

Related deployments:

1. On Freedom day we cry for the beloved country
2. Strandhuis dreams