NOSTALGIC REVISIT TO PRESENT-DAY MARABASTAD

It was a chilly morning on 28 May when Dr Mothobi Mutloatse and yours truly went on a whistle-stop walkabout of Marabastad.

The mission was to try and retrace the steps of the late academic and author par excellence, Professor Es’kia Mphahlele, the author of the all-time classic, “Down Second Avenue”.

Indeed our port of call was the self-same Second Avenue in the heart of Marabastad, which the present-day street signage refer to as 2^nd Street.

But others such as Firth Avenue retain their old-time character; 5^th Avenue.

Today’s 2^nd Street is characterised by sidewalk entrepreneurs selling items ranging from clothing to traditional herbs.

From 2^nd Street we proceeded to the legendary Steve’s Record Centre, yesteryear’s home to vinyl records capturing the era of marabi music and kwela.

But alas! At the once-vibrant place we were met not by “klevahs” in baggy trousers and two-tone shoes, but lock and key.

During a visit to Kashmiri Restaurant – presently an achaar depot – we learned with shock that Steve’s Record Centre went belly-up, following the death of the owner Omarjee Vally.

I must say Dr Mutloatse had a field day taking pictures of old-time landmarks such as Steve’s Record Centre, and both the remnants of Orient Cinema and Empire Cinema along Boom Street.

And oh, Mphahlele reminds us that Boom Street was the only tarred road during his boyhood in Marabastad.

Royal Cinema has since been razed down. 

We also had the opportunity to have a look at what was once the Muslim Grounds, home to Marabastad Sundowns (since renamed Mamelodi Sundowns).

All that remains of Muslim Grounds is railway tracks criss-crossing their way from Bele Ombre Station to Mabopane Station northwards. Beyond and behind the railway line reeds bend forlornly from the winter breeze, perhaps reminding us of the stream to which Es’kia Mphahlele escaped the flotsam and jetsam of his days.  

During an assignment for The Sunday Independent newspaper in recent years, I visited Patrice Motsepe’s home village of Mmakau on the western outskirts of Pretoria.

Here, ma-grootman (old-timers) narrowed their eyes remembering how they used to take little Patrice along to Muslim Grounds to watch matches against the likes of Lenasia Swaraj.

I was told how the little boy was mesmerised by the dazzling skills of the likes of Marabastad Sundowns’ Smiley Moosa (uncle to Zane Moosa), King Son and Vincent “Tanti” Julius.

On the political front, Smiley once told me how Marabastad Sundowns – which campaigned in the Indian/Coloured Federation Football League in terms of the Apartheird-era sports colour-bar – played friendly soccer matches in Mamelodi and Atteridgeville, as part the Defiance Campaign. But I digress.

From the cinemas, we ended up inside the oldest trading store in Marabastad, the Chinese-franchise of Makuloo Hopan.

“We Sell Everything” declared a signage at the entrance.

Indeed, here Dr Mutloatse took photographs of among other antiques, chimneys for Mbongeni Ngema’s celebrated Welcome Dover coal-fired stove, pear-shaped school bells, and a post- Second World War Singer sewing machine. Watch this space!

In the halcyon days, the Makuloo Hopan franchise stretched from Marabastad to Lady Selborne and Mamelodi.