Broederstroom
is nestled in the ancient foothills
at the bottom end of the Magaliesburg’s Cradle valley
where Mankind itself evolved.
A quite village by South African standards
yet just a stone throw (100km) from bustling Johannesburg,
the odd crime
the odd oddball
the constant gossip
the HartRAO observatory
four opposing churches( one an Orthodox Monastery)
two closed due to lack of congregation
even thought the long solitary R400
is used as a race track
on Sundays
by swarms of buzzing bikers on the Breakfast Run
killing the odd kudu, warthog or stray cow
and themselves (without Last Rites)
particularly after a visit to ‘Route 66’
the blaring ‘live’ folksy music pub
where communion is served
flowing copiously
only on Sundays.
The landowners, all smallholders
compose a friendly mix of cultures
English, Afrikaans and Portuguese, all farmer wannabe’s
keeping the odd sheep, cattle or pigs
while chickens and ducks
scratch for snails in the vegetable patch.
Malawians outnumber locals
including indigenous Sotho
three to one as cheap labour
in hardworking exploitation
making the colloquial ‘Little Lilongwe’
so apt for our sleepy Leeuwenkloof hollow.
The local village centers around
the Post Office with our local P.O Boxes,
the Broederstroom Butcher,
our central meat and greeting place,
with a filling station, general dealer, hardware
and bottle store (closed by law on Sundays)
are all Portuguese owned
barring the Afrikaner run service garage.
Sangiro Chicken Abattoir
as the largest community employer
has created dusty squatter camps
in its surrounds
and kicks up a stink with spilled crop guts
and burned feathers in its vicinity
polluting the slow trickling Leeuspruit steam.
Broederstoom is home
and hearth
to a sparse community
keeping friendly relations
for the most
and likewise
I for the most live here
happily
with my kids and grandkids
dogs and animals
at peace within my community.