The Economist - USA (2019-12-21)

The EconomistDecember 21st 2019 Holiday specials 63

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ne morninginOctoberSanzaSandilezigsandzagshisway

throughYeovillemarket.HehollersatGhanaianseamstresses,

wavesatNigerianapothecariesandsniffsatthestewsbubblingin

frontofZimbabweancooks.Finallyhefindswhat,orratherwho,

heislookingfor:LydiaLuiki,theCongolesequeenofcassava.

MsLuikisitsona smallwoodenstool.Betweenherfeetisa sack

ofgreenleavesfromtheshrubbycassavatree,whichcameinfrom

Mozambiquethis morning.Sheprocesses itwiththree other

Congolesewomen,whonimblywash,pluck,blendandpackthe

leaves.Theresultingmulchissoldfor 10 rand(60cents)perbag.

MrSandile(picturedabove)hastriedothercassava-sellersbut

theirproduceisfarinferiortothatoftheCongolesequeen.Hersis

a stapleofthedinnerclubhehostsfivedaysa weekinYeoville,a

district incentralJohannesburgwhichishometo20,000people

fromatleast 30 Africancountries.His“cassavathreeways”—An-

golan,CongoleseandMozambican—isoneofa dozendishesthat

mixthecuisinesofthearea’sdiasporas.

The44-year-oldchefgrewupinSoweto,a townshipontheout-

skirtsofJohannesburg.Duringthe1970sand1980sit wasthewell-

springofresistancetoapartheid,SouthAfrica’sbrutalsystemof

whiterule.Itwasalsoa placeof“drysandwiches”,re-

calls MrSandile.Bycontrast,Yeoville,towhichhe

movedin1994,theyearofNelsonMandela’selection,

wasa cornucopiaofflavour.It stillis.

FewtouristscometoYeoville.Nordomanyresi-

dentsoftherestofJohannesburg.Andthoughitshigh

crimeratemightmakethatchoiceseemsensible,they

aremissingout.ThediversetastesthatinspireMrSan-

dilereflecta fascinatingpresentandpast.

Oncea placewhereEuropeanswashedup,today

mostofitsresidentsarefromotherAfricancountries.

Nootherplaceonthecontinenthassomanydifferent

communitiesinsuchproximity,andforallitsviolence

andpovertyitremainsa placeofsanctuary.“Yeoville”,

saysMrSandile,“isstilltheheadquartersforpeople

whoknowwhatit meanstobetheOther.”

Johannesburgisacitybuiltonminingand mi-

grants.Afewyearsafterthefirstbigdiscoveryofgold

in1886,ThomasYeoSherwell,a developerfromYeovil,

England,boughta plotoflandtothenorthofthemain

Meltingpots

Hard times and hotplates in the most

diverse district in Africa

Yeoville

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