Mthandazo Vika, imizamo yami, 2023, Photography, 508 x 339 mm
“Gender is a social construct, not a biological destiny.“ (Judith Butler)
I had such a difficult time trying to prepare for this personal project simply because what I know as gender has changed over time. I like to consider myself as a natural visual storyteller, so when I saw mam Sibongile who has been driving the Sydenham/Brickfield taxis for 11 years, I knew she must have had a story that lead her to be part of such a male dominated industry. After sitting down with her, I found out that her husband used to run the business, but was sentenced to 15 years in Westville prison. Having 4 children, she decided to run the business herself. She has since been driving taxi and making sure her family is taken care of .This image is titled imizamo yami and translates to “my hard work” or “my hard worked earnings”, because mam Sibongile does what she does to make a living and assist her family members where she can.
Mthandazo Vika