“A Smile I Could Not Explain”

South Africa failing people displaced by xenophobia riots

Considering the work of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), the criticisms levelled against it, and the literary response it has evoked in terms of a struggle over definitions of trauma and recovery can help the debate over the perceived monocultural bias of trauma theory in its ‘classical’, mid-1990s formulation and the fraught relationship between such tendencies and the commitment to social justice on which the field prides itself. Insofar as the TRC mapped Euro-American concepts of trauma and recovery onto an apartheid-colonial situation, it was subject to the same problems and limitations faced by trauma theory—problems and limitations which post-apartheid literature has not been slow to confront. Sindiwe Magona’s truth-and-reconciliation novel Mother to Mother, for example, can be seen to supplement the work of the TRC by critically revisiting its limits, exclusions, and elisions—and thus also to suggest a possible way for ‘traditional’ trauma theory to reinvent and renew itself.

Queering Hip-Hop, Queering the City: Dope Saint Jude’s Transformative Politics

The influence of phonetics education on adult learners and the creation of second language sounds was examined at the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education. The study was guided by four research questions. A questionnaire on the influence of phonetics education on adult learners in the generation of English sounds was used in a qualitative study design. A total of 10,000 people were studied with a sample size of 200 people. To obtain responses from the respondents, random and purposive selection approaches were utilized. The data was analyzed using the mean and standard deviations. According to the research, adult second-language learners who learn phonetics improve their pronunciation of English sounds. Adult second-language learners who received phonetics training improved their intonation. After obtaining phonetics education, adult second language learners improve in the placing of emphasis on words. Phonetics teaching helped adults who were learning a new language improve their word pronunciation.

Cape Town is the second-largest city in South Africa, with a population of over four million people. Established by Dutch colonists in 1652, it is a diverse and complex city, with a long history of segregation and inequity. The city continues to be characterized by high levels of inequity, most tangibly manifested in the presence of informal settlements. Much of this inequity is along racial lines as a result of enforced spatial segregation during colonial and apartheid times. Since South Africa’s transition to democracy in the 1990s, the city has continued to evolve, with significant urban regeneration initiatives (such as the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront) and with major governance reforms (with the fifty-seven local government bodies and regional government body that existed in the early 1990s being merged into one local government body in 2000). Cape Town has been the site of much research, from a range of perspectives. During the apartheid era, this research largely focused on the implementation of apartheid segregation and the resistance to apartheid, whereas since the 1990s, the focus has been on the implementation of developmental local government, continued inequities, and the roll-out of neoliberalism. Research from a “developmental local government” perspective has focused on government reform and the large amount of service delivery (for example, housing delivery) that has occurred since the 1990s. Another major focus of research has been on the implementation of neoliberal urban strategies and the resistance of civil society to this (although some scholars of “southern urbanism” would argue that the importance of Neoliberalism in Cape Town and other cities in the Global South has been overemphasized by scholars from the Global North). Given its location in a magnificent setting with unique levels of biodiversity, tourism and the urban interface with the natural environment have also become major topics of research. Probably the most effective reflections of life in Cape Town have been in fiction and popular nonfiction works, so it is important to also consider these as well. The bibliography is structured in the following sections: History of Cape Town (to 1990); Overviews of Post-Apartheid Cape Town (after 1990); Poverty, Inequality, and Exclusion in Cape Town; Place and Space in Cape Town; Governance of Cape Town; Neoliberalism in Cape Town; Crime and Violence in Cape Town; Tourism in Cape Town; Cape Town and the Natural Environment; and Fiction and Popular Works about Cape Town.

Ruth Miller: Poems, Prose, Plays. Edited and introduced by Lionel Abrahams. Cape Town: Carrefour Press, 1990. The Fires of the Dead by Robert Berold. Cape Town: Carrefour Press, 1989, Interiors by Jennie Roberts. Cape Town: Carrefour Press, 1989. From Apartheid to Nation‐Building: Contemporary South African Debates by Hermann Giliomee and Lawrence Schlemmer. Cape Town: Oxford University Press, 1990. Distant Companions; Servants and Employers in Zambia, 1900 ‐ 1985 by Karen Hansen. Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press, 1989. ’Muzukuru’ a Guerilla's Story by Paul Hotz. Johannesburg: Ravan Press, 1990. Perspectives of Mental Handicap in South Africa. Edited by Susan Lea and Don Foster. Durban: Butterworths, 1990. The Annotated Soul of the Ape by Eugene Marais. Introduced and Annotated by Peter Henzi. London: Penguin Books, 1990. Cultural Forces in World Politics by Ali A. Mazrui. London: James Currey, 1990. People and Violence in South Africa. Edited by Brian McKendrick and Wilma Hoffman. Cape Town: Oxford University Press, 1990. Education: From poverty to liberty. Edited by Bill Nasson and John Samuel. Cape Town: David Philip. 1990. The Political Economy of South Africa. Edited by Nicoli Nattrass and Elisabeth Ardington. Cape Town: Oxford University Press, 1990. South African Human Rights and Labour Law Yearbook 1990 Volume 1. Edited by Michael Robertson. Cape Town: Oxford University Press, Centre for Socio‐Legal Studies Durban 1990. Protecting Human Rights in a New South Africa by Albie Sachs. Cape Town: Oxford University Press, 1990.

Directing O'Neill: <i>Mourning Becomes Electra, Long Day's Journey Into Night, Desire Under the Elms, Days Without End</i>

The use of thyroid tests to assess psychiatric patients remains debatable. Therefore, this study was conducted to examine the utility and cost effectiveness of the current protocol used in thyroid testing in adult psychiatric patients presenting at Stikland Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa. This was a retrospective chart review conducted at Stikland Hospital between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2005. The following data was recorded: demographic variables, clinical diagnoses at admission and discharge, number of days from admission to a thyroid test request, the reason for thyroid screening, number of thyroid tests, their yield and costs involved, as well as the action taken following an abnormal thyroid test result. The mean age of patients (n = 1080: n = 364 male, n = 716 female) was 42.8 years (SD ± 16.6). Pre-existing thyroid disease was documented in 70 (6%) of patients. Normal Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) test results significantly (p = 0.0001) increased, whilst abnormal TSH test results significantly (p = 0.0001) decreased from baseline to follow-up. Except for gender, the outcome of TSH screening was independent of demographic and clinical diagnoses. Only 16% of TSH tests yielded clinically significant results. The findings of this study do not support the early, routine screening for thyroid dysfunction in psychiatric patients at this facility. It is possible that thyroid screening may present with transient abnormalities of no particular clinical significance, and would therefore not be a cost effective practice.

Objective. To assess awareness of and interest in intrauterine contraceptive device (IUCD) use among HIV-positive women in Cape Town, South Africa. Design. Cross-sectional survey. Methods. HIV-positive women aged 18 through 45 years presenting for care at a primary health care clinic in Cape Town, South Africa participated in this study. Consented participants completed a staff-administered questionnaire in a private setting. Descriptive statistics were generated. Comparisons between demographic and reproductive health-related variables and IUCD awareness and interest were performed with multiple logistic regression. Analyses for IUCD interest excluded women with prior surgical sterilization. Results. Of 277 HIV-positive women, 37% were aware of the IUCD; awareness was independently associated with greater age (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.15, 95%; confidence interval (CI): 1.10–1.20) and not switching contraceptive methods in the last year (AOR = 2.45, 95% CI: 1.03–5.83). Following an IUCD information session, 86% of women (n = 206/240) were interested in IUCD use. IUCD interest was inversely associated with age (AOR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.86–0.97) and marginally positively associated with current menstrual bleeding pattern complaints (AOR = 2.14, 95% CI: 0.98–4.68). Conclusions. Despite low levels of method awareness, HIV-positive women in this setting are frequently interested in IUCD use, indicating need for programming to expand method access.

Women of Phokeng: Consciousness, Life Strategy, and Migrancy in South Africa 1900 ‐1983 by Belinda Bozzoli, with the assistance of Mmantho Nkotsoe, Johannesburg, Ravan Press, 1991. Our Precious Metal: African Labour in South Africa's Gold Industry, 1970–1990 by Wilmot G. James, David Philip, James Currey & Indiana University Press, Cape Town, London & Bloomington,1992. Bounds of Possibility ‐ The Legacy of Steve Biko & Black Consciousness by N.B. Pityana, M. Ramphele, M. Mpumlwana, & L. Wilson, (eds), Cape Town, David Philip, 1991. Faces in the revolution: the psychological effects of violence on township youth in South Africa by Gill Straker, with Fathima Moosa, Rise Becker and Madiyoyo Nkwale. Cape Town, David Philip, 1992 and Athens, Ohio, Ohio University Press, 1992. Lives of Courage: Women for a New South Africa by Diana E.H.Russell. New York, Basic Books, 1989. Towards Justice? Crime and State Control in South Africa by Desiree Hansson and Dirk van Zyl Smit (eds), Cape Town, Oxford University Press, 1990. South Africa in the Nineties by DJ van Vuuren, NE Wiehahn, NJ Rhoodie en M Wiechers (eds), HSRC Publishers, 1991. To Live in Fear: Witchburning and Medicine Murder in Venda by A de V. Minnar, D Offringa and C Payze, HSRC, Pretoria, 1992. The Anti‐Politics Machine: ‘Development’, Depoliticization and Bureaucratic Power by James Ferguson, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1990. Zimbabwe's Guerrilla War: Peasant Voices by Norma J. Kriger. Cambridge University Press, African Studies Series, number 70,1992. A Passage to England ‐ Barbadian Londoners speak of home by John Western. U.C.L. Press, London, 1992. Breaking the formal frame: Readings in South African education in the eighties by Clive Millar, Sarah‐Anne Raynham and Angela Schaffer (eds). Cape Town: Oxford University Press, 1991. Negotiation : Theories, Strategies and Skills by Wynand Pienaar and Manie Spoelstra, Kenwyn, Juta, 1991 SUM: Selected Works by Martin Versveld. Cape Town: Carrefour Press 1991. Projections in the Past Tense, by Kelwyn Sole. Ravan Press, 1992.

Scientific research processes are accompanied by burgeoning amounts of research data that serves as findings of the research and provides a platform for the results to be verifiable. Scientific researchers are under pressure to make their data openly available to other researchers for use. Access to scientific data and its curation has become a dominant theme in scientific policy discussions. Besides the funder requirements, researchers are making their data openly available for a number of reasons that include, raising the profiles of their research outputs, to increase their citations, to validate their research outputs and for their authenticity and integrity as researchers. However, not all researchers possess the skills to curate their own data and make it openly available for use in an open environment that is FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable). The primary objective of this paper is to raise awareness of the strategic role of data scientists in the scientific research process. The study seeks to contribute towards a growing and emergent discourse of data science in HEIs. It also seeks to contribute towards an educational model for data scientists in HEIs in South Africa. In-order to realise these objectives the paper asks the following research questions:How are the emergent roles of data scientists conceptualised in HEIs in South Africa?What is the strategic role of a data scientist in the scientific research process?.This study analysed data science programs offered by universities in South Africa to understand how the role of data scientists is conceptualised and to delineate the scope of this emergent field. A qualitative content analysis survey method is used to analyse courses offered by HEIs in South Africa. Preliminary findings from the research revealed that data scientists are drawn from fields like mathematics, statistics, information science, and computer science. The practical jobs of data scientists as conceptualised by the majority of universities employs theories drawn from the information science, computer science and statistics. The data scientists are expected to work closely with the researchers where the research is done. Most universities are offering data science programs at post-graduate level as professional courses for learners coming in from diverse backgrounds. The study recommends that the next generation of data scientists in a South African context should possess a cocktail of skills that enable them to conduct data analysis and enquiry to enable others to work with digital data. Presentation at the UCT E-Research Conference 2019: DataScience4D: Explore the practice, principles and opportunities of data science for development15 – 18 April 2019 held at the University of Cape Town

Michael Morris. Every Step of the Way: The Journey to Freedom in South Africa. Cape Town: Ministry of Education and Human Sciences Research Council, 2004. x + 333 pps. Figures. Illustrations. Bibliography. Index. $19.95. Paper. - Volume 49 Issue 3

The biennial Congress on Nitrogen Fixation aims to cover the whole range of biological N2 fixation research, from chemistry of the nitrogenase enzyme to the functioning of whole organisms and symbiotic systems. This year’s meeting brought together over 200 delegates from around the world. Over the last 10 yr the number of attendees has fallen, possibly owing to a growing number of specialist meetings, as well as regional conferences, that are more affordable for many people, especially students; however the smaller group at the 16th International Congress on Nitrogen Fixation (ICNF) allowed for more cross-disciplinary discussion and exchange of ideas than has often been the case. This report highlights just some of the talks and posters on legumes and their nitrogen-fixing symbionts. The latter include contributions on the important topics of model legumes and inoculant technology. ‘…after more than a century of research, we still have little idea of how rhizobia grow and metabolise in soil in the absence of their hosts.’ Many new nodulating bacteria have been described over the last 10 yr, most notably from the β as well as the α subgroups of the Proteobacteria (Sprent, 2009). Before this meeting, nine genomes of the classical α-rhizobia had been sequenced, and at the meeting two β-rhizobia, Cupriavidus taiwanensis (C. Boivin-Masson, INRA-CNRA, France) and Burkholderia tuberum (A. Hirsch, UCLA, CA, USA) were added. In addition, a new genus of nodulating α-rhizobia, yet to be named, in the family Methylobacterieaceae and nodulating Lotononis angolensis (and possibly also species from unrelated genera, such as Lupinus, Phaseolus and Indigofera) was described by J. Ardley, Murdoch University, Australia. The factors controlling use of different symbionts by legume hosts are complex. J. Ardley, M. Gerding, Murdoch University, Australia and F. Phallane, Plant Protection Research Institute, Pretoria, South Africa explored the host genotype, highlighting how some interactions are highly specific, while other are not. Another factor discussed was soil conditions and how low pH (J. Howieson, Murdoch University, Australia; P. Gyaneshwar, University of Wisconsin, USA; Garau et al., 2009) and low soil fertility (Garau et al., 2009), including N (Elliott et al., 2009) tend to favour nodulation by β-rhizobia. Despite our understanding of these factors, after more than a century of research, we still have little idea of how rhizobia grow and metabolise in soil in the absence of their hosts. It is now clear that β-rhizobia can nodulate a wide variety of legumes, from all three subfamilies (Sprent, 2009) and with both root hair (Mimosa spp. Cyclopia spp.; Elliott et al., 2007a,b) and nonhair infections (almost certainly true of Lotononis, inferred from nodule structure, which is similar to that of lupin; J. Ardley; Fig. 1). Comparison of the newly sequenced β-rhizobia with other sequences from both nodulating and related nonnodulating bacteria will help greatly in understanding the processes of infection and the constraints on nodulation in some harsh environments. The methods by which the host plant keeps its symbionts under control featured in a number of presentations. W. Broughton (LBMPS, University of Geneva, Switzerland) discussed how symbionts have adapted pathogenic strategies in terms of rhizobial secretion systems and P. Mergaert (CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France) suggested that nodules in which the nitrogen-fixing bacteroids are terminally differentiated (i.e. have lost the ability to reproduce, as in peas, clovers and relatives) allow the plant to have greater control than in those where the bacteroids are not so differentiated (for example in soybeans, Vigna spp.). R. Oona & R. Denison (University of Minnesota, USA) put another slant on this by suggesting that the terminally differentiated bacteroids, which are also enlarged, fix more nitrogen per unit of bacterial mass than those that are not enlarged. All of this begs the question as to why legume nodules with bacteroids not terminally differentiated are so successful. Another way of separating symbiotic and pathogenic strategies was suggested by R. Guerts (University of Wageningen, The Netherlands) who noted that gene duplication about 60 Ma allowed legumes to separate these two processes. Nodules on Lotononis bainesii, which form a collar around the subtending root. Photo courtesy of Ron Yates (Murdoch University, Australia). Harsh environments were discussed by J. Sprent (University of Dundee at SCRI, Scotland), who pointed out that nodulated legumes are now thought to have evolved in seasonally dry environments (Schrire et al., 2005) from where they spread (and are still spreading) into arid areas; therefore, it is not surprising that there are many legumes that are capable of growing and nodulating in conditions not normally regarded as favourable by agronomists. Some of these are now being targeted for use in the expanding areas of dry land, such as the wheat belts of Australia. J. Howieson (Murdoch University, Australia) explained how this is leading to a major change in the approach to use of nodulated legumes in Australian agriculture, from one based largely on annual species such as subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum) to one where the advantages of perennial growth (in particular woody rootstocks that can resprout after adverse conditions (Fig. 2), and can remain green in the dry season are exploited. Coincidentally, this search for new pasture species has highlighted the value of nodule morphology and/or endophyte composition as tools in legume taxonomy. Two examples were given in this meeting. First, the genus Lebeckia, in which F. Phallane (Plant Protection Research Institute, Pretoria, South Africa) found that trifoliate species nodulated with various α-rhizobia (Bradyrhizobium, Mesorhizobium, Sinorhizobium), but species with needle-like leaves nodulated with rhizobia related to Burkholderia. During the course of the 16th ICNF a paper by Boatwright et al. (2009) was published in which the old genus Calobota was restored for species with trifoliate leaves with Lebeckia being retained for those with needle-like leaves. Second, J. Ardley (Murdoch University, Australia) pointed out that Lotononis species from section Listia have collar nodules like those of lupin (Fig. 1), whereas other members of the genus have indeterminate nodules; they also nodulate with different bacteria. Legume nodule morphology is a generic character in all other cases known. The taxonomy of genus Lotononis is in urgent need of revision and is likely to be separated into two or more genera, one of which will be section Listia, thus removing this apparent anomaly (B.-E. van Wyk, pers. comm.). Woody root on a species of Lebeckia ambigua. Photo courtesy of John Howieson (Murdoch University, Australia). The previous meeting in Cape Town, in 2007 aimed to highlight the possibilities for nitrogen fixation to alleviate poverty. The 16th ICNF had many contributions that described a series of legumes with great potential for improvement for food, forage and other uses. Forage legumes being developed for Australia have already been mentioned, and J. Howieson (Murdoch University, Australia) gave a clear account of the many aspects of taking a native plant and developing it into an agriculturally usable (and marketable) product (see also Howieson et al., 2008). F. Dakora (Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, S. Africa) and his colleagues in several contributions, championed the cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) as a multipurpose crop, pointing out the need for better plant and rhizobial germplasm and the interesting possibility that the crop could be developed as a source of micronutrients for humans. Traditional crops such as gum arabic, an important food additive, obtained from largely wild provenances of Acacia senegal are now being developed, using molecular markers, to give larger and more reliable yields and hence better incomes for poor farmers in very dry areas of subSaharan Africa (D. Odee, Kenyan Forestry Research Institute). Legume teas (rooibos, Aspalathus linearis and honeybush, Cyclopia spp.), being caffeine-free are widely sought. F. Dakora also noted they also grow on poor soils, with very low nutrient content and are being further developed in S. Africa. One of the nutrients that frequently limits nitrogen fixation in legumes is phosphorus (P). J.-J. Drevon (INRA-Supagro, France). showed that in dry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), a staple food in large parts of South America and Africa, there are possibilities for using germplasm with improved phosphorus P use efficiency and P. Maistry, University of Cape Town, South Africa, showed that legume species differ greatly in this respect, some being very efficient at using P. In addition to the direct benefits from nitrogen fixation, legumes have long been known to have a longer-term effect on soils, via such means as reduction of pathogen load. Highly relevant to modern worries about greenhouse gases, B. Boddey (EMBRAPA Agrobiology, Brazil) showed that legumes can have a very positive effect, not only by reducing emission of nitrous oxide from excess fertilizer nitrogen, but also by sequestering carbon in soils. The overall benefit of nitrogen fixation by legumes was quantified by M. Peoples (CSIRO, Canberra, Australia), who, as in many other talks, stressed the importance of good root systems. M. Peoples also participated in a discussion workshop on the applied aspects of nitrogen fixation and in particular how to measure it at the field scale. This workshop was greatly appreciated by younger researchers from developing countries. For research on nitrogen fixation by legumes to fulfil the important aims of feeding people in developing countries and using land sustainably, a spectrum of expertise from the molecular to field studies is necessary. Such a cross-disciplinary approach emerged from this conference and it is anticipated that the next meeting, to be held in Western Australia in 2011 will capitalize on this. The author would like to thank Stephen Boatwright (Botanic Gardens, Kirstenbosch, Cape Town, South Africa) for sending her an advance copy of his paper on Lebeckia taxonomy, Ron Yates and John Howieson (Murdoch University, Australia) for the figures and the Royal Society of Edinburgh for financial assistance. The author would also like to apologize to all those who gave fascinating accounts of their work at the meeting, but for which there is no space here to discuss.

Ask any Cape Town Muslim “what is Islam?”, and the first words that will come out of their mouths will be, “Islam is a way of life”. Among Muslim sexual minorities, the answer is resoundingly the same. Stating that Islam is a way of life indicates there are prescribed rules and codes of conduct that one must follow in order to be a Muslim. As such, the experience of these prescriptions and expectations are culture specific and context-dependent. The purpose of this dissertation is to explore the ways in which Muslim sexual minorities living in Cape Town, South Africa experience Islam as a way of life. The dissertation begins with an Introduction (Chapter 1) to the queer Muslim dilemma and how various fields in the anthropology of Islam, queer anthropology, and psychological anthropology inform the framework of subjectivity, which is evoked throughout the dissertation to understand trauma, adaptation, and resilience within this community. After reviewing the Research Methods (Chapter 2) the following chapter titled Die Mensa (Chapter 3) give a historical background on the arrival of Islam in theCape and how it has shaped to sociocultural and political landscape in South Africa overtime, including the racial and political creation of the Coloured classification. The chapter frames the state of queer politics and provides a brief overview of the queer Coloured community in Cape Town. Each section indicates an intersection – Coloured, Muslim, queer – and using demographic data situates the participants of this study squarely into the fabric of Cape Town. The following chapter, Koe’sista Mentality (Chapter 4) dives deeper into some of the nuances and challenges created by a postcolonial identity, specifically, the Coloured identity. This chapter elaborates on an emic concept, called koe’sista mentality which is a device resulting from intergenerational repression. Koe’sista mentality is a vehicle of oppression within the minority Coloured community itself. This chapter elaborates on how this mentality is perpetuated among moffie (effeminate men) and in the practice of being “straight acting”. This chapter further explores how tabloid journalism, which increased in popularity among the Coloured community post-Apartheid, perpetuated koe’sista mentality across the Cape. The impact of koe’sista mentality is further discussed in the next chapter, titled If Only They Knew (Chapter 5). This chapter outlines traumas faced by Muslim sexual minorities in Cape Town including physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. The chapter also focuses on different forms of adaptation where individuals are essentially hiding in plain sight. With the development of Moffietaal, a queer anti-language, effeminate men continue to indicate their sexual identity through gender performance but are also able to maintain lives that are otherwise ambiguous and undisclosed. This privilege does not exist for women. Furthermore, the high acceptance of duplicity among both men and women, and the collective concealing of one another’s’ sexual identities further shape the ethos of this community. This chapter ends with the concept of coming out and how it is viewed both among Muslim sexual minorities and their communities. This section elaborates on what participants indicate are the potential drawbacks of coming out, the consequences of it, and what motivates identity concealment. Then the chapter concludes with the challenges Muslim sexual minorities face with being in queer spaces, which are interracial and interreligious as well. The following chapter titled Bringing Yourself Towards Yourself (Chapter 6) focuses on the ways in which participants have learned to adapt to being Muslim and sexual minorities. Beginning with the burden of dealing with trauma daily and emotionally, which has compounding effect. The need to adapt gives way to coping behavior, such as alcohol and substance use, or may present as a mental illness. However, this chapter also elaborates on efforts participants have taken in reestablishing relationships through forgiveness, creating safe spaces in areas they live in, and educating others about sexual diversity. The conclusion leads with a review of each chapter and how the data presented answer the research questions established in the introduction.

Since the demise of apartheid, South African literature can boast an increasing number of publications of crime fiction including thrillers that have also entered the international book market successfully. A majority of these novels is set in the major cities of South Africa such as Johannesburg, Durban or Cape Town. Durban and Cape Town are popular tourist destinations for South Africans and foreigners, and Cape Town is internationally renowned for its beautiful landscape. In crime fiction, however, these cities, in particular Cape Town, take on a completely different image. In this article I will examine how Cape Town is used as a locale in the novels by Deon Meyer, Mike Nicol and Roger Smith. I will also examine the theoretical concept of urbanity and will position Cape Town within this theoretical framework.