We arrive at the Steve Biko Garden of Remembrance to inter again the remains of Mzala's mother. The concrete tables and chairs have never been moved from their positions. Their makers have moved away and have never looked back, yet these tables and chairs remain stuck to the marriage. Are they standing here and waiting for us to come and take our places, cold yet full of hope and longing for our company, just like the stool in Mzala's yard?

The flowers and the lawn at this garden of death and remembrance struggle on.

The wall and the inscription and the lavatory-turned-change room shine and reflect the looks of their youth.

The face of the mountain that echoed the crack of gunfire from the erstwhile shooting range stands radiant and attractive, yet the railway line on the steeped land wears the look of a widower. There are no more trains. There are no longer any curious onlookers holding binoculars.

The filth on the ground has been replaced by newly acquired waste. Just like the past throwers of filth, the present throwers hate the bins with the same measure.

The Edward Street military monument has not had fresh eyes laid on it either.

The small old houses of the township have seen alterations and extensions. No one can remember how they stood earlier.

The new shapes are an entertainment for the outside eye and not an improvement of habitation. They have been taken over by the great grandchildren of the original owners, the loud music lovers, the tyre skidders, the fast car drivers who care little about funeral processions and prayer meetings.

To this day, the remains of those who were on the SS Mendi have never been repatriated. My great grandfather's remains lie in an unknown grave in foreign lands, whereas President after President dishes out prestigious awards in the name of the SS Mendi.

The raids on homes are now undertaken by television and telephones, movies and playstations. It is called a window to the world – what world?

Conferences and home-made parliaments have closed, because greed and lies have taken over peoples’ spaces.