Zander recently had to write an essay about an experience from one of his parents’ childhoods. I told him the story about the first significant change in my life. I was five years old when our entire town had to move to a newly developing town.

Big news brought significant change

I was born in a small mining town called Sishen. My dad worked at the Iscor iron ore mine in the Kalahari. The community was small, everyone knew each other, and the red mine heaps were part of our background.

In the early 70s, everyone who worked at the mine received news that would change the entire town’s future. The Sishen houses and community centre were in a high iron ore-rich area, and people had to move. Iscor would develop a new mining town called Kathu in a beautiful camel-thorn forest. Kathu means “town under the trees”. The beautiful surroundings, together with new mine houses, made it attractive.

We moved to Kathu a year before I had to go to school. The town was still in an early stage of development. For our children, it was paradise. There were piles of red sand and trenches in which we could hide. After bath time, a layer of sand remained in the bath.

I went to grade 1 in 1976. The primary school was already inaugurated but still under construction. I remember how we practised athletics on the red sand roads with bare feet. The hot sand and the thorns of the camel thorn trees created additional challenges.

Iscor developed Kathu from scratch

We grew up in a developing town with many new things and places. Iscor has put a lot of effort into developing sports facilities. There is a beautiful Olympic standard swimming pool where we spent a lot of time after school and the lovely tennis courts between the camel thorn trees where we held tournaments during our holidays.

Kathu still boasts one of South Africa’s most beautiful golf courses. Part of it lies within the camel thorn forest on the edge of the desert and rates as one of the top 20 golf courses in the country. It has a spacious clubhouse with a beautiful restaurant, where you can watch the golden-orange sunset behind the trees while enjoying local quality meat.

The inauguration of each place was a big celebration. I can well remember when Kathu got its first big supermarket, Checkers. During opening week, we devoured bags full of Pick-a-Mix chocolate. A fashion show opened the first women’s boutique. There were also two other clothing stores, but most mothers had sewing skills and bought materials from Naald in ‘n Hooimied for unique creations.

Kathu today

Kathu has developed and changed a lot and no longer feels like the town I grew up. After I left Kathu, Anglo American Group bought over the Sishen mine and implemented transformation projects driven by the change in South Africa. The iron ore mine in Kathu is one of the largest in the world and a significant provider of work. Many people flocked to Kathu and the town bursts at the seams. In the meantime, a few shopping centres appeared with chain stores and known franchises.

I was impressed to see the Kathu Solar Park from the air. Kathu Solar Park started on 30 January 2019 to deliver renewable energy to South Africa’s national grid through Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) technology. They form part of the government’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers procurement program that delivers jobs, socio-economic benefits, and clean power.

I often go back to my roots

My parents, Christo and Lenie Carstens started their life together 56 years ago in Sishen and my mom still lives in the house in which we grew up.

I like to visit her in Kathu and my brother-in-law and sister, Andre and Ansa van Zyl on their farm in the area. Feeling the red Kalahari sand between my toes and seeing the sunset behind the camel-thorn trees gives me great joy.

During my visits, I have the opportunity to see old school friends and recall wonderful memories of happy childhood among camel thorn trees, red sand and iron ore mine heaps.

Kind regards

Emsia