Striking photographs spark burning questions about the state of our nation

'Umzi Watsha - the politics of (im)patience' draws on themes of resistance, defiance, memory, legacy, survival, exclusion and migration.

The exhibition asks difficult questions. Which side of history will you find yourself on? Faced with so much, what is our generational mission? Would you have taken heed or abandoned your generation's call?

These are the questions viewers are compelled to ask themselves through the chilling images that reflect the black lived experience in contemporary South Africa.

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A Makwande Photography exhibition, Umzi Watsha presents a collection of photographs that mirror myriad issues informing the South African black experience, compelling debate and meaningful conversation in this context.

The images represent many of the issues facing black South Africans, including access to opportunity, the politics of the stomach, symbolism, division and the jarring contradiction of protecting the very state formations we are constantly challenging. It is a reflection of the state of affairs in the country and how we navigate and negotiate space, opportunity and dignity.

The photographer is Ayabonga Cawe and he presents imagery captured, some intentional and some unwittingly, that is an honest reflection of everyday life in South Africa. 

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• The exhibition is on at the Orbit Jazz Club, Braamfontein, Johannesburg.

• This article was originally published in the Times.