In affluent urban areas like Stellenbosch Central, seasonal flower plantings attract tourists, while poorer neighborhoods such as Kayamandi lack green spaces. This disparity underscores economic constraints that prioritize subsistence over ornamental trees. Researcher Emmanuel Oboh calls for greater sensitivity to the needs of underprivileged communities.
Emmanuel Oboh, a PhD student in philosophy at Stellenbosch University's Centre of Applied Ethics, observes a clear divide in urban landscapes. Affluent settlements feature trees that signal comfort and non-reliance on gardens for food, as illustrated by a line from the TV show Bob Hearts Abishola: “I will plant trees so that our neighbors will know that we do not rely on our gardens for food.” In contrast, disenfranchised communities on the edges of these areas show a conspicuous absence of such trees, with land instead used for edible fruit trees or vegetable gardens to meet immediate economic needs.
During the Situatedness Conference at Stellenbosch University, speaker Hanrie Viljoen presented “Who are the Flowers for?,” pointing out how service workers rest in open fields under the sun near Stellenbosch Central. There, municipalities spend hundreds of thousands of rands on festive-season flowers to draw tourists, a key income source. Yet Kayamandi residents have far less access to green spaces, though areas like Cloetesville and Idas Valley see slightly more tree planting. This uneven investment ignores the harsh conditions faced by many who depend on local jobs.
Oboh argues that while tourism beautification is not wrong, it lacks sensitivity toward workers' realities, including emotional and physical strain. He suggests providing rest areas for essential service workers and addressing basics like security, sanitation, and clean water in non-affluent areas. Echoing American activist Fannie Lou Hamer, Oboh states: “No one is free until everybody is free.” Such steps would foster a just community.