Colored Hill

Colored Hill is the title of a novel authored by Verenia Keet, who grew up in a township for Coloreds on the Cape Flats during South Africa's apartheid years.

Colored Hill is a literal translation of 'Bonteheuwel', where the story is set and which was among the first Cape colored settlements of the late fifties. The story chronicles the township environment of the young Hunt family and the social impacts of new surroundings and activities shaped by South Africa's erstwhile racial classification system.

Set during the sixties through to the eighties, Colored Hill is simply written and provides a fleeting insight into the birth of a new culture, which leads the community's social and political influences from slumber to experiences of awareness. Through an orientation of words and deeds that graduate this young community's growing up, Colored Hill provides an element of memory lane reading that captures the spirit of township life amid the dissection of familial background.

Colored Hill concludes with a compilation of free verse titled French Letters, which converts South Africa's new challenger from that of apartheid to AIDS.

"Johnny," normally the eldest of the children decided the roles, "you and Gabby can be a mommy and daddy today, and you Poppie, you Cookie, and you Ricardo, can be their children." The children indicated gathered into little groups and the mommy and daddy set about looking for a place to set up house. Two or three other play-family units quickly formed in this way, and the school, too, was set up. "You, Farryl, can be the teacher," looking at all the children sternly, and wagging a pointing forefinger: "And you must all learn the lessons he teaches you, otherwise you will be punished." In this manner also, the play-parents' work environments were decided, and normally, those of the children who had fair complexions, would be the bosses. "Frank, you have white skin. You can be the boss of the factory." "Marcie, you also have white skin. You can be the office lady who answers the telephones." And thus, a neighbor's backyard was sometimes transformed into afternoon recreation time for the children. While play-play mommies cleaned imaginary houses, play-play teachers taught play-play children in imaginary schools and play-play daddies worked in imaginary factories with play-play White bosses. The delegation of roles associated with importance and prominence was almost always based on whose complexion was whitest, whose hair was blondest and straightest, and whose eyes were bluest or greenest.