Presence: Living Together in Inner-City Johannesburg

Abstract

In inner city Johannesburg, in the context of high levels of transience, informality and insecurity, forms of cohabitation are frequently bargained through difficult compromise. In this paper, and based on five years of field research in the inner city, I propose three such modes of such compromise, namely: hospitality, reciprocity and intimacy. I describe each of these modes using specific examples from the field research. Hospitality describes forms of cohabitation in which groups share temporary safety and shelter, but have very weak bonds of support beyond this temporary expedience. I consider an informal homeless shelter in Hillbrow. Reciprocity describes forms of cohabitation that involve transactions other than monetary contracts. I describe here the relationships of cohabitation forged among women in a building in inner city Johannesburg. Intimacy refers to forms of cohabitation that involve the forging of contextual friendships, which do not extend beyond the context of hustle in the city.