“I Was Scared To Go to the Toilet”: Afrikaner Gives Glimpse of Growing Up in Batho Township

• A content creator from the Free State shared an eye-opening video tour of the township in Bloemfontein where he grew up from ages 9 to 19
• In the clip, he reveals how his family of eight initially lived in just three backrooms with an outside toilet before his parents were able to build another house on the property
• The man also shared fascinating details about the area, including how one street was nicknamed "the curtains" because authorities tried to hide poverty when a Dutch prince visited

A Cape Town-based Afrikaner man known for his drag queen content on TikTok has shared what life was like growing up in a township in Bloemfontein. Content creator @rachelthebearsa posted a video at the end of April with the caption:

"A little tour through my hood. You can call me the Shebeen Queen, I guess?!"

In the clip, he takes viewers through the Batho location in Bloemfontein, where he spent his childhood.

"A lot of times when I tell people that I grew up in the Township they think I'm exaggerating," he says at the start of his tour. "I spent this week at my parents' home where I grew up and I thought I could show you guys around a little bit."

The man explained that from age 9 to 19, he lived in Batho with his mum, stepdad, and five siblings. They lived in the back room, which had three rooms and an outside toilet. The drag queen stated:

"My brother laughs as he knows that I was always scared to go to the toilet at night."

He goes on to show how his parents eventually managed to build another house on the same property where the family lived for the rest of their time there. The TikToker pointed out improvements made over the years, including the addition of a gate and better roads built by the municipality about five years ago.

Watch the TikTok clip below:

Rich township history

During his tour, the content creator shares interesting historical snippets about the area, including that his street was nicknamed "Karatene" or "the curtains" – a reference to how authorities tried to hide poverty in the area when a Dutch prince visited the area.

Batho, which celebrated its centennial in 2018, is Bloemfontein's oldest existing historically black township. It was established in 1918 by the Municipality of Bloemfontein after it decided to demolish the old Waaihoek location. During the 1920s and 1930s, Batho became known nationally as a "model location" due to the municipality's unique housing scheme called the Bloemfontein system.

The video also reveals how he grew up opposite St Patrick's Anglican Church and near a sports field that now has artificial turf, though he notes that a lot of the maintenance hasn't carried through the entire neighbourhood.

He ends by sharing that the house belongs to his stepdad's family, revealing:

"This is my stepdad's ancestral home, and his parents and the rooms at the back, that's where he grew up."

His stepdad, who was once a legendary goalkeeper for Bloemfontein Celtic in the 1970s, nicknamed "the Puma," learned to play football at the nearby Johnson Bendile stadium.

Township memories strike a chord

The authentic glimpse into township life resonated with many South Africans in the comments:

@Mandla Dlamini appreciated the realness:

"This is why I love TikTok. Unique, real, everyday stories."

@NoRepublic🇿🇦 shared their surprise:

"I got a shock of my life coming back to my hometown to see that there's a family of white people staying at an RDP house e Loxion..."

@xndahiveeee related to a common township experience:

"Building another house on the property is such a hood story😭"

@Baby Nolo🌊 had an unexpected connection:

"Me about to call this man's bluff, and boom! I see my mom's family's house NEXT DOOR. I always just thought the neighbours were coloured/lightskinned."

@Tshanduko Ligege expressed appreciation:

"This kind of content is interesting. I love it❤️"

Other South Africans crossing cultural lines

• Briefly News recently reported on an Afrikaner farmer who recorded himself at Port Elizabeth airport preparing to return to America for his fifth year on an H-2A agricultural visa.
• A white woman caught TikTok users' attention when she was filmed enthusiastically dancing and singing along to a Northern Sesotho hit song by Kharishma.
• Social media users were stunned after seeing footage of Afrikaner farmers doing manual labour on American farms.

Source: Briefly News