The first transition to modernity took place when the sweet waters flowing from a series of springs beneath Table Mountain were recognized for their capacity to support life and sustain livelihoods. The small Camissa stream is thus symbolic of that transition to modernity. It is also a symbol of the many trials and tribulations that accompanied that transition—the displacement of first nation users, the disparity in society that arises when the privileged are given preferential access, and the subsequent abuse of a resource to the point of collapse—so it is fitting that it should also be the focus of our new democratic nation as we make the next transition into reflexive modernity. Camissa, thus has the capacity to link the past with the present so we can develop a different model for the future.

Source: Antony Turton, Chairman of the Reclaim Camissa Trust