![]() Towards the end of 1975, I was released but banned from taking photos for five years. All I could think about was how much I wanted to be that bird. A bird would come and sit on the windowsill. Fortunately I was not beaten, because they knew my newspaper was looking out for me. The only person you saw was the guard, who would say: “Don’t talk to me.” But I knew there were people in worse shape than I: Namibians in cells downstairs were beaten every day, every night. You weren’t told you’re going to solitary in apartheid South Africa: you only found out when you reached your cell. In 1974, they arrested me and I was put in solitary confinement for 586 days. They fractured my nose once because I refused to expose my film and ruin my images. I was arrested many times and the police would beat the hell out of me. I have no leads, but I would love to say: “Thank you very much, for not interfering with me when I took this.” Ever since, I have been trying to find the woman and child. It was published worldwide: for a lot of countries, apartheid was the news of the day. I processed it, then showed it to the editor and he said it was wonderful. I took about five shots and went straight back to the office. I apologise afterwards, if someone feels insulted, but I want the picture. I have worked amid massacres, with hundreds of people being killed around me, and you can’t ask for permission. I never ask permission when taking photos. ![]() I did not interact with the woman or the child, though. But I didn’t have a long lens, just my 35mm, so I had to get close. When I saw Europeans only, I knew I would have to approach with caution. These labels – “Europeans only”, “Coloureds only” – were on everything, by order of the government. The woman worked for her parents, most likely a rich local family. I took this in 1956, while driving through a wealthy suburb in Johannesburg. ![]()
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