In 1958, my grandfather, Hippolytus Mothopeng, fled South Africa to escape racist Apartheid law. He went to Botswana, a far more peaceful country under British protection that eventually achieved independence in 1966. He worked as a town clerk in Francistown and Gaborone and as a hobbyist jazz musician.

In contrast, my grandfather’s uncle, Zephaniah Mothopeng, a teacher by profession, became an activist and joined the Pan-African Congress of Azania (PAC), eventually becoming the president of this political party. As a prominent leader of the struggle against Apartheid, my great-uncle Zephania Mothopeng served two separate jail sentences on Robben Island, the latter in 1979 for threatening to overthrow the government, for which he was sentenced to 15 years.

The title of the project, We Didn’t Choose to be Born Here, is a phrase explored in the minds of different family members during crises, separation, and ennui. In my photobook, I also write about my own experiences with activism during the #FeesMustFall protests that took place at the University of Cape Town in 2016, fighting for free, decolonized education across all South African universities. In my work, I outline my childhood in Gaborone, which led to me being a politically docile individual in the midst of mass student uprising despite the legacy of revolutionary politics in my family.

Using both visual and written material, the work addresses the psychological effects that migration and conflict had on different members of my family, such as identity crises, depression and trauma. The book contains constructed portraits of my family based on memories and feelings with documentary images and re-enactments retracing the steps of my ancestors. Additionally, the book utilises archival material such as newspaper articles, documentary screenshots and family photos.