‘Nothing’s Changed’ is about Apartheid.

Nothing’s Changed – Tatamkhulu Afrika: Context This is an autobiographical poem. Tatamkhulu Afrika lived in Cape Town's District 6, which was then a thriving mixed-race inner-city community. People of all colours and beliefs lived together peacefully, and Afrika said he felt 'at home' there.   In the 1960s, as part of its policy of apartheid the government declared District 6 a 'whites-only' area, and began to evacuate the population. Over a period of years, the entire area was razed to the ground. Most of it has never been built on.   Tatamkhulu Afrika was brought up in Cape Town, South Africa, as a white South African. When he was a teenager, he found out that he was actually Egyptian-born - the child of an Arab father and a Turkish mother. The South African government began to classify every citizen by colour - white, black and coloured. Afrika turned down the chance to be classed as white, and chose instead to become a Muslim and be classified as coloured.

He recognises District Six – his body tells him that he is there. No board says it is: but my feet know, and my hands, He recognises District Six – his body tells him that he is there.

name flaring like a flag, it squats in the grass and weeds, “squats” – ugly word, suggests the inn doesn’t belong there. “glass” creates a barrier – he can see how white people live but can’t enter. “haute cuisine” – serves posh food. Brash with glass, name flaring like a flag, it squats in the grass and weeds, incipient Port Jackson trees: new, up-market, haute cuisine, guard t the gatepost, whites only inn.

but we know where we belong. There is no official segregation now, but the feeling of inequality lives on. No sign says it is: but we know where we belong.

before I see them, there will be, crushed ice white glass, He is an outsider – he has to look inside. He knows that the restaurant will be luxurious. I press my nose to the clear panes, know, before I see them, there will be, crushed ice white glass, linen falls, the single rose.

The inn and the cafe are close to each other – just “down the road” The inn and the cafe are close to each other – just “down the road”. However, they are completely separate. Down the road, working man’s cafe sells bunny chows. Take it with you, eat it at a plastic table’s top, wipe your fingers on your jeans, spit a little on the floor: it’s in the bone. The cafe serves basic food and has plastic tables. This contrasts sharply with the white people’s inn in the previous stanza.

to shiver down the glass, Nothing’s changed. I back from the glass boy again, leaving small mean O of small mean mouth. Hands burn for a stone, a bomb, to shiver down the glass, Nothing’s changed. “Hands burn” – shows his anger. He wants to break the glass – he wants to remove the barrier between black and white. The poem ends negatively. Even when apartheid has ended, he does not see any change.