What a year! 2021 in photos

President Cyril Ramaphosa was one of the first recipients of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in February 2020. Photo: Jeffrey Abrahams

Masixole Feni photographed a child doing backflips on a mattress in “Covid” settlement, Cape Town. In March 2021, Feni captured daily life in this informal settlement during lockdown in 2020.

The University of Cape Town’s J.W. Jagger Library, housing precious records, literature and artwork, burnt down in April. Ashraf Hendricks photographed the gutted building the morning after it happened. He also shot this video.

In May the City of Cape Town demolished the shelters of about 20 homeless families who had camped at the Wynberg taxi rank. Louise Petersen slept outside in the rain with her baby. Photo: Tariro Washinyira

Baithuti Shasha struggles to get around Dunoon in his wheelchair because most of the roads are badly potholed and flooded with sewage. Photo: Peter Luhanga

Zukile Bangani washes initiates’ hands with soap and water at KwaMagxaki Initiation School in Gqeberha in June. Photo: Mkhuseli Sizani

Paul Josephs and his dog after heavy rains flooded the homes of Kraaifontein shack dwellers in July. Photo: Ashraf Hendricks

Members of the Amadiba Crisis Committee held a meeting in August at the site where a bridge for SANRAL’s N2 Toll Road on the Wild Coast is planned. Some argue it will bring economic opportunities while others worry it will destroy their way of life. Photo: Daniel Steyn

Girls as young as five and women in their 70s have to fetch water from a river in Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s hometown of Mbizana. This Eastern Cape town has never had tap water. Photo: Mkhuseli Sizani

Fishers in Port Nolloth head out to sea in thick fog. Ashraf Hendricks and Liezl Human told the story of this struggling community.

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