The One City, Many Voices drama began with hymns and a stirring narration, as comrades named a grave in honour of a fallen struggle hero.

It was an opening steeped in memory and sacrifice, worthy of the standing ovation that it would later receive.

The new musical drama premiered in Alexandra on Saturday, and, at first, it felt like the story of a community proud of its heroes and mindful of their sacrifices. Yet, as it unfolded, it revealed the darker realities of a troubled township grappling with crime, betrayal, and grief.

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Assistant director Archie Matsetela explained that the drama sought to tell the story of many townships in Johannesburg. “We call it One City, Many Voices. We are telling the story from the eyes of Alexandra, Diepsloot, Soweto, and Jozi. In the streets of Alex, there is a lot of crime. People are taking the law into their own hands.”

This was depicted in the drama when the community, fed up with the criminal activities of a drug-addicted son of former struggle hero Kgomotso Ntuli, resorted to mob justice. Using brutal methods once employed against apartheid collaborators, they forced a rubber tire around his chest and set him alight. The scene painted a sobering picture of how a fed-up community turns to vigilantism when crimes are seemingly committed with impunity.

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The theme of addiction and crime resonates deeply in Alexandra, where substance abuse is rife among young people and many addicts are drawn into crime. The scrap yards along Old Pretoria Main Road, often used by addicts seeking quick cash, show how entrenched the problem is. Even in some high schools, young people have already been swept into the destructive culture of substance use and crime.

The drama served as a chilling warning that Matsetela later emphasised. “When children start using substances, and they get out of order, the community eventually takes matters into their own hands, and chaos erupts.”

@caxtonjoburgnorth WATCH: Snippet from One City, Many Voices, a musical drama that recently premiered in Alexandra, exploring grief and vengeance. #Alex #Music ♬ original sound – Caxton Joburg North

The production also highlighted that vigilantism is not a solution. Instead, it fuels animosity and chaos, silencing rational voices and undermining leadership.

In the end, when the lights dimmed and the actors stood in formation, the standing ovation showed the audience had received the message that while grief, betrayal, and crime may fracture communities, resorting to violence only deepens the wounds.

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