Bovine Head Cooks Initiate a Clean-up

Despite informal workers’ significant contributions to the socio-economic urban fabric they experience prejudice; in particular public perception is that their working environments aren’t cared for and not kept clean. However, on the 10th July 2019, Bovine Head Cook representatives initiated a clean-up campaign of the Bovine Head Market because of the pride in their work … Read more

Politicians and Informal Workers Connect

Rebecca Plumbley In concluding the series on the reiteration of infrastructure in Warwick, it is worth looking at broader structures that have allowed for and initiated reinvestment and renewed interest in infrastructure for informal workers. Over the past months blog posts have covered the progress of new infrastructure for recyclers, the reopening of the bead … Read more

Bovine Head Cooks Part 2: Urban and Ritual Metamorphosis

Rebecca Plumbley This blog post is the 2nd part of the story of the bovine head cooks; read part 1 here. The evolution of the bovine head cooks in Warwick Junction speaks to two interrelated transformations- a physical urban metamorphosis and the urbanisation of rituals and traditions. The bovine head cooks were originally located on … Read more

Bovine Head Cooks Part 1: History and Memory

Rebecca Plumbley Bovine head meat served with steamed bread is a popular meal in Warwick. Cooking involves the cleaving of meat off the skull bones which takes about 30 minutes. The meat is then boiled in a pot for an hour. In Warwick Junction the main consumers of bovine head meat are the porters and … Read more

Human Factors and Informal Work

Rebecca Plumbley In continuing the partnership between Rhodes University and Asiye eTafuleni, further anthropometric work is currently being conducted by a masters student in Warwick. AeT is encouraged that work is being done to understand some of the finer grained challenges faced by informal workers. Anthropometry refers to the proportions of the human body and … Read more

Warwick Junction’s Bovine Head Market featured in Open City Projects

Tasmi Quazi The final piece on the Markets of Warwick Junction written by Kristin Neudorf for Open City Projects features the Bovine Head Market. With her usual perceptive outlook, she writes: “Durban’s Bovine Head Market is a fascinating blend of old customs and modern urban design. As the name implies, the market’s entire existence revolves … Read more