The focus moves to the "Karretjiemense" (The Cart People). They are described as poor and weather-beaten. They are "die kinders van die pad" (the children of the road). However, their numbers are dwindling. They are becoming a rarity in a modernizing South Africa.
This term refers to the squatter camps near Karoo towns where many former cart people are forced to live, facing extreme poverty and the loss of their identity. Key Character Profiles die laaste karretjiegraf notes in english pdf verified