South Africa: Day 4

Today was a day devoted to South African history: Johannesburg, Apartheid, the leadership of Nelson Mandela, defining events during the struggle and a side excursion to the South African Supreme Court. Our awesome guide for the day was Nosipho, a fantastic storyteller and a wealth of knowledge about anything and everything South Africa. In this space I will try to not repeat historical facts but rather the experiences we encountered and some observations that may pique your interest.

The day began with a brief discussion of Mandela Square, home to our hotel and a shopping and dining venue. A centerpiece of the square is (literally) a larger-than-life statue of Mandela, a great backdrop for the requisite selfie. Not unlike many places at home, the square is all decked out for Christmas in the middle of November!

Onto the minibus we went, to a Johannesburg site called Constitution Hill: former fort, former prison and current South Africa Supreme Court. Court was not in session but we were treated to a site history and a press box view of the court itself, where eleven justices preside. Much of the courtroom, gallery and the handwoven flag itself contain some kind of symbolic reference to South Africa, from the bricks taken from the old prison to the unique cowhide of the justices’ seating area. Fantastic art enhanced the entire building.

Next stop was the Apartheid museum where one suddenly becomes immersed in the topic: your ticket has randomly assigned you to a white or non- white entrance.

The museum experience began with a history of Johannesburg, followed by a Mandela exhibit. A section of the museum dedicated to Apartheid was next, beginning (and punctuated we all agreed) with a fantastic history lesson provided by our guide Nosipho with her only visual aid being a map of early South Africa. Hopefully you either know the story or through our daily blogs are intrigued to learn more! It is a great museum and, like many museums, cannot be thoroughly experienced in one day, let alone the two hours we were there. Nevertheless, we were moved.

Back on the minibus to the Soweto township, the largest township in the Johannesburg area. We stopped for lunch at a very touristy open-air restaurant where there was no lack of street performers and vendors. The main attraction here was Mandela’s home before he went to prison and where his family lived while he was incarcerated. After his release, he stayed only 11 days before moving.

Last stop for the day was a memorial to the 1976 Soweto uprising and the story of a young Hector Peiterson who was shot during the protest. The photographic images from that day resulted in global outrage towards Apartheid and became yet another turning point in the struggle in that it represented a new generation of protestor and eventually (albeit slowly) led to the demise of the practice.

One cannot help but draw parallels between South Africa’s history and our own history of racial injustice. This pilgrimage seeks to understand not only the what, the why and the how of Apartheid but also the evolution of what happened next. There is much to learn about the latter in the next few days. Tomorrow we continue our journey as we travel to Cape Town.

– Randy McGuire