Last Post about Africa...for now...Johannesburg!

View of Johannesburg from the Apartheid Museum

On our way home we had an eight hour layover in Johannesburg. I could not fathom sitting around the airport for that long…there’s only so much shopping (gasp) and eating (double gasp) I could do!

I did some research (of course) and decided a MUST SEE for me would be the Apartheid Museum…but I had to act fast!

Soccer City - one of the locations for the 2010 World Cup

Our flight was to land at 2pm. The museum was only open until 5pm. Between getting through immigration and finding the train to take me into town, there was no time to lose!

Of course things never turn up as they are planned. Before I knew it, it was 3:30pm. I found the (Gau)train and the next one didn’t leave for Sandton for another half an hour! Not acceptable.

 

So long story short – I found myself getting into a car with a guy named Thabiso. He seemed like a nice enough guy…right? I see my “actuary” friends shaking their heads at me. Come on now, I was careful. I am always careful of the strangers I meet!

So Thabiso is driving me to the museum. We start chatting. I get him to tell me a little about himself. He is a South African through and through, born and bred in Soweto…The same Soweto that Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu called home?! Well that did it – Thabiso was now taking me to the museum, waiting for me then taking me on a visit to Soweto!

The Apartheid Museum was heavy. I’m not sure why I thought I could go to the museum then hang out in Mandela Square, shop and eat…The museum provided a lot of written and visual information – mini videos and lots of photos. It was a lot to absorb, but I’m glad I took the time. I would definitely recommend the museum to anyone who happens to find themself in Johannesburg.

After a whirlwind lesson in Apartheid – I jumped back into the car with Thabiso and we were off to Soweto. I’m not sure I had in my mind what it looked like, but the first thing I noticed was “family.” There were children all over the street, not because they were wandering around aimlessly, poor without shoes or whatever you see on tv. No. The kids were playing happily with their friends with no worry of strangers scooping them up – there was a strong sense of community, everyone looking out for each other.

Thabiso took me to see the Hector Pieterson museum…He was the first young child to be killed by police who exchanged gunfire with students during the student uprisings in Soweto It was June 16, 1976. Hector was only 13 years old. Today June 16 is National Youth Day in South Africa; a day to honour young people.

We then went down Vilakazi street til we reached the cross street Orlando. At 8115 Orland St West stands Nelson Mandela’s home. It is now a museum. Since I was after 5pm and it was closed, I didn’t get to go in, but I did get to see what the street and neighbourhood were like. There were lots of touristy little shops set up and down Vilakazi St but there were lots of locals out and about. In fact Thabiso’s Dad is one of the local shopkeepers!

Just down the street from the Mandela House, at the corner of Bacela St is Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s House. The family moved in in 1975. He does not currently live here but it is inhabited by members of his family. This makes Vilakazi street the only one in the world that was inhabited by two Nobel Laureates!

On our way back to the airport, Thabiso drove me through a bit of Jo’burg so I could see what it was like. Maybe it was the combination of the growing darkness and the unfamiliar and desolate areas, but it did seem a little scary. Actually, Thabiso rolled up my window because he said it wasn’t as safe in Jo’burg as it was in Soweto.

So there it is – short and sweet, four hours in Johannesburg. There’s still so much more to see and do – just another reason to return to South Africa!