Johannesburg

26 JANUARY 2024

I found Johannesburg to be a vibrant and fascinating city with neighbourhoods which varied in character.  I stayed with a friend in the affluent suburb of Bryanston and heard first hand how she and her community are committed to the developments in South Africa – riding the changes with a commitment to stay and be part of what emerges.

During my stay, I travelled around the area which included visiting the compound of Constitution Hill and The Cradle of Mankind.

Constitution Hill is a living museum that tells the story of South Africa’s journey to democracy. The site is a former prison and military fort that bears testament to South Africa’s turbulent past and today is home to the country’s Constitutional Court, which endorses the rights of all citizens.

Held within the walls of the Old Fort, the Women’s Jail and Number-Four, were people such s Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, Joe Slovo, Albertina Sisulu, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and Fatimer Meer. This was along side tens of thousands of ordinary people during its 100 year history. It was incredibly moving to be inside buildings which had seen such injustice and also justice, oppression and liberation. The compound certainly preserves the sites of atrocity for prosperity, and recreates them so that they can serve the purpose of the present and mould the future.

Cradle of Humankind is a world heritage centre which helped me to understand the evolutionary story of man based on the archaeological discoveries made to date. Around 40% of the world’s human ancestor fossils have been uncovered in this region.

Soweto

After staying in the gated grounds of an extensive property in Brayston it was liberating to be able to stay in the Lebo Malepo’s backpackers in Soweto amongst the homesteads of this township. Here I felt more connected to life in the area and more relaxed generally. It is perfectly safe to walk around Soweto during the day however in order to learn more I chose to take a cycling tour around the streets. It felt very strange to be a part of a group of white tourists riding through the streets following a local guide. Nevertheless, we gained valuable insights into its history and current issues through interactions with local entrepreneurs, residents and tourist officers. We stopped on route at the Hector Pieterson’s Museum which marks the events of June 1976 when students peacefully protested against the introduction of Afrikaans as the language of instruction in their schools. Police opened fired and the young boy, Hector, was shot dead. Close to each other were Nelson Mandela’s and Desmond Tuto’s family homes, the former of which we were able to visit inside.