Oh, where do I start? I'm not wishing to turn this entire blog into an essay on South African politics, but its impossible to see the present without reference to the past - unless you are wilfully blind. And I'm not.
And so it was we spent most of today at the absolutely superb Apartheid Museum, opened in 2001 on the south side of the city. The advice on entry is that if you read all the signs on black backgrounds you should allow about an hour and half. Include the ones with grey backgrounds and you should expect to spend about three hours. Which sounds a lot. We were in there for four - and could have stayed longer.
And I can only say that my level of indignation at the cruelty and inhumanity of apartheid has only increased. I found myself with tears in my eyes several times interspersed with periods of anger and disbelief. And I thought I knew most of this stuff. Can you believe that each stone in this wall represents a life lost to the apartheid government? You can barely see the end of it.
I can't hope to summarise all that is in there, to your relief I am sure, so I will restrict myself to the highlights. Firstly it is a first class exhibition of the history of the whole country from its origins as a homeland of the San people through the establishment of the first unified state, a consequence of colonialism by Britain and the Dutch, to the Afrikaans racist state it became in the 1940s, and finally the often violent birth of a new democratic nation in which all people's rights are protected. One message of hope is that the new South African constitution is often held up as the most inclusive in the world. Something we in the UK could learn something from.
Photography is banned inside the main museum space so the next couple of pictures are stolen from the web.
There are special exhibitions, on this occasion one dedicated to Madiba himself - Nelson Mandela, from his origins, to freedom fighter to statesman and "father" of the country. That alone would have been worth the visit but the meticulous detail in which it recounted the path into and out of apartheid was the highlight of a truly world class institution. So here are my reactions to just some of it, sometimes trying to relate it to present day issues:
The creation of the early state after the Anglo-Boer wars in the early 20th century was brought about because the British Empire sought to retain power and resources through suppression of rights and cruelty. To anyone who thinks the British Empire was simply a power for good in the world, I suggest you go and see this. It wasn't, it was a shameless attempt to make some people rich (or richer) at the expense of others. Right wing politicians world wide continue to do this, with support from big business as they recognise their mutual interests lie in marginalising and suppressing the rights of others, and reducing their economic opportunities.
And I couldn't help but notice that the language of apartheid is reflected in populists of the present day: Exclude those who are different, blame them for societies ills. Have we learnt so little?
The National party held onto power through many means - not least by violence but it also provided preferential employment and treatment for those loyal to it. This could be written about the the most recent government of the UK led by that charlatan Johnson. And probably quite a few other governments worldwide. Have we learnt so little?
In 1960 when all else was failing the South African government fell back on a rigid, doctrinaire, uncompromisingly ideological version of apartheid which led to the Sharpeville massacre in which 69 people were murdered. The aim was to suppress all black opposition. But in doing so it sowed the seeds of its own eventual destruction. It was unsustainable. You can only push people so far. And the video clips of those white men in power at the time justifying and promoting their odious regime were sickening. But it is better to see them than to ignore it.
From all this a democratic South Africa has emerged. But not without difficulties and at times violence. A surprising fact to me is that between the unbanning of political parties and the release of Mandela in 1990 and elections in 1994, while negotiations took place, 14000 South Africans died in violent clashes . This was the time of the AWB, the extremist right led by Eugene Terreblanche, but he wasn't the only one - apparently some 80 right wing organisations grew up in that time. It was not an easy path and I wonder if without a person of the stature of Mandela it would worked out even as well as it has. As I said yesterday, it is a long way from perfect and it has a long way to go. But it's less than 30 years old. It still gives me hope.
Finally, the amazing Desmond Tutu and his Truth & Reconciliation Commission, which at every step aimed to avoid the need to punish and instead, understand and help heal the country's wounds. I'm not sure I could have so easily forgiven the sins of some of the racists who ran the place for decades and not only disregarded the rights of anyone non-white, but suppressed them with violence and in many cases death.
OK, that is enough of the politics from me ... for now! After that we needed coffee and cake in the lovely gardens and in the company of weaver birds.
Fab nests!
To give you a bit of light relief, I'll report on the somewhat more mundane trip last night to Sandton City to our appointment with a very large portion of cow! Andy and I, got easily talked into trying the biggest steaks we have ever seen! Steak for one, anyone? 600g of rib-eye. But that included the bone, honest! I won't tell you the size of Andy's T-bone.
But overlooking Mandela Square with the lights twinkling and the youth practicing their TikTok video productions it was a fabulous evening.
And someone played the fool, Harry Worth style, while waiting for the shuttle back to our hotel.
So, to round off, back to today and on our way back to our hotel this afternoon we opted for the hop on - hop off bus as a way of at least getting a little closer to the downtown area. Here with an old gold mine in the foreground. At one point just after the initial 1886 gold rush, Johannesburg was producing 27% of the world's gold. Which is why it is the largest city in the world not built near water. Everywhere bigger is by coast, river or lake.
I do take some of the information provided on these buses with a pinch of salt but it did get close enough to the central business area to get a glimpse of the vibrant African city, trading in goods from all over, that I remember. Although I didn't get a very good picture!
We were also lucky to pass through Braamfontein, home of The University of the Witwatersrand, or Wits as it is universally called, where the streets were again thronging with bars, shops and people - but not white people.
The commentary glossed over the reason we didn't go into the very centre of Johannesburg and why the trains on the shunting yards have not moved for years - because all the copper wire has been stolen from the overhead lines. Like the CBD, that the government seems to have no strategy for reclaiming, they have been inert in clamping down on the market in stolen copper that would suppress the reason to steal it in the first place.
Then they might have trains that still run. As it is, only the Gautrain between the northern suburbs, Pretoria and the airport is functional. New, modern, fast and efficient - so it can be done. I have once taken the beautiful 24 hour train journey from Johannesburg to Cape Town across the Kalahari desert. But not now. Which is a bit sad. Maybe one day I will come back for that.
Bit cheesy but having seen it on the streets of Hillbrow, another Johannesburg suburb one is advised not to go alone, I will close today with a simple message:
Tomorrow we head for Gqeberha, or Port Elizabeth (PE) as was. We head for the bush and safari. I'll try and lighten up a bit.
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