Sawubona, South Africa!

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Today was our first real day in South Africa. We spent the day in Johannesburg, a large, lively city full of contradictions. Smoggy clouds coated the city in a haze, blocking the persistent sun. The seven of us piled into our white van to begin our exploration and were slightly unnerved when Zed, our program director, pulled out onto the right side of the road. Later in the day at our backpackers lodge, I mentioned that we all thought it was a little strange being on the opposite side of the road. Andy, a fellow traveler, quickly chimed in, “You mean you were driving on the correct side of the road.

We drove along the “golden highway” around Johannesburg towards Soweto. Along the way, we passed massive mine dumps, large piles of earth that had been left as the land around the city was combed for diamonds and gold. Some of these imposing masses were long untouched and over grown, a reminder of the region’s mining history.
Driving around Johannesburg, there were clear pockets of poverty – tiny overcrowded tin roofed shacks, people huddled around burning rubbish in a neglected lot. However, there were also tidy brick houses behind wrought iron gates and large industrial buildings for local companies as well as more familiar brands like Tuperware and FedEx.

Driving through the townships, Jocelyn pointed out a noticeable difference from the United States: despite apparent economic hardship, all the areas we visited were filled with people – older men bundled in winter jackets, children playing outside homes, and large groups of women dressed in neatly pressed “church uniforms” of white, green, or blue. I compared this vibrant scene to parts of downtown Durham, which are also economically depressed, yet largely boarded up, abandoned, and devoid of people.

Apart from touring the city, our goal for the day was to visit two significant sites in the Soweto Township: the Hector Pieterson Memorial and Mandela House. Hector Pieterrson was killed in the student uprisings in Soweto on June 16, 1976. In a monumental moment in the anti-apartheid movement, the black students of Soweto protested the mandated teaching in Afrikaans. Young students were shot by policemen in what many consider an unprovoked and unjust attack. In the period following June 16th, violence continued and Soweto was in lockdown. Hundreds of people, including many children, were killed during this time.

Hector Pieterson was the first student killed and became a symbol of the brutality of the apartheid system. As I went through the museum, my mind continually wandered back to the Mississippi Delta. Jessica and I had many similar experiences last summer working for the Delta Center for Culture and Learning, where we learned about the Civil Rights Movement and visited many important places in the movement. There are so many parallels between the movements in both countries.

Our next stop in Soweto was Mandela House, where Nelson Mandela lived with his first wife and later with his second wife Winnie. They had a modest brick house, which was recently restored and turned into a museum. Our friendly tour guide was a South African university student volunteering as a part of his degree in tourism. He shared stories about the Mandelas and explained the different artifacts in their house. Perhaps the most intriguing is a signed certificate from different officials in the state of Michigan who apologized to Mr. Mandela for any role the CIA may have played in his arrest that lead to his 27 year imprisonment on Robin Island. The CIA allegedly provided the South African government with important information that lead to his arrest. All the tour guides at Mandela House were sure to mention the fact that former President George H. W. Bush refused to sign this apology.

After Mandela House, we had a delicious lunch at a local restaurant called Wandies Place. We met the owner Wandie, as well as other staff members who were very welcoming and offered us a buffet of fantastic food. There were many familiar dishes with local twists. We had chicken, beef, potatoes, a fermented millet dish, pumpkin, a local type of sweet potatoes, pop (essentially grits) with tomato sauce or chili, liver, trite (chitlins/intestines), a special local sausage, and other dishes. During the meal, we chatted with Zed and watched a political rally for the African National Congress (ANC). This is the political party in power led by current South African President Jacob Zuma. He was trying to energize voters before municipal elections next week.

Our brief time in Johannesburg ends early tomorrow morning when we fly to Cape Town. Overall, it has been a fantastic start to the trip. Our first week here is pretty structured, allowing us a chance to get acclimated before starting our internships. We have a chance to visit local attractions and landmarks, learn about the history and culture, learn some Zulu, and importantly, learn how to get around and gain some street smarts in South Africa.


*Pictures and updates from our time in Cape Town are coming soon!

**For anyone who has been following this (aka my family), I apologize for not doing a better job chronicling my semester at UNC. Between overloading with classes, my job, and joining the water polo team, I did not have nearly as much free time as I thought. Overall, it was a great semester that challenged me socially, intellectually, and academically to step outside of my comfort zone and the type of things I usually do. At times it was difficult balancing life on both campuses, but I really enjoyed the opportunity to try something new.