Photo Album: Soweto
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After 66 days on this great Continent of Africa, in Southern Africa in particular, and the last four days navigating through Kruger National Park, it was time to head back to Johannesburg, preparing for my departure, the end of this trip.
Malelane Gate, at the Southwestern corner of Kruger National Park, is about 400Km from Johannesburg, and a further 30 Km to Soweto, where I had planned to stay for my last hurrah for this trip.
Why Soweto ( history ) ? Isn't it quite unsafe, with its notority as a ghetto, a place where a lot of the violent incidents took place during the Apartheid period? Once a hotbed of anti-apartheid movements, and Mandela's last long term residence before being captured and incarcerated for 27 long years, it simply is an interesting place, from the history point of view.
There are a few questions of similar nature that I wanted some answers, superficial it may be, due to the time available, but certainly interesting, nonetheless. But is it safe? Especially given the near-death experience on day one of this trip in Johannesburg downtown. I struggled with this for much of the trip, and talked to many travelers who had been there....the answer was quite definitely YES, if I do it with a local guide or in a tour group. I was introduced to a popular backpacker hostel by other intrepid international travelers, where I can stay as well as joining their guided tour on push bikes.
So I'd made my booking with Lebo Backpackers, with clear directions how to find them, and they assured me, that it is quite safe if I get straight to them.
The drive from Malelane Gate of Kruger National Park to Lebo, took about 6-1/2 hours....Lebo was a little tricky to find, but with some help from the locals, it wasn't too bad....and the locals seemed friendly as well.
I was definitely late for any tours, but, hey, I arrived.
My first impression was, the township is no longer a shanty town like it used to be, as seen on TV news etc., but is certainly not middle class, like those I'd stayed in Cape Town...certainly seem safe, though the test would be, to walk in there, as a stranger, alone in a quiet alley.
Lebo was in a party mode when I got there, it was the boss's birthday....and I couldn't locate him for a little while.
So it seemed, I missed the guided tour on bike. But they promised to get a guide to take me out for a tour in my car. So I joined in the fun a little whilst waiting for my guide to finish his drink.
And here is the birthday boy....the boss.
And here comes my guide, Jimmy, finishing his drink before we head out.
Our first stop was a local supermarket, to pickup some food for my final night. It is pretty much the same as any other supermarkets I've been throughout South Africa so far.
And Jimmy explained to me how the 1976 uprising started from the school nearby with a peaceful student protest against forced use of Afrikaner in teaching that turned into a violent suppression.
Next we drove pass the Dorothy Nyembe Park, named after one of the leading ANC activists, who was imprisoned a couple of times, who also established the ANC Woman's League. There seems to be plenty of rubbishes, unfortunately.
However, brick houses are now the norm in a once shanty town.
Vikakazi St. is the only street in the World which once housed two Nobel Laureates, Nelson Mandela and Bishop Desmond Tutu, and was the epic center of the major uprising in 1976 against apartheid. This signs describes the situation of the street during that period.
Various paraphernalia outside Mandela's House museum.
And Mandela's old residence before he was thrown into prison for 27 years and briefly after his release. It is only a facade, the original house is a humble brick cottage, however, I dare suggest that it is probably an above average house of that era.
And Desmond Tutu's old residence, who jointly received a Nobel Peace Prize with Nelson Mandela and the then South Africa President, F.W. DeKlerk who together negotiated an agreement to end apartheid and brought on the first non-racial democratic election in South Africa.
Unfortunately or me, it was too late, both museums were closed.
The next place we visited was an iconic site of the 1976 students uprising in Soweto, read the history here. This picture of Hector Pieterson, a young student who was shot, carried by another student with his sister running along side, was headline news around the World.
After the ending of apartheid, the 16th of June was subsequently designated as the Youth Day of South Africa.
So my brief tour of Soweto ended before darkness fell.
For what it is worth, the fact the South Africa had been able to wrangle free from Apartheid, and was successfully transitioned to majority rule from a hatred and potentially violent environment, free of bloodshed and recriminations, one has to pay very high regard to Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu and FW Deklerk for their vision and ability to guide the nation through that difficult period and beyond. Soweto has plenty to remind us of the difficult and bloodied past of South Africa, and how easily it could have been the other way, the violent way.
I was advised to park my car into the hostel's compound, and the night went quietly after the end of the birthday party late that night.
It was an uneventful trip to the airport the next morning. Returned the car, checked in, then up up and away......Beautiful Africa, I'll be back.
So it was the end of my 68 days road trip through 5 countries in Southern Africa, a 17,382 Km trip, an absolute experience of a life time.
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