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Sites and activities are
offered across the country, are accessible and clearly
marked and give travelers an opportunity to learn more
about the Republic of South Africa and how his legacy
has impacted the country. Great care has been taken to
include the individuals who mentored and influenced
Madiba, beginning with his parents, on his journey. On
the eve of Mandela's birthday, July 17th,
Barack Obama will deliver the Nelson Mandela Annual
Lecture in Johannesburg. @visitSouthAfrica The 471,008-square mile South
Africa is stunning. It is bordered by two oceans, the
Atlantic and the Indian, and has 1,836-miles of
coastline. There are eight UNESCO sites, one of which is
considered the "Cradle of Humankind", a Hominid fossil
site with artifacts that date back 3-million years. The
"Out of Africa" theory is based on findings in the
Sterkfontein Caves and more than 10 other sites
exhibiting numerous bones. There are two exhibition
centers, one of which, in Maropeng, is built to
replicate an ancient burial mound.
www.thecradleofmankind.net
It is the largest producer of
chrome, platinum and vanadium, has the world's second
largest reserve of uranium and has every mineral except
oil. It is known for the diamonds mined there and the
Kimberley Mine alone has produced 14.5 million carats.
Because of the country's abundance European settlers
honed in on what they felt was free land for the taking,
eventually marginalizing the native Africans (Bantus)
and establishing a system of segregation in 1910 that
led to the founding of the African National Congress
(ANC) in 1912. The system was legalized as
apartheid in 1950 and the Group Areas Act demanded that
nearly 2-million Africans be removed from cities and
made to live in poverty in white controlled townships.
It is into this country of vast, unequal, wealth and
potential that Nelson Mandela was born on July 18, 1918,
educated and set out on his "Long Walk to Freedom".
Johannesburg is rife with
locations, monuments and memorials connected with the
struggle and offers the best opportunity to gain an
overview of Madiba's journey, the country's history and
the people and cultures involved. #meetSouthAfrica The Apartheid Museum opened
in 2001 to provide a comprehensive overview of
apartheid. Thirty-two exhibitions guide visitors from
the origins of apartheid to the reconciliation process.
Outdoor exhibits feature SA's ancient history.
Chronologic galleries interpret the story in films,
photographs, artifacts and dioramas.
www.apartheidmuseum.org
The South Western Townships
(Soweto), the most recognized of the townships, was
first settled in 1891. In 1948 the government began
forcing black Africans out of Johannesburg and into
Soweto, situated on polluted land. There were no public
services and houses could not exceed 4 rooms of equal
size. Streetlights were not installed until 2010 in the
township of 1.5-million inhabitants. It was a site of
protest and rebellion. Lebo's Soweto Tours offers
guided, narrated tours of Soweto's famous sites by foot,
bike or Tuk Tuk. Their outdoor restaurant serves
authentic meals cooked over a fire. www.sowetobackpackers.com
Vilakazi Street, the only
street in the world that housed two Nobel Peace Prize
winners, President Nelson Mandela and Anglican
Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, is the site of the
restored Mandela House. Tours showcase family personal
items. He, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and his
family lived there from 1946. Mandela returned there for
11 days after he was freed from Robben's Island.
www.mandelahouse.com
Constitution Hill is a must
visit. The complex features the Constitutional Court,
Old Fort, Women's Jail and Number Four. White prisoners
were held in the Old Fort and in 1902 Numbers Four and
Five were built to house black prisoners. Walter Sisulu,
Gandhi, and Nelson and Winnie Mandela were held here in
inhuman conditions. Tours of the prison are conducted by
former prisoners and include Gandhi and Madiba's cells,
vivid interpretations of prison life and the isolation
cells. Do not miss this tour.
www.constitutionhill.org.za
The Constitutional Court was
opened here in 1995 by Mandela. The location was
selected to represent the new South Africa linking this
place of oppression with the new order. The
architectural and design elements enhance the story of
South Africa.
In 1955 Walter Sisulu Square
of Dedication was the site of a gathering to adopt the
Freedom Charter that was used as a template for the
modern constitution. Ten columns symbolize the charter's
clauses. The 2002 Hector Pieterson Museum and Memorial
is dedicated to thirteen-year old Pieterson who was
killed in the 1976 Student Uprising. A photograph of the
dying Pieterson, displayed at the site, being carried by
another student gained the world's attention and
galvanized the movement.
Regina Mundi is Soweto's
largest catholic church. It provided sanctuary for
students in the 1976 protest. Police officers fired on
the 4,000 students inside and a tour reveals bullet
holes, a black Madonna and stained-glass windows that
depict the story. Police shot off one hand of a Christ
sculpture and the congregants removed the other hand
because they are now "the hands of Christ." Michele
Obama visited in 2011.
www.reginamundichurch.co.za Keyes Art Mile is
representative of the country's emerging art scene. The
area is a perfect blend of art, architecture and upscale
retail. www.keyesartmile.co.za The Da Vinci Hotel and Suites
is a wonderful choice for following Madiba's Trail or
simply visiting the city. The location is within walking
distance of important locations, restaurants and world
class shopping. The 4-star hotel offers modern
amenities, on-site spa and gym and a gourmet restaurant.
www.davincihotelsuitesjohannesburg.com
Durban looms large in the
history of South Africa in general and the Zulu in
particular. On December 24, 1497 Vasco da Gama sailed
into Durban's bay and named the area "Terra do Natal",
the land of Christmas, the next day. In 1824 the British
made contact with Shaka, King of the Zulu. Shaka remains
so fabled that elements of
Black Panther
were taken from his legend. In 1835 the area was named
after Governor Benjamin D'Urban. Shaka granted
permission for the British to build a trading station
and Durban remains the country's largest port and the
second biggest city. www.durban.gov.za The Zulu were never thrilled
with the presence of outsiders and fought periodic
bloody battles to preserve their homeland. The final
uprising took place in 1906. In 1844 the region became
part of the British Cape Colony. The Inanda Heritage Route
interprets the story of the Inanda Valley just outside
of Durban. Gandhi's Phoenix Settlement, his 100-acre
farm and home is now a museum. The nearby Ohlange
Institute was founded by John Dube and modelled on
Tuskegee Institute. Dube also founded the ANC and was
greatly admired by Madiba. After casting his first vote
in 1994 in the school's chapel Mandela visited Dube's
grave and reportedly said, "Mr. President, I have come
to report to you that South Africa is free today."
www.visitdurban.travel
LaVue Floating Restaurant is
one of Durban's unique treasures. The boat offers two
decks, two bars, an amazing buffet and dancing beneath
the stars. Guests obtain awesome views of the city
skyline. www.la-vue.co.za The Southern Sun Elangeni &
Maharani hotel is a beachfront hotel ideally situated to
provide easy access to outdoor activities and indoor
pleasures.
www.tsogosun.com/southern-sun-elangeni-maharani Port Elizabeth, part of the
Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, was
founded in 1820 as a buffer between the Xhosa and the
Cape Colony. The city was named in memory of the wife of
Sir Rufane Donkin. In 1965 enforced removals of
non-whites began and townships were created. The Donkin
Heritage Trail links 51 historic locations and
interprets the history of the city. The trail begins at
The Campanile, a 176-ft., 204-step, tower with
360-degree views. www.nmbt.co.za
Route 67 is an arts and
cultural route that features 67 public art works
representing Madiba's 67-year journey to free South
Africa. The route begins at the Campanile Monument and
ends at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum. The
route's premiere artwork is the 125-ft. long Voting Line
Sculpture depicting his first vote at the age of 72. The
laser-cut figures represent children and people from all
walks of life. www.route67tours.co.za The 5-star Boardwalk Hotel
stands on the Golden Mile. All of the accommodations
boast deluxe amenities and ocean views.
www.suninternational.com/boardwalk
Cape Town, known as "The
Mother City", was established to resupply the Dutch East
India Company. In 1795 the British seized the town and
in 1814 the British took total control. In 1910 it
became the legislative capital of the Union of South
Africa. After apartheid was legislated many of the
anti-apartheid leaders were incarcerated in the prison
on Robben Island. Table Mountain has been
inhabited for more than 30,000-years and was sacred to
the Khoi and San people. The first European to sight it
was Bartolomeu Dias in 1448. In 1929 a cable car was
installed so that visitors could ride to the top at
3563-ft. above sea level. No trip is complete without a
visit and a view. www.tablemountainnationalpark.org
Groot Constantia has been
producing award-winning wines since 1685. Visitors can
tour the authentic Cape Dutch Manor House, wine taste,
view exhibits in the museum and dine.
www.grootconstantia.co.za
On a City Walk you can take
in the Slave Lodge, a museum on several levels. Exhibits
feature South African slavery history and modern human
rights. www.iziko.org.za/museums/slave-lodge
Robben Island, a World
Heritage Site, was the scene of Madiba's incarceration
for 18-years. He and other activist prisoners turned
their imprisonment into an opportunity to educate and to
learn. Visits begin with a boat ride to the island
followed by a narrated bus ride to the significant
sites. Your guide for the walking prison tour is a
former prisoner who takes questions and escorts you to
Mandela's cell. Other important areas are the limestone
quarry where prisoners worked and the garden in which
Mandela hid the manuscript he later had smuggled out.
www.robben-island.org.za
The 5-star Table Bay Hotel is
simply the best place to stay in Cape Town. The
accommodations are luxurious and it is situated on the
V&A Waterfront, in the heart of the action.
www.suninternational.com/table-bay
The perfect place to end
our path through Madiba's Journey is in Nobel Square on
the waterfront. There sculptures of Desmond Tutu, Nkosi
Albert Luthuli, F.W. de Klerk and Nelson Mandela, all
Nobel Prize winners, are arrayed in the square for
contemplation and photo ops. These are people who worked
to become the change they wanted to see.
#VisitSouthAfrica
Mandela's final home in Johannesburg. Not open to the public |
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Public Disclosure--
Please Read I recently learned of a FTC law requiring web sites to let their readers know if any of the stories are "sponsored" or compensated. American Roads and Global Highways' feature writers are professional travel writers. As such we are frequently invited on press trips, also called fam trips. Most of the articles here are results of these trips. On these trips most of our lodging, dining, admissions fees and often plane fare are covered by the city or firm hosting the trip. It is an opportunity to visit places we might not otherwise be able to visit and bring you a great story. However, no one tells us what to write about those places. All opinions are 100% those of the author of that feature column. |
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