|
JOHANNESBURG
Johannesburg and its surrounding suburbs are deemed the economic hub that drives much of the industry in Southern Africa, as well as being the major gateway for travel into this part of the continent. Enjoy a journey into the past. Tracing its beginnings from tent town to wood and iron shacks to bricks and mortar within a decade or two…and to its present disposition.
Gauteng (a Sotho word for the Place of Gold), is the smallest of the country’s nine provinces, yet prides itself in being the commercial and industrial powerhouse of Southern Africa. Viewed by many as the intersection of African and global trade, Gauteng is where the Spirit of the Rainbow Nation is displayed in a dense cultural landscape steeped in history and culture. The vibrancy of Soweto, the plethora of museums and art galleries, historic battlefields and the legacy left by the ancients at Sterkfontein Caves bears testament to a city offering a myriad of experiences catering for both young and old. Dating back to 1886, when the first gold bearing reef was discovered in the area, Gauteng has mushroomed into an area housing some seven million of the entire country’s population. The climate of the region makes it the ideal to experience nature at its most abundant. Take some time to discover the real Gauteng. Uncover the oral tradition of the indigenous peoples, stories about their wars, lifestyle experience the richness of the culture that abounds in the area.
Main Attractions
Soweto is a sprawling metropolis of more than 3.5 million people on the outskirts of Johannesburg is synonymous with South Africa’s turbulent past and its hope for the future. It has been said that the path through Africa runs through Soweto, that Soweto is a microcosm or the soul of South Africa and that Soweto is a shining example of neglect and exploitation. Soweto is a multi-lingual, multi-cultural composite of South Africa today. Peek into the past - the hostels, Freedom Square, the struggle for liberty. Tread the paths to greatness taken by Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu. Stand on the only road in the world, which carries the honor of two recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize. Soweto means many things to many people…
Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital is the largest hospital in the world, occupying 173 acres (0.70 km2), with 3 200 beds and 6 760 staff members.
Hector Pieterson Memorial (1964 – June 16, 1976) became the iconic image of the 1976 Soweto uprising in apartheid South Africa when a news photograph by Sam Nzima of the dying Hector being carried by a fellow student, was published around the world. He was killed at the age of 12 when the police opened fire on protesting students. For years, June 16 stood as a symbol of resistance to the brutality of the apartheid government. Today, it is known as National Youth Day; a day on which South Africans honor young people and bring attention to their needs. For more information go to http://www.soweto.co.za/html/p_hector.htm
The Regina Mundi ChurchThe church was a meeting place for activists deprived of any other place to meet. It played a role in Soweto’s most significant day – 16 June 1976 – when students, revolting against the imposition of Afrikaans teaching by the apartheid government, ran into the church. They were followed by police, who shot and injured many, firing teargas and damaging the marble altar and the figure of Christ, leaving bullet holes in the ceiling. Since 1976 the church has held annual commemorative services every 16 June, with 12 000 turning up for the first anniversary in 1977. For information go to www.joburg.org.za/content/view/261/51/ was the focal point of much of the struggle in the 70s and 80s and home of the Black Madonna.
The Mandela Family Museuma house comprising four inter-leading rooms, contains a rather higgledy-piggledy assortment of memorabilia, paintings and photographs of the Mandela family, as well as a collection of honorary doctorates bestowed on Mandela by universities and institutions around the world. For more information go to the following websites www.mandelahouse.com/ and www.southafrica.info/mandela/mandela-museum.htm is
The Apartheid Museum, the first of its kind, illustrates the rise and fall of apartheid.
Starting in 1948, the white elected National Party government implemented the policy of apartheid which turned 20 million people into second class citizens, damning them to a life of servitude, humiliation and abuse. Their liberation in 1994 with the election of Nelson Mandela, the prisoner who became president, is a climax in the saga of a nation’s resistance, courage and fortitude.
The term "Apartheid" derives from Dutch and the system was brought into law by a white government. The system, at its root, propagated the notion that people, other than those of European descent, were inferior. The apartheid system killed, dehumanized and arrested the development of Black culture, education and ambition. Always, the central objective was the unlawful seizure of Black land and intellectual property.
Have lunch at Wandie’s Place, a tavern in Soweto for a traditional township lunch, where you can soak up the sights and sounds of the township. Diners eat at communal tables in this modestly appointed restaurant, where the food and friendly service is allowed to shine. Wandie’s caters for the diner who wants to sample a taste of Africa.
To REGISTER for this trip, please click on the  tab located in the menu bar on the HOME page. My Passport is a section where you can log in and manage information on the trips that you have booked.
|
