Randlords in Johannesburg
created by a diamond magnate and features an amazing sculpture
garden, spa and two excellent restaurants. If budget is more limited
try the Clouds Estate next door.”
Some visitors to South Africa skip Johannesburg, which is a mistake.
It’s a “modern, vibrant city that has moved past its reputation for
being unsafe,” Robertson said, and a great place to explore while
recovering from the long flight. The fastest flights from Washington
D.C. typically take about 17 hours, but many itineraries are 24 hours or
longer, so it’s best to have a couple of days in Jo’burg, as the locals call
it, after arriving.
Johannesburg’s Apartheid Museum, which opened in 2001, is a must-
see. Visitors can explore the viciously savage instruments of apartheid,
such as the Casspir, a 10-ton mine-resistant vehicle used to transport
troops and suppress uprisings.
Upon arrival at the museum visitors are given cards designating them
as white or non-white — if you’re non-white you have to show picture
ID to get in. My mother panicked because she didn’t have her passport,
but of course it was all part of the experience — you don’t need ID;
they just want you to know what it feels like to not be able to go
anywhere without identification.
The Apartheid museum is not quiet. The cacophony of dozens of
videos evokes the dissonance and confusion of apartheid. Adding to
the affect is the harsh appearance of the museum: the starkness of its
rough concrete slabs, raw brick, and naked metal reinforce the feeling
of desolation. In the middle of the museum is a replica of a solitary
confinement cell, which you can enter to feel its isolation.
Suddenly, when it all starts to feel overwhelming, you come to the
end of the 1980s, and the museum changes course. A video from early
1990 shows a jubilant Mandela in his first public appearance, exhorting
a stadium full of supporters to “throw your weapons into the sea.”
The road to liberation was a rocky one, yet progressives on both
sides persevered: the museum shows ballots from the 1994 election,
with pictures of all candidates and their party symbols, for those who
couldn’t read.
Allow three to four hours to wander through the museum. At
the end, visitors come out to a garden where they can take in the
view of the Johannesburg skyline and reflect upon the strides the
country has made. Seven pillars stand in front of the museum,
each with one of the seven principles on which the post-apartheid
nation was founded: democracy, equality, reconciliation, diversity,
responsibility, respect, and freedom.
AUTUMN 2017 31 FLYWASHINGTON.COM