Layover in Jo’Burg

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
― Margaret Mead

With our 11 hr layover in Johannesburg we couldn’t bear to sit around the airport so we booked a tour.  These few hours are our only time in the country of South Africa and we choose to honor the legacy and history of the brave citizens whose struggle ended Apartheid.

We spent the day with Meshack Motsepe and he took us to Soweto where we saw Nelson Mandela’s home where his children were raised, the Apartheid Museum, and another museum honoring the contributions and sacrifice of the youth of Soweto in the struggle for freedom.  It was an intense and somber day. (And we were exhausted from the red eye flight with an excellent selection of on demand movies). The Apartheid Museum seemed a bit run down and disorganized, but I liked the motto.  “Apartheid, where it belongs, in a museum”.  And seeing Nelson and Winnie Mandela’s house made my heart sing.  Touching the bricks and furniture where the power players lived and gathered to inspire their fellow countrymen was powerful. The walls had quotes about different aspects of this life from the fear in the kids, the joy Nelson felt having his first home,  the family gatherings in the tiny kitchen, and the secret meetings before the Soweto uprising. There was a tree Mandela planted and he buried the umbilical cord of all his children as a tradition so they always know the soil where they come from.

While seeing these historic sites was moving, the best part of the tour was talking with our guide, Meshack. He was in his mid-twenties when Apartheid ended, so hearing his perceptions on S Africa from the days of Apartheid, the jubilation and hope of becoming a democracy in 1994, and the realities of 2016 was the best window into this country.  He was also very candid and open with his personal life, discussing his passion for boxing, family dynamics with his siblings, work, education, etc. It was a pleasure spending the day with him in his homeland.