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Wonderful World Johannesburg Photo Marathon
Invite you to glimpse the big beating heart of South Africa, Johannesburg one of the most historical city in the world. On note from a fellow Sulekha friend about snap size chose the smaller web versions for photos.
We begin at city centre; Nigerian workers fill these houses deserted by earlier fortunately privileged people.
The driver was echoing a discordant tune about present folks. As majority South African pursue faith about teachings of ‘love thy neighbour’ and surely, Nigeria was a very rich neighbour with heavy oil reserves… Heard some prejudiced theories of people bringing in drugs and destroying the country, while another theory with end of apartheid the local have-nots becoming greedy and thus shooting crime …
Understood teething problems crop any sort of social or political changes but the worst weapon of mass destructions are rumours, maligned gossips, and insensitiveness that pose hindrances to goodwill, friendship, consideration, of our fellow beings.
Ultimately, don’t we live in a civilised progressive scientific world? Do not we come from the same Almighty? Don’t we pursue similar goals of family friendship leisure and love?
We all know our set goals thus why waste our valuable time that life is but a short sojourn in damaging one another wielding swords. Oil, or no oil, metal or elemental, doors close from one side there is always an alternative that opens for all of us. It serves with our search and research to strive for a better comfort for no one but our fellow beings. Can the solitary man exist in this entire earth with no one to respond to his great invention, resources, wealth, and treasures?
Let us have more bridges, communications, and global events to highlight our life on mother earth that we may not kick our conscience to violent aggression for petty gains.
Really, felt sad at attempts to malign the disadvantaged people around the world, remembered gossips as news about Indian below poverty line - people paying a whooping amount as bribe to get a ground footing, instead of terming it as an appalling extortion by the goons.
The Constitutional Hill is a chief tourist attraction built within the ramparts of the Old Fort, dating back 1892 was once a prison, seen in photo. The Constitutional Court is the attached extension and the real symbol of the altering South Africa – here cases - heard in eleven official languages.
Seen also is the same Constitutional Court building through the car window. My pictures shot through while in motion often render discomfited angles, surprisingly some of which look quite impressing.
Hope this one finds appreciation as an example…
The Market Theatre building – it is the most important live theatre site.
There are three live theatre venues – the Main, Laager, and Barney Simon Theatres. It also has galleries, a café and Jazz International, the driver informed us.
We keep on wide-eyed, and feel some parts look like Montreal in Canada. Tell my husband the same and he draws comparison.
As an outsider - city is best retired for the night. Likely prevention better than cure, indoors provide security against the schizophrenic darkness.
In the hotel of our dwell, indigenous service people provided service. Third day and still I was unable to find a basic attitude of a country that enlightened our Mahatma, I was not yet confused but stubbornly did not want to either. Thank my stars, found answer after flying to Cape Town via a stop over in Port Elizabeth in a bookshop Wordsworth.
We keep on wide-eyed, and feel some parts look like Montreal in Canada. Tell my husband the same and he draws comparison.
A manufacturing unit in the middle of the city, alcohol is available in all hotels and restaurants. Popular soft drinks too are readily available.
Fruit juices and wines are other South African products of export.
That it was winter we consumed a lot of oranges. Came to know mangoes too are available in summer. Sweet stories reflect case diabetes. South Africa is aware of this new predicament and battling the same with innovative awareness. We leave world of beer and head for the legendary…
This is the legendary Gandhi Square; a board depicts the old square in 1907.
For 21 yrs, Mahatma Gandhi lived in South Africa. Those days he experienced a deep spiritual awakening in him as he faced racial discrimination.
It was in South Africa that he developed the concept of non-violent Satyagraha, which inspired millions of oppressed people across the world to fight for human equality.
Today we cannot afford to forget Mahatma and rightly, the UNO declared his birthday 2nd October as the International Day of Peace.
The statue of Mahatma at a young age is just behind the red board.
The driver asked me to hurry as the place was mainly for pedestrians.
The strange couple from Luxemburg expressed displeasure at my interest for the Gandhi Square – as if I was taking away something that belonged to them. Their attitude was odd, appalling, and hostile.
Sightseeing enlivens sense of perception. At places, the city appears abandoned though there are occupants.
The corporation building displays ‘To Let.’ Found these boards frequently all around the city centre.
Surrounded by high-rise a corner house is still survive, maybe soon for replacement by another skyscraper.
The picture is through the front glass shield and thus hazy but manages to capture a busy...
Earlier a buffer zone created with coloured and Indians between the indigenous and privileged existed. Now the change allows and encourages mixed settlements.
Felt, this would have been right for us that we enjoy crowd in new countries.
The polite driver cum guide was very intelligent and eager to please. He also referred to the ill-gotten reputation of the city and showed us people enjoying coffee in a relaxed atmosphere in the so-called dangerous area. Let me repeat I was in a state of mixed feeling unable to find an anchor to form an opinion of my own but determined not to get bias. The building is Carlton Hotel. 5* financially it is doing very badly but still the service is good and visitors from neighbouring countries are staying at a rock bottom cheap prices.
Schoolchildren at play in a city ring township. From the early days of mining for gold, these shelters belonged to the disadvantaged group.
The conditions were abysmal and the govt undertook overhaul to give a face-lift with basic amenities. These houses lacked toilets, running water, and electricity.
The painted houses are the refurbished with toilet electricity and running water.
The Government plan includes all houses to undergo changes to provide with basic amenities.
Spiralling crime and escalating poverty had established itself in a society, where one-half of the population vegetated, while the other watched unemotionally through their secured nests of high walls protected through electric charged wires.
Typecast bears truth, the wounds of 20th century turbulence reflect in Johannesburg. However, optimism reflects through the beautiful yellow, green, pink houses, operation drive to remove inequalities in basic structures.
Community taps are the only source of water for people living in these areas.
The yawning difference is the legacy of apartheid and now some people complain of reversed apartheid at the drop of a hat, utterly disgusting.
Smear campaign has become a part and parcel of the daily news and there is a lot of unholy mischief making rounds to jeopardise main course of action… that of course is in settling the underprivileged, irrelevant colour. In fact, smudging the other is a worldwide phenomena and South Africa is no exception going by observation of the trend.
It is always good to have a local guide who knows each corner and nook, which saves energy and time. Moreover, it provides sustenance and the visitor has chances to make friends.
It takes time to heal...
We set for Soweto an acronym – South Western Township, the biggest in the entire world and a home to many heroes in the fight against apartheid.
It really exudes varied culture, music, art, cuisine that caters to a unity of shades.
On our way, cars overtake us and I see a couple of them are police cars.
Feel escorted by them even the driver retorts on their presence saying that people crib about their absence.
There occurrence assure secured feelings in our minds and we happily progress without any disturbances.
The shot is from the moving car, difficult with a powerless camera.
We are in the South Western Suburbs; suddenly find ourselves trapped midst schoolchildren crossing roads.
Watch children board school busses, some hop into their cars some walk to their nearby homes.
It is past midday and we are hungry too. Request the driver to take us to a vegetarian joint and he does saying that a day back he had brought another couple to the same place.
He turns down our offer to choose non-vegetarian for himself and joins our simple menu.
The food was the first grains of rice we ate on the third day of reaching South Africa served in carry home pack, unexpectedly.
We thought to find a sit in restaurant but…
The driver requested the owners to provide us with chairs, for us to sit and savour. I was feeling embarrassed but to our wonder, they conceded.
We enjoyed our first Indian meal consisting of lentils, and potatoes cooked Gujarati way.
Naturally, Gujarati Indians ran the restaurant, thus the cuisine.
None of us could finish the helping, portions more than enough and we packed the extra instead of throwing waste.
My husband drew my attention outside the car window and click went the camera for this hazy catch through the car’s tinted glass.
The name of the place is Lenasia and the familiar TATA written large.
We passed through temples mosque and churches. Took a few shots at them, my battery power reduced to weak went about miserly with use.
Only with this intense desire to impart just cannot help this lengthy share, if it bothers skip the read throw a fleeting stare.
There is much more to come we go ahead…
The precinct memorial museum for the day Hector Petersen died through gunfire in this vicinity.
This is a place of National Significance – it represents the site and commemorates the student uprising…
On 16th June 1976, about 15 000-school children collected to protest against the introduction of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction.
As the students marched peacefully to present a memorandum at the Orlando Police Station, armed police dealt them with gunfire.
A wave of student protests followed through tout South Africa and about 600 students lost life, thousands wounded, more tortured, imprisoned, and 12 000 fled the land.
In memory to those who laid their lives for freedom, peace and democracy the memorial was unveiled by Dr Nelson R Mandela on 16thJune 1996.
Let us observe a three minutes silence.
The Museum – at a distance
(Non-violence is not a cloistered virtue. –It is no impossible ideal… It is capable of being, practised by the millions …
It is the soul force within every Human Being
THE PATH OF TRUE NON-VIOLENCE REQUIRES MORE COURAGE THAN VIOLENCE)
- Mahatma Gandhi
In solidarity, Photo shows Priest Desmond Tutu and Dr Nelson Mandela hand in hand…
Memories should not fade to lose sanctity of purpose that is supreme in sacrifice.
This was the house of Mr Nelson Mandela, home prior to his arrest.
A man destined to emerge victorious against odds of prison, apartheid, hopelessness.
In his famous often quoted speech ‘Free at Last’ the African National Congress Chief after winning elections, highlighted South Africa’s interest firmly on the future, saying ‘This is the time to heal the old wounds and build a new South Africa’
Like Mahatma Gandhi, his life too will continue to inspire man in the struggles of life and to erase hurts with reconciliation and forgiveness.
Here is where Winnie Mandela lives; her contribution to her ex husband’s struggle is worth mention.
The van takes us home – my husband is tired and his knees send warn signal.
Must call it a day thus we return.
At our hotel Peter Place, the African elephant greets us back.
Leaping paces the Jaguar…
TATA by bye
It is rush hour in the morning on 22nd July we leave the suburbs of Bryanston to catch our flight for Port Elizabeth.
We take off a click from top as our aircraft hover to heights.
Om Gainsay Namoaha!
© Ether
