|
|
| City Guide - Johannesburg - Key Attractions | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Key Attractions Soweto For decades, in the forefront of a struggle against the tyrannical regime that sanctioned white supremacy, Soweto's two million residents made their home famous as a living symbol of victory over oppression. Nelson Mandela, one of the icons of the late twentieth century, lived in Soweto (an acronym for South-Western Townships) before he was sentenced to 27 years in jail, for Treason, by the former Apartheid government. Just to get a feel for the environment that created this great man is reason enough to visit Soweto (web site: www.Sowetosa.co.za). Officially within the municipal boundaries of 'greater' Johannesburg, an extensive mine-waste dumping area and a busy concrete highway separate Soweto from the normal city limits. An intimidating sprawl of thousands of rows of tiny two-roomed council houses, grim-looking dormitory-style mine-worker hostels and ostentatious mansions, this township was originally only intended to provide temporary shelter to contract mine-workers toiling underground in the once fabulously rich Witwatersrand gold-fields. Visitors wishing to see where South Africa's peaceful revolution was conceived, born and nurtured will be struck both by the lack of formal tourist facilities and by the fact that the strikingly barren surroundings are juxtaposed against the lively, friendly and characterful people. Due the absence of street signs and dangerous public transport options, Soweto's labyrinth is best discovered in the company of one of the many good tour operators that offer what have been called the 'Heritage Route' or the 'Shebeen Crawl' tours. These usually include most of the following places. Tours are provided by Jimmy's Face-to-Face Tours (tel: (011) 331 6109) or Imbizo Tours (tel: (011) 838 2667) and prices range from R300-600. Heritage Route Hector Peterson Memorial The 13-year-old boy, Hector, was one of the first of hundreds of people shot by police during the dramatic 16 June 16 1976 uprising. The memorial includes a poignant and powerful photograph taken by veteran journalist Peter Magubane of Hector's body being carried through Soweto's chaotic streets. Former residences of Nelson Mandela and Bishop Desmond Tutu Where else in the world can one find a street that produced two Nobel Peace Prizewinners? Regina Mundi Church This Catholic Church, a venue for hundreds of protest meetings, still has the bullet holes left by police who often used violence to disperse gatherings. Ma Africa Galleries in a room off the hall offers paintings of township scenes. Freedom Square Located in Kliptown, the oldest part of Soweto, at the site where the Freedom Charter was presented to a mass gathering of the people. Avalon Cemetery South African Communist Party leader, Joe Slovo, who died of cancer in 1995, became the first white person to be buried here. Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital At the time of his assassination in 1993, Hani's stature was second only to Mandela's and the world's largest hospital has been renamed after him. Winnie Madikizela-Mandela's House Built by Nelson Mandela for his estranged wife soon after his release from prison in 1990, this mansion is still occupied by Winnie who continues to enjoy high stature in Soweto. Morris Isaacson School Until recently derelict, this is where the 1976 student uprising erupted. Credo Mutwa Village A student and practitioner of traditional African rites and religions, Credo Mutwa's mysticism is reflected in his sculptures, paintings and writings. Shebeen Crawl Irish miners may have introduced the word to South Africa, but shebeens (also called taverns and formerly outlawed by the Apartheid regime) have become synonymous with the rich and often raucous social life of Sowetans. They range from a few stools in front of a simple shack to stylish, flashy fully-fledged nightclubs. Wandi's Place (Dube) While some of the Soweto shebeens may have adjusted their menus and prices in response to an influx of tourists, the same cannot be said of Wandi's. It serves traditional dishes, such as umngqusho (stamped corn and bean stew), morogo (wild spinach) and that evergreen Soweto favourite, chakalaka (chilli and bean salad). Blue Fountain Saloon Former proprietor, Godfrey Moloi, self-styled 'Godfather of Soweto', died recently, but his generous, flamboyant spirit lives on in what he referred to as 'The warm heart of Soweto'. African dishes, buffets and set menus are available. The famous 'wall of fame' is a mural depicting liberation struggle heroes, signed by famous visitors. The Rock Tebogo calls his trendy tavern 'New York in Soweto' and this is where the upwardly mobile young black professionals 'hang'. Food is traditional and contemporary African. Vardo's Place Here, people come to watch soccer, South Africa's favourite sport, on one of the many screens, and listen to music with an 'African Beat'. Pinky's Place Early shebeens were all in one of the typical two-room Soweto homes and at Pinky's drinks are still served in the lounge and dining room. D.J's Place One of Soweto's oldest restaurant/shebeens, where beer is still served by the quart. Pallazo di Stella Currently Soweto's only live jazz club; Pallazo di Stella is also its first Pizza restaurant. Gold Reef City Theme Park and Casino Originally conceived as a likeness of downtown Johannesburg circa 1890, during the gold rush, Gold Reef City's museums and curiosity shops, housed in replicas of the original Victorian and Edwardian buildings, have now been eclipsed by the 'largest rollercoaster in the Southern Hemisphere' and a 60-table casino. This does not, however, detract from the fact that, for a fairly authentic glimpse into Johannesburg's fascinating past, Gold Reef City is still the best place to go. Gold-Reef City's real charm is that (literally) underneath all the theme-park veneer, there lies a labyrinth of tunnels, built around Number 14 Shaft of the original gold mine that operated from 1887 to 1971. Depending on bookings, there are usually several tours down a mine where workers from all over southern Africa quite recently sweated, toiled and died. Add to this, 14 museums, the casino (which includes the 300-seat Globe Theatre), many craft and curio shops, as well daily displays of traditional gum-boot and can-can dancing, and the result is an extraordinary mix that can provide entertainment and insight at the same time. The minutely detailed and fascinating model of the surface and subterranean installations of a gold mine, which follows the process from shaft-sinking to gold-bar production, is one of the highlights. As is the daily pouring of a gold bar - popular legend has it that anyone who can pick it up with one hand can take it home with them! Eight kilometres (five miles) from city centre Tel: (011) 248 6800. E-mail: gold@goldreefcity.co.za Web site: www.goldreefcity.co.za Transport: Metro bus 55a, 55b or 313 to Southgate from Ghandi Square. By car: M1 South Freeway to the Xavier Street exit; turn right; ample secure parking. Opening hours: Tues-Sun 0930-1700. Admission: R30 weekdays, R45 weekends; children shorter than 1.2m free. Newtown Cultural Precinct A few years ago this area was degenerating into a derelict slumland dominated by the brooding, crumbling cooling towers and the cavernous turbine hall of Johannesburg's first coal-fired power station. The general air of decay and neglect, symptomatic of many parts of Johannesburg's CBD, is being addressed as part of the Johannesburg Metropolitan Council's 'iGoli 2000' urban renewal strategy. The Newtown Precinct has undergone quite radical alterations, which include improvements and additions to long-standing attractions, such as the Market Theatre and the Oriental Plaza (a short walk westwards), as well as relative newcomers, such as MuseumAfrica, the Horror Café (café-theatre opposite the Electric Workshop) and the South African Breweries Centenary Centre ('World of Beer' museum, tavern, gallery and memento shop). The famous MuseumAfrica and Market Theatre are housed in a magnificent Victorian building, once the city's main fresh produce market, which had stall-holders who were mainly of Indian origin who were moved to the nearby Oriental Plaza. The Plaza is an excellent place to savour Indian food or buy clothing and fabric at discount prices. MuseumAfrica, which incorporates the Bensusan Museum and Library of Photography, the Museum of South Africa Rock Art and the Bernberg Museum of Fashion, was conceived as South Africa's first post-Apartheid museum. It offers exhibits covering an eclectic range of themes, ranging from early man to the struggle against Apartheid. This is possibly the best place in Johannesburg from which to contemplate the impact of colonialism. The Market Theatre Complex houses three theatres: Main Theatre, Laager Theatre and Barney Simon Theatre. The Market hosted much 'protest theatre' during the struggle years and was the birthplace for such seminal works as Athol Fugard's Sizwe Banzi is Dead (1973) and Mbongeni Ngema's Sarafina (1988). It was here where John Kani (now the theatre director) and Winston Shona were first seen in Fugard's Master Harold and the Boys (1982). It was also here that political satirist Pieter-Dirk Uys, in the persona of his drag alter ego Evita Bezuidenhout, first performed anti-Apartheid one-man shows to packed houses. Long reputed to be Johannesburg's best jazz venue, Kippies, a converted Victorian toilet, still belts it out every weekend just a few steps away from the entrance to the theatre. MuseumAfrica and Market Theatre: 121 Bree Street; SAB Centenary Centre: 15 President Street; Horror Café: 15 Becker Street; Oriental Plaza: Sixth Avenue, Fordsburg Tel: (011) 833 5624 (MuseumAfrica); (011) 832 1641 (Market Theatre Foundation); (011) 836 4900 (SAB Centenary Centre); (011) 838 6735 (Horror Café); (011) 838 6752 (Oriental Plaza). Web site: www.markettheatre.co.za or www.museums.org.za Transport: Metro bus 63 to Newlands or 66 to Sophiatown. Opening hours: Daily 0900-1700 (MuseumAfrica); 1000-1800 (World of Beer). Admission: R2 (MuseumAfrica); R10 (World of Beer). Johannesburg Zoological Gardens Apart from offering a peaceful and secure respite from the city's busy streets and garish shopping malls, the Zoo provides a great opportunity to make sure you do know the difference between leopards and cheetahs before going on safari - or just to ensure you do see the 'big five'. The facilities (both for human and beast) are rated highly internationally, and children and the disabled (electric buggies are available at R70 per hour) are particularly well catered for. Guided day, night and 'behind the scenes' tours can be arranged and the Zoo Ferry, pulled by a tractor, does regular rounds for a quick reconnoitre before exploring on foot. Highlights include the magnificent new lion enclosure; and Max, the lowland gorilla (and companion Lisa), who became a local crime-fighting hero a few years ago when he wrestled to the ground a burglar who mistakenly scaled the wall of his pen while fleeing police. Upper Park Road, Forest Town Tel: (011) 646 2000 or 486 0552 (Friends of the Zoo, for organised tours). E-mail: zoo@mj.org.za Web site: www.jhbzoo.org.za or www.gorillacam.co.za Transport: Metro bus 1 to Parktown North, 78 to Randburg Mall, 78a to Craighall or 79 to Parkhurst.Opening hours: Daily 0830-1730. Admission: R15. Military History Museum Located on the same block as the Zoo, this small but comprehensive museum covers most periods and armaments of South Africa's military history. Displays include uniforms, tanks, artillery pieces (including the South-African-built G-6), small arms, 12 aircraft and a military submarine. However, there are disappointingly small sections on the anti-draft (End Conscription Campaign) movements and the participation of blacks in the Anglo-Boer War, although CASSPIRS, the armoured personnel carriers used by security forces in the townships during black uprisings against apartheid, are on display. 20 Erlswold Way, Saxonwold Tel: (011) 646 5513. Transport: Metro bus 1 to Parktown North, 78 to Randburg Mall, 78a to Craighall or 79 to Parkhurst. Opening hours: Daily 0900-1630. Admission: R5. Johannesburg Botanic Gardens and Emmarentia Dam Covering 148 hectares (365 acres) of highveld hillside rising up from the western shores of the Emmarentia Dam, this is one of the city's most tranquil spots. The Dam has a yachting and canoeing club, while the gardens include a magnificent terraced rose garden (allegedly the world's largest) set among ponds and water features with a classical theme. Although a park ranger is on duty, it is not advisable to wander into remote areas unless with a group. Picnics and braais ('barbeques') are permitted at the spots provided and the shady restaurant does excellent tea and scones as well as light meals. Between Thomas Bowler, Olifants and Louw Geldenhuys Streets, Roosevelt Park Tel: (011) 782 0517. Web site: www.johannesburg.org.za Transport: Metro bus 71 to Fairland, 74 to Blairgowrie or 81 to Randburg via Blairgowrie. Opening hours: Daily sunrise-sunset. Admission: Free. Melville Village Generally, the residents of Johannesburg's upper-income northern suburbs only walk if their car has just been stolen but Melville is a quirky, pleasant exception. Just a short distance from Park City, the suburb's neighbourly atmosphere is due mainly to its chaotic mix of residential and commercial property, which sometimes intermingle to a point where you may find yourself mistakenly settling down in a private home and wondering where the waitress has got to. The main streets, especially Bohemian Seventh Street (the setting and title of a local TV drama), are worth wandering along, delving into the second-hand bookshops, antique dealers and body-piercing salons, or sitting in the pavement cafés to people-watch. Many of Melville's nicest homes, some of which date back to the nineteenth century, have been converted into charming B&Bs and other types of guest-house, which are increasingly popular with foreign travellers. The Melville Koppies Nature Reserve (tel: (011) 782 7064), just north of the suburb, protects an extensive area of typical highveld vegetation and includes archaeological remains of both Stone and Iron Age settlements, including iron furnaces. The reserve is only open on the third Sunday of every month between September and May. Tel: (011) 726 5634. Fax: (011) 482 4769. Web site: www.virtualmelville.co.za Transport: Metro bus 67 to Melville, 66 to Sophiatown or 71 to Fairland. |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
