Wednesday, July 23rd: Day 5

“The Politics of Memory: What the Past Means Today”

**** Apartheid Museum
1st point. An ironic and discombobulating fact is that the Apartheid Museum is located in the Golden Reef City, which is a center that also has an amusement park and a Casino. Which came first? Hmmmm . . . . . really no better location?

They did not allow cameras inside the building since they said that a lot of the exhibits and materials were not theirs, but rather a donation and so they were protective. Bummer!

Adults and school class trips crowded the Museum. We saw a racially mixed group of students from a public school waiting to get in with us. It was a mix of white, black, Chinese and Indian students with both white and black teachers. Once again I was impressed with how willing and curious the students are to come up to you and start a chat. I chatted with a group of girls who asked questions about our students and schools and vice versa. They were hysterical when they talked about their peers back home and used terms like “ghetto snobs” and then talked about their favourite singers: Beyonce, Ciera, and Usher. Of this group of 6 girls, who all spoke and learned in English, each one of them had a different home language. Once again my favorite is the languages that include the clicks within the flow of a sentence! That is skill. They are instructed in both English and Afrikaans (although this does vary among public schools).

It was interesting when we broke out into persecutions of each other’s cultures. To give me a better idea they invited me to their homes but then said they would be too scared of some of the ghetto areas and gangsters. Then they asked me, “What did you think it would be like? Did you think you would see lions in the streets?” Great questions and awareness of preconceptions and stereotypes! Again they were quick to share a warm hug. Very welcoming and friendly!

Our tour begins with Mthothesi, or Chris he tells us. The power of and need for assimilation, similar in many ways to the immigrant’s plight.
We were given either white or black pass cards, according to the opposite of what you were, and used them to get in our separate entrances.
Even before apartheid began officially in 1948, SA had a reclassification of its people according to the 4 races (white, coloured (mix), Indian, and black). The tests were done according to nose size, height (black SA’s are generally shorter), pencil against your head test, etc. Based on these tests people moved up or down according to the rank scale. As you would imagine not many people actually moved up to white statues. The whites’ pass cards confirmed their citizen status in the country whereas the blacks’ pass cards limited their travel and made them appear as temporary residents since they had to renew theirs each year, at a cost.

Consider: Our tour guide had been positive throughout the tour and at the end we finished with a hope and dream for a brighter tomorrow for him and for his country.
Yet, it takes 10-20 years to change the economic and social structures of a nation (at least a generation!).
n However the country is just an infant, only 14 years old and the general vibe shows a want for the assumed rights and equality in countries centuries old, like the US. This need and want for change ASAP is a general theme we’ve been hearing as we go along from our different speakers. Some to carry a strong a strong sense of impatience and ruthlessness, although not those that I have come in direct contact with.
n The main goal will be to open people’s minds and to change their mindsets, which can only truly happen at least a few generations after the dramatic upheavals.
n Each day is a constant battle to configure a cultural blend of a rich past and a successful tomorrow.

One of the primary exhibits was dedicated to Steve Biko’s mission and the progression of black political strategies over the centuries. Although there is a song by Peter Gabriel and various movies dedicated to Biko I was embarrassed to realize that I had not heard about him or his goals. He led a ‘quest for true humanity’, which created an intellectual movement for black consciousness. Like Malcolm X he opposed integration in order to achieve segregation with black pride. He was for Africanism.
We also watched videos along the way to help put the story together.

Historical background: In the late 1800s Johannesburg was created as a mine city in search of gold findings. As the whites arrived the demanded that blacks pay to live on their own land. However, in order to earn the money needed they needed to work the mine.

Land ownership baffles me. How can a foreigner come and self-righteously take from the original owner. What mentality is needed from the giver and the taker? Guns and weapons are powerful, but I can’t think that they were enough, **especially when the blacks remained the majority throughout South Africa’s history!
Q: What would have happened if the blacks had first thought to demand a tax on the whites? Why wasn’t this the mindset?

Parallel: It is like the pilgrims coming to take the land and resources from the Native Americans and then having them assimilate into their culture and displace them as needed. One main difference seems to be that the Native Americans were not able to handle the various diseases that the English brought with them and so they did not remain a majority. I wonder, how much this did make a different when comparing the 2 developing countries?

Then the Land Act of the early 1900s gave most land ownership to the whites and so it displaced Africans and Afrikaners accordingly. The competition for land, jobs, etc furthered the racial segregation and denial of the vote to black people and women.

1910: the Union of SA was created. It enforced racial segregation and by simply looking at the created flag one can see the political influence of the British, Afrikaners, Bohr, and Paul Kruger.

As mentioned earlier, apartheid began in 1948 and it is said that one of the main architects was Hendrik Verwoerd (again how do I not know of such a powerful figure in the development of a country!?!?). He validated apartheid by introducing policies that force the people to accept and institutionalise differences. He saw it as a spiral situation that increased the dominant political parties influence, paralleling many beliefs and actions of A. Hitler. (The video even had the soldiers marching in goose steps!)

The National government began by prohibiting mixed marriages, prohibiting living areas, systematic separation of racial communities that were enforced by racial surveillance, and then disposed and removed the groups (like the beginnings of the Holocaust).

Then in 1953 segregated education was made into policy under the Bantu Act of 1953. It deprived black learners of a quality education and of proper resources. In effect, it simply prepared blacks to become the labour force for the national government without the skill set for anything more.

I was pleased to see that the museum did show that there was white opposition to the apartheid and it showed the marches and rallies of the 1950s and also the black activists of the decades to follow. Both forms of protests ended with brutal government interference. Such brutality led to the Human Rights National holiday, celebrated on March 21st (date certainty?).

By the 1960’s the opposition was no longer peaceful in its approach, but violent.

The 1980’s there was extreme unrest with mass protests and marches that in turn resulted in mass political funerals held. ‘But why must the cost be so high?’ Expressions of defiance were organized in churches, in the United Democratic Front (connection to our political party platform?), trade unions, and the underground liberation movement of the ANC. One powerful movement was the rent boycott. Communities banded together and said if you ‘evict one, evict all’. This strike got their voices heard.
Although, President Batha then declared a state of national emergency. This declaration of war unleashed strong military and security forces to ‘control the peace’.

By 1989 the government was led to the negotiating table.

Then in 1990, Nelson Mandela is released unconditionally (after having refused an earlier release date under the condition of stopping his pro-violence broadcasts and movements).

1994 marks the first time that blacks, Indians, and women can vote in South Africa!
The 7 main pillars (diversity, tolerance, etc.) of the constitution are displayed on the outside and throughout the building.

At the closure of our tour we stand on a low bridge. On one side were is a pile of palm sized rocks and we are asked to take a rock and say of prayer for democracy in South Africa and place it on the other side of the bridge where the SA flag hangs proudly.

SA Flag color meanings:
Blue: for the sky and the water
Gold: for the gold discoveries and richness of the country
Red: for the blood lost for freedom
Black: for black people
White: for white people
Green: for the land resources, agriculture
It is y-shaped to show how apart the races and culture had been during apartheid and how they are coming together under democracy.

Many South African’s still doubt the power and progress of democracy. They do not have the equality of employment even with the affirmative actions taken that they had expected. Although women and blacks do have more people, many believe that this process is not enough.)


Symbolism of the building: Both the outside and the inside of the building are plain, sharp-edged, lack colour and beauty. The ruggedness of the structure and appearance ties in nicely to the feel and designed purpose of the museum.

The information that I am sure to hold on to longer are the stories shared by the people I personally interact with within the museum. For example, by looking at our tour guide’s facial expressions and body language, and hearing him use expressions such as “by the grace of God” and “We prevail” I am blow away by his perseverance and great act of forgiveness.
He is 24 years old and at University he studies labour law since he says there is a great need for change in this department. His humble spirit and openness to different perspectives was refreshing.

Another powerful exhibit was the hall of nooses and the solitary confinement (no light, no visitors (except for the brutal investigators), no reading, etc.) rooms where political activists were persecuted. The accusation of a political activist was used rather loosely. We also saw the huge yellow trucks (a combination of an army tank and a bulldozer), which were used by the government’s soldiers. The trucks were used to patrol areas and it did not stop for people in its way.
On another note, we realized that as we were driving in some rural areas it was hard to find or read street signs. As an act of protest and survival, black communities had painted over the street names so that the government wouldn’t know where to find them!

Big Q: Consider the context of the environment (decade post apartheid).
– The message of the museum?
– Does it perhaps blow out of proportion certain details or perhaps leave out certain details and pictures to paint a particular side of the story?
– I always question what is the full story and is every narrative being shared and fairly expressed along the way?


Kudos to Edwin Smith, a prestigious and well-educated man, who has taken the time out of his busy schedule to stop by and check in on us throughout our stay at the University. It is unbelievable how humble he is and down to earth.

Overall, I must say that I have been feeling quite pampered and super impressed with the informative and passionate tour guides, the high-status lecture presenters and generally all of the connections we have been building along the way. The intellectual power shared on this trip has certainly sparked my passion to further myself in many ways.

Our van trip over to the next monument was filled with enriching conversation and discussion. One of our group’s best conversations and opinion sharings!
It’s crazy to think that this post-apartheid has been occurring all within my lifetime.