Nelson Mandela at Cape Town airport

Replica of Mandela’s cell on Robben Island

Shebeen

Mandela exhibit

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (1918-2013), also known as Madiba

We were very recently in Cape Town Airport a couple of times and noticed that there is a rather nice pictorial exhibit, stretching along the upper wall, about Nelson Mandela and his life, work and achievements in the long passage way after you exit the international arrival hall. There’s also a replica of his cell on Robben Island, and one of a shebeen (local African bar) from the time before he went to prison.

The cell, and a space for you to sit and think about this man

Details in shebeen

The collage/mural starts here and flows from right to left , roughly chronologically, as you head for the airport exit

There are many other pictures and information about other parts of the Cape and South Africa too—all very nicely done—but the Mandela one really caught our eyes. Why?

Many people, both in South Africa and around the world, regard Mandela as a great man and a wonderful human being. He wrote a couple of books that are well known, (for example, Long Walk to Freedom, Conversations with Myself, Dare Not Linger) and there are a number of books and movies about him, his life, and his legacy. He was the first truly democratically-elected leader in South Africa in 1994 and approached that role in a way that tried to calm some of the troubled waters there were South African politics at the time, even though he himself had suffered terribly under the previous regime—Apartheid, the Nationalist Party, his incarceration on Robben Island (for 18 of the 27 years he was imprisoned), etc.

We moved from South Africa before he was elected, but we visit as often as we can. It seems to us that lots of South Africans today miss Mandela and what he stood for, especially when compared to all the corruption that is rampant in politics these days. He was a decent man, who tried to do the best for his country, and he is honored around the country in many different ways—statues of him, squares and schools named after him, and even the UN Nelson Mandela International Day, on July 18 (his birthday) each year. On this day people honor Mandela through volunteering and community service. It started in 2009 in South Africa, on Mandela’s 91^stbirthday, but was declared international by the UN in 2010, so he lived to see some of the ways that his values were appreciated. I, and I’m sure millions of others, am very glad about that.

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Stellenbosch, SA: Honoring Nelson Mandela

Facing Plein Street. It’s hard not to see the face!

Facing Plein Street

Strolling along Plein Street in Stellenbosch (Cape) on our visit in March, we came on a really interesting structure in front of the Town Hall, the Mandela Monument Wall.

At first glance this is a map in metal relief on a stone wall—a map of places significant to Mandela. But as you step closer and to the side something amazing happens: the metal bits align and change into an image of Mandela’s face. At first, my camera viewfinder saw it, but then my naked eye did too, depending on where I stood. It’s a really clever arrangement, to create this optical illusion. In fact, my camera had trouble NOT seeing the face!

I wanted to find out more.

Facing Town Hall

Unveiled in early October 2013, the structure was created by landscape artist Strijdom van der Merwe and approved by the Nelson Mandela Foundation. It is a large concrete block with a white marble covering, on which a map of a part of South Africa is etched on either side. The side facing east (the Town Hall side of the structure) has a map of the east side of South Africa, including Mandela’s birthplace in the Transkei and his home and workplace in Johannesburg before his incarceration. On the West side facing Plein Street, the map reflects the Western Cape, and the three prisons in which Mr. Mandela spent a large part of his life—Pollsmoor, Robben Island, and Victor Verster (now Drakenstein).

A laser cut silhouette of Madiba’s face in 20mm (about ¾ inch) Corten steel is placed in front of the marble block ‘canvas’.

What is really interesting about the artwork is how multi-faceted it is, and how the map and the steel look different in representing Mr. Mandela depending on how close or far away you are from it.

A long strip of white paving leads from the information board to the monument wall, inscribed with some of the famous words from Mandela’s Inaugural Speech in 1994 in Pretoria (see words below). It was a great speech and it, plus Mandela, are being doubly recognized right now, so soon after his death in December 2013. Everywhere in South Africa are tributes and recognitions to this great late leader.

This monument is also interesting as in a way it follows/copies some facets of the design of the new Mandela Capture Monument in Howick—which we were also able to visit this time in South Africa. See here: https://viviennemackie.wordpress.com/2014/03/17/nelson-mandela-capture-site-in-south-africa/

The famous words:

“Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another.”

Sign seen at Durban Airport

If you are interested, here are links to the text of both Mandela’s Inaugural speeches.

http://www.anc.org.za/show.php?id=3132 (Pretoria speech,  May 10, 1994)

http://www.news24.com/NelsonMandela/Speeches/FULL-TEXT-Cape-Town-Inauguration-Speech-20110124 (Cape Town speech)

 

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Howick Falls and the Midlands Meander

Some of the craft stalls in Howick

Part 2: Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa

About an hour’s drive north from Durban, the world’s only monument to a criminal arrest—that of Nelson Mandela—can be found near the village of Howick. The village is also famous for its waterfall, one of the highest in Africa. Both are free, although there have been rumors about charging an entrance fee for the Mandela Capture Site.

I’m happy to pose in front of the amazing sculpture to Nelson Mandela

While en route to the Southern Drakensberg Mountains for a family getaway, you can visit both the falls and the monument, plus the Midlands Meander, a special driving route in the Natal Midlands (see here for the Mandela Capture Site: https://viviennemackie.wordpress.com/2014/03/17/nelson-mandela-capture-site-in-south-africa/ )

Howick Falls

Howick Falls on the Umgeni River

The gorge of the falls is very deep and rocky (with many rock climbers and abseilers) and lined with green bushes. The actual falls are very long, but narrow, and can be disappointing if you go in winter when the volume of water is low. They are not so impressive if compared to other falls in the world.  But, they are pretty anyway, and the legends surrounding them are interesting.

The Legend of the Falls gives a fascinating glimpse into Zulu culture. These falls, known to the Zulus as kwaNogqaza (the tall one), are one of the major tourist attractions of the Kwa-Zulu Natal Midlands. Local Zulus believe the Falls to be the abode of spirits and a giant, eel-like creature known as inkanyamba. Zulu sangomas (witch doctors or diviners) come to the falls to pray and offer sacrifices of chickens and goats to inkulunkulu (the Great God), to the amathongo (spirits of the ancestors), and to the inkanyamba.

As good a place to do washing as any, I suppose!

The falls viewing platform can get quite crowded, especially at weekends, and buskers may entertain you (the Sunday we were there, two young men were playing violins). Just above the falls, a black lady was doing her laundry in the river, seemingly unconcerned by all the people ogling her. It was fascinating to witness this one example of local life continuing in spite of modern development.

The falls are special too because they are so close to the center of Howick town—a few minutes walk at most. Along the road behind the falls are many craft shops, simple craft stalls, people selling big bowls of mangoes and lychees, a couple of restaurants and tea shops, and a well-stocked Tourist Information Office. The selection of crafts is reasonably good (just check that they are made in South Africa!), and prices are not bad, especially for the cloths and wall hangings with traditional African patterns and motifs. Note the shell shop, which has all kinds of shell articles, plus you can buy shells to make your own necklaces or craft items.

Beautiful shell items

 

 

 

 

 

When we were there, Yellowwood Café was a nice place to stop for a snack lunch, sitting outside under a huge flamboyant tree, soothed by the sound of falling water.

Lovely beaded butterflies for sale



The Midlands Meander is a well-organized system of drives in this pretty countryside, its symbol the Butler butterfly, found only in the Karkloof region. It extends about 80 km between Pietermaritzburg and Mooi River and can be approached from many different points. It began in 1985 when several potters and weavers came together to create an arts and crafts route through the region. Today, the roads meander between small towns, with a focus on around 150 special craft shops, tearooms, restaurants, craft and potters’ stalls, art galleries and studios. For example, we noted a goat farm that makes goat cheese, called Swissland Cheese; and a German restaurant, called Bierfassl. But, shops come and go so check with the Tourist Information Office first. The Midlands Meander also offers active outdoor activities, like horse riding, hiking, tubing, swimming, biking, canopy tours, and fishing.

This is a pleasant gentle way to see a bit of this countryside—green, rolling, soft, pastoral, which some liken to parts of England. The names of the towns even sound a bit English—Tweedie, Lidgetton, Balgowan, Nottingham Road.

You can get a map either in Pietermaritzburg or Howick, and then follow the brown road signs. (But, note that the map isn’t 100% accurate and doesn’t mark all the small roads).

www.midlandsmeander.co.za

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Nelson Mandela Capture Site in South Africa

An unusual twist to commemoration. One of the World’s Only Monuments to a Criminal Arrest and a Remarkable Visual Illusion

Entrance road to the site

 

A group of school kids visit the small Apartheid Museum on site

Nelson Mandela, the revered South African statesman and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, died recently in December 2013 at age 95. Many aspects of the life of this beloved figure are well-known, via the world media, through his autobiography “Long Walk to Freedom” and, more recently, the movie “Mandela” based on his life.

However, he was not always revered, at least not by the white Apartheid Government, who regarded him as an activist, a terrorist, a saboteur. In August 1962 he was returning from guerilla training in North Africa, having been on the run from the SA Security Police for 17 months. He was on his way from Durban to Johannesburg and was arrested on 5^th August, 1962, at a point on the main R103 road near Lions River and a few kilometers from the town of Howick in Kwa-Zulu-Natal Province. Those were his last minutes as a free man and the first day of his 27 years imprisonment, most of them spent on Robben Island, 9km from the mainland near Cape Town.

In South Africa, and in other parts of the world, are many statues of Mandela—such as the huge new statue erected in the gardens of the Uni Gebou (Government Buildings) in Pretoria after his death, and one in Washington DC. His name also graces many streets, and schools, and in Johannesburg the locals are proud of the Nelson Mandela Bridge in Newtown.

Many people, however, do not know about another Mandela monument in South Africa. This is one of the world’s only monuments to a criminal arrest—a monument to the arrest of Nelson Mandela.

Original plaque, erected in 1996

The original monument, in 2005

At the spot where Mandela was arrested, the Howick Town Council in 1996 erected a small, unassuming monument to honor that place and event. We knew about it, luckily, and visited in 2005. The Monument wasn’t too far from the village, along a side road. The Monument, although not grand or imposing, stimulated a lively discussion among the people in our van. They thought it was significant to have a monument to the capture of a person, and especially because that person was Nelson Mandela, who proved to be a wonderful person and who changed the face of South African (and the world’s) politics. So, in retrospect, his capture was an event to be marked, after his subsequent release and rise to fame and power.

At the old monument today

Powerful New Capture Monument

On August 6, 2012, for the 50^th anniversary of Mandela’s arrest, a new, much more impressive Monument was unveiled, and is now designated as the National Capture Monument. This new sculpture was made possible by funds and donations from many different departments and organizations in South Africa.  It has evolved from a small insignificant sight, to a major political pilgrimage for many. This seems fitting, as in those intervening 50 years much happened, to Mandela himself, to his image and legacy, and to the country.

We were able to visit this new monument in March this year, on a cool drizzly day.

The new monument across the road from the old—it’s not what it seems

The new monument is just across the road from the original smaller one, which is still there, but the approach is further up the side road where you find parking, a shop, a theater, and a museum to Apartheid, with special reference to Mandela. After parking, you walk down a long paved path (like a Long Walk to Freedom), designed by architect Jeremy Rose, and ahead and below you see rolling green hills and a cluster of black steel poles. You might wonder what all the fuss is about but carry on walking and at a designated spot you’ll suddenly see the face of Mandela emerge from the poles.

Rod stands between the poles, showing their size, but not the inherent portrait

This impressive sculpture by artist Marco Cianfanelli consists of 50 black steel poles between 8-10 meters (26-32 feet) tall. They are arranged in a special pattern that gives the viewer a flat image of the face of Nelson Mandela facing West, when approached from the foot path leading down towards it, at a marked point exactly 35 meters (113 feet) away. From that position the laser-cut steel poles line up to create the illusion of a perfectly flat image. The 50 steel columns represent the 50 years since his capture. They also portray the idea of many making a whole and of solidarity.

It’s incredible because, as you walk along the footpath, the seemingly random bunch of steel poles starts to change until you see a face emerge. See series of photos below to see the face emerge.

The site’s not difficult to find: While en route either to the Southern Drakensberg Mountains or between Durban and Johannesburg, you can detour off the N3, taking the Howick off-ramp in either direction. You can visit Howick to look at the famous Howick Falls, one of South Africa’s highest falls, and also to see the Mandela Monument. Both are free.

The falls, although narrow, have a deep, rocky gorge, and from the viewing platform you can watch intrepid rock climbers, and musicians will probably serenade you. If you have time, it’s also fun to drive along all, or part of, the Midlands Meander, a drive through pretty countryside with rolling green hills past many craft and artisanal food shops—all very tempting.

Walking down the long path—see the cluster of black poles on the far right

An extraordinary effect as we get closer

Mandela’s portrait begins to emerge

The poles line up

An amazing visual feat!

 

 

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