Archive | South Africa

Soweto

A huge mountain-like dump of toxic soil taken from mines right in Soweto is symbolic for what it was and still is: a synonym for poverty, struggle and racial discrimination, to this very day. Would anybody dream of littering the wealthy northern suburbs of Johannesburg with dangerous substances? The half-hearted attempts to keep the toxic dust from spreading in the neighborhood by planting trees, grass and sprinkling water on it is painfully revealing how little progress has been made so far…

Chico, a former resident of Soweto, took me around in his car for hours, telling me about the history, the people, the living conditions and problems that people still face here. Nevertheless, he also pointed out the signs of progress.

Soweto,- Picture by Helen Rempel

Visitors just breezing through may find it difficult to discover the charm of this city. Moving around Johannesburg is either costly or difficult: cabs are ridiculously expensive and the public transport system can be tough for newly arrivals: which minibus to take; on top of that you need to know the correct sign for flagging down the right minibus: a raised index finger stands for “center”, just to give an example.

Melville International Backpackers is where I checked in, located in a peaceful, middle class neighborhood of the same name. It looked the most attractive one after browsing the various website and most important, it advertised that walking around the neighborhood was safe and easy.