Grand Adventures: Jozi

Guest Blogger: Nathaniel Bruhn

Three months ago, after leaving the wilds of Kruger National Park, we arrived in the sprawling city of Johannesburg at 9:30pm and immediately got lost. After numerous u-turns and running countless red lights (our guide book says don’t stop at red lights at night), we finally drove through the large gates of our hostel. We would later adjust to the sight of walls surrounding every house, including living behind walls ourselves, but after a month travelling through rural areas, the walls were jarring. We were told that Johannesburg was a walled city, but we didn’t know what that meant until we got lost in the maze of walls on that first night.

Johannesburg is large and its reputation larger. For the past few years, my law school has not sent students to Johannesburg due to high crime rates. Arriving late at night and without good directions, we weren’t yet in a place to dispel some of the misconceptions. Two weeks ago, the chance arose to go back and visit. We took it, and had a much different experience.

Johannesburg is the wealthiest city on the continent. The discovery of gold in 1886 turned the once rural area into a sprawling city in little time. Under apartheid, the largest townships in the country were situated on the outskirts of the city, most notably Soweto. Those same townships were at the core of the anti-apartheid movement, fostering its leaders and giving rise to some of the most brutal confrontations.

We came to Johannesburg to attend a hearing at the Constitutional Court, the highest court in the land. The function of the Court is similar to the U.S. Supreme Court, but the building could not be more different. The Court sits on Constitutional Hill, an expanse that formerly housed a notorious prison. The Court is decorated by art from around South Africa, and each justice sits behind a cowhide – an important symbol in many of South Africa’s different ethnic groups. The stretch of hides represents the united front of the Court in upholding the Constitution, while each hide’s singular markings represents each justice’s individual judicial approach. The case before the court was one my organization was arguing. We spent half a day with the lawyers from my office watching the hearings.

After the hearing, we stayed on for the weekend in Johannesburg. We took a bike tour of Soweto, visiting the home of Nelson Mandela and the sites of historic import, while also touring the streets of the still growing and increasingly economically diverse city within a city. Soweto is home to over 4 million residents. We watched a one-man show at the Market Theatre, known for its progressive productions. And on our last day, we visited the Apartheid Museum. We had been told that the museum takes time to work through, and when we left having only seen half the museum, we are readily dispensing the same advice. The museum is incredible. However, I do work with some who fought in the anti-apartheid movement and take issue with the museum’s singular focus on the success of the ANC (the now ruling party that was at the front of the anti-apartheid movement).

With half a museum still to visit, we are lucky to be returning to Johannesburg for two days before starting our journey home. We will take in one more show at the Market Theatre and return to the Apartheid Museum to pick up where we left off.