It is Travel Tuesday. During this time, where we are not allowed out of our homes let alone the country, I want to take this opportunity to share some of my jaunts around the world.
Now you wouldn’t think that it could ever be normal to arrive at a museum, be given a ticket telling you which side of the fight you were on, and then be given a different entrance depending on that ticket.
At the apartheid museum in Johannesburg this is exactly what happens. As you can see from the gallery above.
This museum takes you through life during the apartheid both sides of the story, no holes barred, the full gruesome history that it is. The highs and the lows. Upon entering you walk through an outside area with glass boards (for want of a better word ) With people so you are walking with them up to a view over Johannesburg and the surrounding area. Each of these people have a story that connects them to the fight, whether it be family members for themselves. George Bizos is one of them, a Greek immigrant, who joined Mandela’s legal battle in his fight for freedom.
Inside the museum you walk through the history of the oppression and the apartheid, with interactive galleries available as well as boards and images. Some images have been created such a so many hangmans noose hanging from the ceiling to signify the people who died for the cause. Videos from different massacres all over the country.
The museum itself it quite quiet other than the hub bub of the usual noise of people passing through. There are headphones to hear different testimonies, and in the galleries with videos, the video is hushed.
I do not want to ruin all of the museum for you but I am not going to lie to you, it is a heart wrenching museum, I spent 2.5 hours there looking through. I could not take in even half of the information before I had to leave, and yet I still cam out having learnt so much and yet feeling as through I have not scratched the surface of this great topic.
I would seriously recommend this museum to everyone who visits Johannesburg, it is on the Hop On Hop Off bus route so easy to get there and back from the city. There is a shop and a lovely cafe at the end of it, with outdoor seating if the weather is good. You can even tag it on with a visit to Soweto to see Mandela house and there are plenty of other museums to help you understand this era of history throughout the city.
Helpful Haz 