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Soweto is an acronym for
southwest’s townships. Johannesburg lies to the Northeast. Their
development is intertwined with the discovery of gold. It is a city
formed of twenty five separate communities or townships covering forty
square miles. It is populated by approximately four million people and
is by far the largest black community in South Africa.
Gold was discovered in
1886 and there was an explosion of migration to the area. Soweto was then a
barren plain. The mines and the growing city of Johannesburg needed cheap
labor and Africans needing work migrated to the area. This was the
beginning of racial separation be continued later by the apartheid regime.
Kliptown and Sophiatown were established for blacks and colored only. The
history of Soweto is rich in the struggle against this policy. |
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"It’s a wedding!"
Patty informs us, anticipating the question,
arriving in Soweto for the first time, all eyes, he had just noticed a large
group of well dressed people marching down the street singing.
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Traditionally in the village
the bride’s family forms a procession over to the groom’s house,” He
explained as he parked on the road side. We tumbled out of the van and
joined the excitement, the singing continues, a crowd gathered and soon the
groom and his family emerged answering in song, and the street is filled
with joyous singing and dancing. |
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Chris Nkomo, owner of
Dithabana Tours had a busy day planned for us, including
a stop at Othandweni
Family Center in Mofolo
South. The nursery cares for up
to forty abandoned babies at a time, thirty percent of whom are currently
testing positive for the H.I.V. virus
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We are told babies are
abandoned by mothers too young to care for them or who are H.I.V. positive.
However, all are placed back in homes within the community before the age of
four years. There are also five cottages for older children. |
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Wandie's Place is a popular stop. |
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Morris
Isaacson High School in Soweto, scene of a student uprising in the 1970s. |
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Hector
Peterson Memorial - first student
killed in Soweto student uprising protesting the restriction to speaking
Afrikaans in school. |
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Photographer with new friends in a Dube Village, Soweto Shabeen.
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Children skipping rope in the driveway in the house where I spent eight days
in Soweto. |
| Gauteng
Province / Soweto / Johannesberg |
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Protea Gold Reef City,
located 9 miles South of downtown Johannesburg - Tel #011-27-11-248-5700 |
Protea Gold Reef City, located 9 miles South of downtown Johannesburg, Gold Reef City is a recreation of a
turn-of-the-century gold mining boom town. Now an amusement park and
casino complex, it is built around the number 14 mine shaft more than 700
feet below the ground which is part of the richest gold mine in the world. Interior
in the classic Victorian style from the turn-of-the-century. We stayed
at Protea hotels in several locations and noticed that each hotel in the
Protea family has a distinct personality. In particular, their
breakfasts were excellent, featuring fresh fruits and juices, omelets made
to order, and hot and cold cereals.
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Peter
Mthiba, Masi Makhalamele, Thabang Makhalamele and Victoria Makhalamele |
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The View
Guesthouse,
Thembisa
Township, Shiela
Sikhita, telephone #011
926 1731, 082 599 2487 Email: theviewguesthouse@54.co.za |
Staff of
Sheila Sikhita's View Guest House, Thembisa Township - Five Star service and
accommodations with a location convenient to Johannesburg Airport. On
the day of our visit, Hector (center) the manager and Tiny (right back row)
the Chef, prepared Ting, a beef and chicken stew, Mogodu, ox tripe, sweet
and sour carrots, Greek salad, beet root salad and raisin bread pudding |
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Gaaba
Motho Cultural Village in Rosslyn, North West Province
- is the vision of Lekau Mokoene. Here he explains traditional African
ways while local girls pound grain into flour. |
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Zulu
dancing and music performed by members of the Lesedi Village staff.
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Zulu
Hut in the Lesedi Village, a cultural village in Gauteng. In Gauteng Province,
Lesedi Village is a lodging experience that allows you to experience
traditional village life. An
exhibition of song and dance was a part of the experience at the Lesedi. |
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Bathuthukile Tourism Services
- Refilwe Mathe, Tour Guide Operator - Telephone # 011-27-906-3012 Email:
matherefilwe@hotmail.com |
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"We show
tourists South African life, we go into Townships, we do homestays.
You've got the Hilton and all these luxury hotels, the Sheratons, in your
country as well, so why do you want to come to South Africa and stay there?
Rather, stay and meet the people and their culture and stay in a township or
a homestay." Marius Barnard, Gauteng Province Tour Operator (third
from left in photo) |
| Gauteng
Province Tour Operators (contact
information follows)
Dawn's Tours
- Dawn Citto - Email
dawnstours@yahoo.co.uk
Community Tourism
- Moshito Wa Tshawane Community
Tourism, Tel #012-337-4427 P.O. Box 6339, Pretoria, 002 South Africa
Wonderful Tours and
Transfers - Peter Molala & Obert
Nangara - Tel #011-27-11-394-7662 - Email
info@wonderful-tours.co.za
and website
www.wonderful-tours.co.za
Merafe Tours &
Transfers - Alice Joala - Tour
Guide - 17 Aluta Avenue, Hospital View, Tembisa 1632 South Africa - Tel/Fax
#011-27-926-1731 Email
theviewguesthouse@54.co.za
Gauteng
Provincial Government - Terry Tselane, Cheif
Executive Officer, Gauteng Tourism Authority,
The Rosebank Mall, 2196, gauteng, South Africa Tel 011-27-11-340-9000 Email
terry@gauteng.net
Website
www.gauteng.net
Merafe Tours &
Transfers - Isaac Ramerafe Tour Guide - Tel/Fax
# 011-27-11-926-1731 Email
theviewguesthouse@54.co.za
Website
www.sheilasviewguestmrinfo.co.za
Sindi's Tours and
Transfers - 118 Jorissen Str, Braamfontein, JHB
Tel 011-27-403-0399 Email
sindistoursandtransfers@ssws.co.za Web
www.sindistours.co.za |
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We now
invite you to continue with me on my visit through South Africa, viewing
each region, its people, culture and music, through my photographic lens.
I have also included additional features on World AIDS Day and a Travel
Information Section which provides information on tour organizations and
lodging. Please click on the specific feature that you wish to access
below:
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