The union buildings in Pretoria is where President Zuma and the executive branch of the South African government is housed. The grounds were lovely, a crew of gardeners keep the gardens well tended and the area is obviously a showcase for the government, but even here there are idiosyncratic reminders of the apartheid era. A giant Hertzog statue is center stage of both the gardens and the building itself. Hertzog was one of the founders of the move toward apartheid and for him to have such a prominent place on the executive grounds seems strange. I envision the statue of Saddam being pulled down in Iraq and wonder about those who left this statue standing as an eternal reminder.
There are many things I don’t understand about South Africa. For example, the Voertrekker monument honors the Boer pioneers who moved further inland when the British imperialist began to occupy the coastal areas of the country. They crossed the Drakensburg Mountains, displacing indigenous groups, especially the Zulu. Inside the monument are huge marble slabs, carved to represent the important evens of this Boer movement, called “The Great Trek.” It was the beginning of Boer nationalistic pride which leads eventually to apartheid. On one slab, Zulu warriors are carved attacking women and children, one woman with her breast nearly exposed is obviously at the mercy of the fierce Zulu warriors. The slabs illustrate the perspective of the Boer, the eternal victims, victims of the British and victims of the Zulu. No where do they show the Boer guns that chased the Zulus from their land or the Zulu children killed by forced starvation. My pictures could be great to teach about narrative perspective or propaganda.
Xolani returned to our merry band today, having spent some time with his family in Jo’burg, including baking cookies with his 14 year old sister. He doesn’t like the Voertrekker monument. After seeing it, I understand why. Together we watched three large groups of Afrikaner school children go on tours of the monument. We were both very curious about what they were being told by their teachers about the monument and its place in their history.
The only other eventful part of the day was our visit to Freedom Park, a park being built on the hill overlooking Pretoria which connects many of the historical places and has various parts to commemorate a variety of wounds from the nation, including apartheid and the AngloBoer War. The picture is of the eternal flame lit by Mbeki at the park. The park isn’t completely done, but the parts that are, are beautiful. However, 150,000 R on a park, when Kliptown has no electricity, plumbing, etc.?
There are many things I don’t understand about South Africa. For example, the Voertrekker monument honors the Boer pioneers who moved further inland when the British imperialist began to occupy the coastal areas of the country. They crossed the Drakensburg Mountains, displacing indigenous groups, especially the Zulu. Inside the monument are huge marble slabs, carved to represent the important evens of this Boer movement, called “The Great Trek.” It was the beginning of Boer nationalistic pride which leads eventually to apartheid. On one slab, Zulu warriors are carved attacking women and children, one woman with her breast nearly exposed is obviously at the mercy of the fierce Zulu warriors. The slabs illustrate the perspective of the Boer, the eternal victims, victims of the British and victims of the Zulu. No where do they show the Boer guns that chased the Zulus from their land or the Zulu children killed by forced starvation. My pictures could be great to teach about narrative perspective or propaganda.
Xolani returned to our merry band today, having spent some time with his family in Jo’burg, including baking cookies with his 14 year old sister. He doesn’t like the Voertrekker monument. After seeing it, I understand why. Together we watched three large groups of Afrikaner school children go on tours of the monument. We were both very curious about what they were being told by their teachers about the monument and its place in their history.
The only other eventful part of the day was our visit to Freedom Park, a park being built on the hill overlooking Pretoria which connects many of the historical places and has various parts to commemorate a variety of wounds from the nation, including apartheid and the AngloBoer War. The picture is of the eternal flame lit by Mbeki at the park. The park isn’t completely done, but the parts that are, are beautiful. However, 150,000 R on a park, when Kliptown has no electricity, plumbing, etc.?
The only other partially exciting thing that happened is that we left one of our troupe at the Kruger Museum, so much for our accountability system.
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