Being Caught

Today, January 7th, was a very relaxed and laid back day. We only visited one museum, which is where 12 members (the leaders) of the ANC where captured by the police. This area is known as Liliesleaf.

At Liliesleaf we got a tour guide named Tracey, and she told us that this is maybe one of the most important historical sites in South Africa. She then took us around the museum, but the cool thing was that this wasn’t like any old traditional museum; it was 1. interactive and 2. the actual home where the ANC members were caught. This museum had a lot of different exhibits with many videos, and the videos where on the people that were being mentioned in the museum. That is what I found amazing! We were able to hear from the people that were caught or that caught them. We were able to hear from the prison warden that helped four of the prisoners escape, and we were able to really get a first hand perspective on the event. I enjoyed being able to see where these men were captured, how many escaped, how many were acquitted, and how many were actually imprisoned.

It has been hard to see these videos and exhibits at times, especially because the videos and images where from people that actually lived through these events, but I really appreciated that the museum had these first-person narrations. As usual, I talked a little with Tracey about the country and Mandela’s legacy. She said that there will never be anyone like Nelson Mandela again, and that all people care about now is lining their own pockets. I could not agree more, because in some area’s Nelson Mandela’s vision lives on, but in others it is almost completely gone.

I also noticed, as we drive through the streets in Joburg, that there are a lot of people in the streets asking for money with signs and selling knick knacks. This is also very much like Mexico, and another time that I find myself being very surprised because the similarities between our two countries is uncanny. It is sad though that the similarities that I see between our two countries is in these areas; hopefully one day our similarities will be more positive. As I had mentioned at the beginning of the post, today was a very laid back day. After Liliesleaf we went to Thirdspace cafe where we had lunch and are now chilling, working on our blogs and enjoying some non-intermittent wifi.