Thursday 29 August 2013

The Old Prison at Constitution Hill

August is Women's Month in South Africa and throughout the month one of Joburg's most interesting historical sites - the prison on Constitution Hill - have been offering free entrance for women and you can get a free guided tour too!

It seemed like a great deal and with little thought as to what this place actually was I ambled along for some Wednesday afternoon sightseeing. Little did I know what I was letting myself in for. This museum offers up a no-holds-barred, dark and disturbing glimpse into the depths of South Africa's recent history. In parts it is a harrowing experience. But also one I cannot recommend highly enough. Constitution Hill is a fantastic museum and all the people who work there are wonderful. It is disturbing, powerful, historical, educational, frightening in some places and beautiful in others. Very well worth visiting.




Please note: The Constitutional Court is also based here. This is an inspirational piece of modern architecture that enshrines all of modern South Africa's freedoms. Built from the rubble of former prison blocks it is designed to be open, accessible and transparent. I had just missed the last guided tour of the day by the time I got round to this bit, so I didn't get to enjoy what I am sure would have been a very uplifting end to my visit. Hopefully I'll get  to see inside next time.


Number Four

Number Four was the name given to the prison block set over for 'native men' (essentially all non-white males). It was built between 1902 and 1904 and almost from its very beginning was overcrowded and insanitary.

One of the first famous people to be imprisoned here was Mahatma Gandhi who was jailed for violating pass laws and for leading the satyagraha movement in Johannesburg. There is a nice exhibit which explains Gandhi's work in Johannesburg and details how he spent his time in the prison. This is the only museum I know of in Johannesburg that really looks at one of the city's most incredible former residents (there's also an exhibit in Museum Africa, but in my opinion it is not nearly as good).


Gandhi made these sandals in prison and gave them to General Smuts before he left for India. 25 years later Smuts returned them saying "I have worn these sandals for many a summer, even though I may feel that I am not worthy to stand in the shoes of so great a man"

After the Gandhi rooms the prison yard slopes down hill with the surrounding cells left almost exactly as they were when people were last prisoners here. The paint is peeling, the creaky thick steel doors are left ajar, there are blankets on the floor, rusty, dirt filled toilets sit in the corner of the rooms. Videos are also projected onto the walls of former prisoners giving first hand testimony of what it was like to be incarcerated here.

Prisoners at Number Four were not separated according to their crimes and each prisoner received the same inhumane treatment. Political prisoners, murderers, communists, shoplifters, rapists, gangsters and those who had infringed the absurd 'pass laws' (forbidding non-white people to travel into white areas without a special 'pass') all shared the same huge cells.





Prisoners were routinely strip searched in the most humiliating ways and starved for days as punishment. There was torture, beatings, hard labour, rape and gang violence. Number Four was a place of indescribable cruelty.

At the bottom of the prison yard you reach a watch tower which hangs over the entrance to the 'isolation cells'. To the left is a room which shows how prisoners attempted to find beauty and humanity during their imprisonment by making artworks out of their prison blankets and creating trinkets from butt ends and pieces of scrap paper.




To the right is a room which details the methods used to torture prisoners. The weapons are kept in a large metal case which has little windows which you can glimpse through to see pieces of whips, batons, cuffs, metal rods...There's also a horrible device on display which the prisoners would be tied to. It was last used in 1983. There was a video testimony projected on the back wall, but I have to be honest, I chickened out. I couldn't take any more of that room, it was terrifying, I had to get out.





I then walked down to the 'isolation cells'. These are tiny cupboard like cells where prisoners would be kept for days at a time and left to survive on only rice water. It is said that these cells are haunted. Now, I am not trying to joke around here, I am convinced that there are bad spirits here. I was the only one down there at the time and I swear I could not go through those doors - it just felt like an evil place, there was something horrible about the air. I walked down to get near them, heard a door bang somewhere and decided to get the hell out of there.


The netting on top is rusty barbed wire

The Women's Gaol

Women were also held prisoner at Constitution Hill, in segregated areas for whites and non-whites. The conditions in the white cells were considerably better than elsewhere, although the white women were also made to perform hard labour, were beaten and subjected to extended periods in solitary confinement -  sometimes for months at a time.



The majority of female non-white prisoners during apartheid were locked up here for not carrying their passbooks. Often it was a simple case of a woman from a township coming to shop at a cheaper city centre supermarket and not having her documents with her when approached by the police. In the last years of apartheid when black people began to live in previously fancy all-white areas such as Hillbrow, black women were put in prison here for 'crimes' such as; holding hands with a white man (the white man was not prosecuted) and for being a suspected prostitute (which in the case detailed at the museum meant walking through Hillbrow in high fashion designer clothes).



Pregnant women and those with babies were not given preferential treatment and over the years hundreds of children were born and spent the first years of their lives inside these walls. As a particularly cruel and unnecessary rule women were stripped of their shoes and underwear on arrival. They were given one sanitary pad which they had to tie to the tops of their legs for the week when they had their period. They even had to show the warders that they were bleeding to get one. Female campaigners in the 1970s successfully forced the prison to provide underwear and suitable sanitary protection for the women of Constitution Hill.


The Old Fort

After all that misery I didn't really feel like taking in another prison exhibit and was seriously feeling the need to see sunshine, breathe the fresh air of freedom and see people happily going about their day (I saw only one other visitor during my whole time in Number Four). A walk along the fort ramparts was the perfect thing to do.

The Old Fort at the centre of the Constitution Hill complex was originally built under Paul Kruger as a defensive fortress to protect against the British during the Anglo-Boer war. Following the war it was turned into a prison for white men. One notable exception to that rule is Nelson Mandela who was held here during the Rivonia Trial.





The ramparts provide a fantastic view over the skyscrapers of the CBD and a tantalising glimpse into the tower blocks and bustling streets of Hillbrow. As I've mentioned before Hillbrow was once a fancy white suburb. Nowadays it strikes fear into the hearts of many Joburgers and is often declared a bit of a no-go zone. It has many run-down or derelict buildings, is desperately overcrowded and has problems with drugs and crime. That said, I know that Hillbrow is also probably amongst the most vibrant and interesting parts of this city. I pass through there all the time on the bus and the streets exude a special kind of enticing warmth and inimitable African urbanity.

Now, I'm not about to go on a sightseeing stroll by myself on a Wednesday afternoon through Hillbrow – definitely don't have the cojones to do that any time soon. But I will find my way into happening Hillbrow somehow (most likely with one of the awesome local tour guides). Just watch this space!








And finally...The Two Talking Yonis #1


In the women's jail, as part of Women's Month, there was a special art installation by Reshma Chhiba. As the blurb had it: “it appeals to spiritual power and defiance”. 
Maybe I had to see a man walk awkwardly through this to get the full experience... ;)

The Talking Yoni is a giant, soft and squidgy, walk-in vagina.



How I got there: It is really easy to get to Constitution Hill. Just walk straight up the hill from Park Station and follow the signs (about a 10-15min walk). 
Open: 09:00 - 17:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 15:00. Make sure you arrive early, there's lots to see.

Monday 26 August 2013

Fordsburg Night Market

One of the things which makes Johannesburg a really exciting city to relocate to is its genuinely rainbow-like abundance of different cultural groups. Much like London or New York, this city has attracted immigrants from across the globe and they've all developed their own little corners, incorporating their indigenous styles and cultural identities into the fabric of the city.



The ethnic group most identifiable in the area where I live (Melrose/Illovo) is the Jewish community. On the floor of my apartment block, ten out of the 15 flats are Jewish. Some of the apartment blocks here even have their own temples! The Chinese community has their own Chinatown in Cyrildene, the Congolese are well set up in Yeoville's Rocky Road and Joburg's vibrant Indian/Pakistani/Bengali community is largely based in colourful Fordsburg, just west of the CBD.

During apartheid the government forced the "coloured" community to move out of Fordsburg, where they had established their own community, and made them relocate to the far off township of Lenasia (past Soweto). They did however let Asian business owners keep their shops - on the condition that they remain within the specially designated Asia Mall. Despite being forced to live several miles from their stores, the community's businesses continued to thrive through the difficulties of apartheid. Now that apartheid has long since passed the Asian community has reclaimed the streets of Fordsburg and the area is now bursting with a new generation of immigrants from the Indian sub-continent, further adding to the vibrant street life. 21st Century Fordsburg is a fantastic place to shop, eat, get a haircut, visit a tailor…you name it, you can find it here.

The most fun time to come to Fordsburg is Saturday evening when the night market is in full swing. During the night market the area around the main thoroughfare Mint Street fills with stalls selling clothes, jewellery, DVDs, Bollywood films, spices, sparkly shoes and lots and lots of street food. The predominantly Muslim community turn out in their finest clothes to wander the streets, shop, eat, get beauty treatments, gossip and meet with friends.




We parked up a few blocks from Mint Street with empty stomachs and went in search of some top quality Indian food. Following our noses we quickly found ourselves drawn to the smoking street-side grill of the Tikka House where at least 20 tandoori chickens were being grilled over an open fire. With our stomachs happily filled we then went looking for stuff to buy. Like all good Asian markets you arrive in search of food and then decide you want to buy 10 of the latest blockbusters on pirate DVD, a handful of jewellery, a bucket-load of spices and maybe some incense to top it off. Incidentally if you are looking for variations on the traditional long black Muslim abaya…there are at least 50 shops to choose from.







Our next task was to find the Juice Den which Heather Mason of 2summers.net had highly recommended to me. Here they grind up fresh sugar cane and mix it up with freshly squeezed juices and ice into a very satisfying drink. I had orange and cane juice, although there were more exciting options like guava, carrot and avocado to choose from too.



My husband wasn't going to leave Fordsburg without getting a 30 Rand haircut at the Asian barbers and I certainly wasn't going to walk past the Sweetmeats bakery without getting some sticky treats to take home. I have no idea exactly what it was I bought - but what the hey, it was nyom!




How we got there: Fordsburg is located to the west of Newtown which is easily accessed on the Rea Vaya. It is not at all recommended to walk here from Newtown after dark though - the industrial wasteland in between is dark, creepy and super sketchy. Essentially the night market is best reached by car. Park where you can and you will find there's no shortage of car guards around to watch your wheels.

Thursday 22 August 2013

Newtown's awesome graffiti

Newtown, just west of Joburg's Central Business District (CBD) is marketed as the city's 'arts and culture precinct'. It's crammed with museums such as Museum Africa, the Worker's Museum, the SciBono science museum and the SAB World of Beer. It also has some of the city's most famous music and theatre venues such as the Bassline, the Dance Factory and the Market Theatre, while the area's long history is outlined in a sign-posted heritage trail.

Mary Fitzgerald Square with big business looming large in the background
Follow these wooden heads to find your way around the Heritage Trail
The SciBono Museum which sits just across the road from the SAB World of Beer
Museum Africa
By the end of this year Newtown will also have a massive mall called the Newtown Junction. They are busy building it now close to the site of some 'old potato sheds' (sounds pretty basic, but the sheds are apparently pretty historic) right next to the motorway fly-over. By the time it is finished it will be the biggest mall in downtown Joburg and Newtown's escape from post-industrial decline will be complete.

The Turbine Hall. Once a power station it is now a popular venue for weddings and events
Newtown's streets and squares honour the many famous Joburgers who made their mark on this area, particularly musicians. There is a Miriam Makeba street (named after the popular 1950s jazz star), and Gerard Sekoto, Gwigwi Mrwebi and Margaret mcinigana (also famous jazz musicians/singers) streetsThe central square is named after Mary Fitzgerald, an activist and trade unionist who led protests against poor conditions in the mines in the early 1900s. Many of the pavements have plaques on them dedicated to famous South African jazz musicians and outside the Bassline Club is a statue of the late pop star Brenda Fassie, best known for her smash hit record Weekend Special. Once dubbed 'the Madonna of the townships' she sadly died of a drug overdose in 2004.

Brenda Fassie

Taking a stroll through this more famous part of downtown Jozi, the thing which really strikes you the most though is the street art. The walls, gates, pillars and streets of Newtown are covered in bright murals and graffiti tags and around every corner there is something cool to look at. If you like graffiti, this is the place to come.












Wednesday 21 August 2013

Mandela Unite at the FNB Stadium

It's difficult to describe just how important Nelson Mandela (or Tata Madiba as he is more affectionately known), is in South Africa. He's a national hero, an inspirational figure, someone who changed the world. He is so many things it's difficult to know where to start. His name is often attached to many events, such as Mandela day which is dedicated to volunteering and donating your time to the community, Mandela Month and Mandela Unite which has similar fund-raising intentions and is dedicated to sports and culture.


On the weekend of 17th August there were numerous events in Joburg held under the Mandela Unite banner - by far the largest was the Sports and Culture Day at the FNB Stadium (also known as Soccer City) in Soweto. The day boasted a 'legends' football match where great Italian players of years gone by, played against their ageing South African counterparts. This was followed by a pretty lack lustre match between the Bafana Bafana (South Africa) 2nd football team and Burkina Faso's 2nd/3rd team players. Bafana Bafana won 2-0. We missed it. Nobody was disappointed.

The real highlight of the day which everyone had turned up for though was the rugby - the South African Springboks versus Argentina. The match was part of the Four Nations tournament (Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa) and this being a rugby obsessed nation it was not difficult to fill the massive 95,000 seater stadium.

We arrived at the FNB after having a few drinks in town by taking the free Metrorail train shuttle which had been organised specially for the event. The Metrorail has a reputation for being a bit dangerous at times (apparently), although thankfully (unless that is you were trying to sneak in a can of beer on the way) the train was full of cops.

Metrorail view: The colours of the stadium match quite well with the wintery Highveld
Gah, so excited to be here!
I've seen a few famous stadiums in my time (San Siro in Milan and the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow stick out particularly in my mind), but the FNB is by far the most beautiful. It was built for the 2010 World Cup and is designed to resemble a calabash (a type of African pot or gourd). It is seriously impressive and has one heck of an atmosphere. It's typically South African - festive and friendly. Practically everyone was kitted out in the vibrant Springboks colours, and yes there were a lot of vuvuzelas around. We skipped on the chance to buy one, but did instead have ourselves branded with Mandela Unite/Springboks face paints.





In the end the match itself was so hopelessly one-sided as to become just a backdrop for friendly banter and beer drinking. The Springboks won 73-13. We enjoyed the fried chicken and the cold beers in clever stacking cups. There were Mexican waves and a lot of jumping around and flag waving. In fact the atmosphere was so fun it took us a while before we noticed that someone had gently been through our pockets and stolen our phones...doh!


This man is carrying 8 pints in one hand - what a pro!

In Africa you're never far from fried chicken
Following the sports came the culture. The sound was unfortunately atrocious and we left after about 20 minutes. There were apparently some reasonably famous musicians from across Africa in attendance, but an hour past the sports and the stadium was already half empty.


Getting back to town was not as straightforward as arriving. The next train wasn't leaving for another two hours, so we instead hopped on the Rea Vaya bus. The route took us through the CBD before turning off to travel through Troyeville, Yeoville and Hillbrow. It seemed to take forever and for a moment when we were the only people still on it we were starting to worry we would get dropped in the seriously bad part of town. Fortunately we eventually tumbled out of the bus in the dark at the safety of Park Station and stumbled off for a drink in a nearby bar. 

We still haven't decided which local football team we want to support - the Kaiser Chiefs or the Orlando Pirates. However, one thing is for sure - we have to choose soon! The football season is starting up again and I cannot wait to go back and enjoy the electric buzz of the FNB Stadium again.