My first full day was spent with my friend Ans who works at the Hillbrow Anglican Church. After breakfast at Kensington apartments where I stayed and a brief walk around the area we cspent the day visiting Soweto, the CArlton Centre to look at Joburg from the tallest city building and then went to a flat owned by a blind woman who accompanied us today.
Ans and I ended the day at an amazing restaurant set up in Zulu style. I was falling asleep as she drove me home at 8.30pm - jet lag is kicking in. Sunday morning I am goig to church at Hillbrow where I ahve been asked to speak athe homeless persons' service as well as being interviewed in the main service.
Sunday afternoon is off to Durban where I will be collected and driven the two hours to Bergville. A guest house tonight before setting up Monday in a Zulu village.
They even had face painting for adults
Our beautiful waitress Senzile "Ptience" Dube
Tradional Zulu custom before eating
The restaurant was huge and literally had hundreds of tables inside and out following the lake and the park. We seated ourselves outside with views of the lake.
Moyo Restaurant is Zulu and these waitresses are dressed in Zulu dress.
It was amazing watching this mother tie her child on to her back.
Moyo Restaurant where we had dinner
Zoo Lake - an oasis in the middle of Joburg.
The view from Ans' apartment - Hillbrow is where the large tower stands.
Lots of construction sites
From the "Top of Africa" viewing deck CArlton Centre Joburg 51 stories high
A suburban shopping centre in Joburg
Sowto is getting one of the six stadia being built for 2010 World Cup
The mining industry is what brought the blacks to Joburg and drove the townships establishments
Hills in the background are from the waste of the mining industry
More commerce
Moving bricks - lots of building going on in Soweto
A shop of some description
There was lots of green in Soweto
One road in and out of Soweto - Just like in the apartheid days.
Images of Soweto
Outside the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Soweto where there are hundreds of churches to serve the four million people living there.
Just down the road is Desmond Tutu's house. Soweto is the only address which has two Nobel Laureates living in the same street. Despite the security Soweto appeared much safer to me than Joburg.
Mandela's house in Soweto was closed for renovation. It is classified as a cultural siteof significance. He lived her prior to his imprisonment and wife Winnie owns it
My friend Ans who showed me around today, Zarina and her cousin Rafiz
The towers symbolise Soweto
I was accompanied today by Zarina Khan, a blind friend of Ans who naviagates in motor rallies, ridesa tandem bike and has held down a full time job for over twenty years. She has also been overseas a few times. She equatd disability with wheelchair.
Addressing the HIV AIDS issue
Hector Pieterson was the twelve year old boy who was the first shot in the Soweto protests against introduction of Afrikaans language into schools in 1976. He was the symbol of resisatnce to apartheid which saw 600 killed - many school students included. The end of the line is where he was shot
This beautiful Sotho woman explained it took her and a friend four days to do her hair. She operated the Shack cofee shop nextto the museum. She grew up in Soweto she told us
Images of Soweto
Traders outside the Hector Pieterson museum Soweto
Some are more creative asthetically in keeping unwanted people out. On my walk this morning I saw at least half a dozen houses with gardners and maids arriving to start work. Gardens are immaculately maintained.
Security is everywhere in Joburg. The pet food industry must be profitale from all the dogs I saw this morning. BIG!
In any other city the houses in this street would be worth millions of A$ but I was told by my host at the apartments a half acre parlike block with a house of mansion size would be worth as little as $A300K less than ten minutes fro the city
High walls are common topped with electic wiring
A 5 minute walk from my accommodation revealed a prosperous middle class area. This si still predominantlt white.
Kensington cottages in Joburg - $A55 a night. Quite adequate and comfortable.
Mopanya Mall Soweto with Busi - See script below
One of the hundreds of markets in Soweto
My South African friends may recognise this name. It was a main road in Soweto
Dube train station - Soweto has many suburbs. It is bigger in population than Joburg.
The South African government has built three million houses since 1994 to house the population. Busi's parents had this house given to them (along with the other 3M people. It was built to lock up and they had to put up the walls etc. Many of these older houses are now quite elaborate as people have done extensions to the. A real positive for the government and best of all no costs to maintain them as people own them and are responsible for them.
Busi and her dad. She has never lved with her parents since young
The HIV message at the school
Busi's aunt's (who she calls mum) house where she has lived for over forty years still has washing facilities outside but no-one was complaining
Busi's sister (cousin) who she grew up with
Her mum (aunt)
Another "sister" we visited at work.
