I went to the Apartheid Museum the morning of my last day in Johannesburg. I had some free time so I asked my driver, an intense Afrikaans guy called Kobus (pronounced Quivas) to take me. Kobus had never been before and I got the feeling he didn't really want to either.
When we got our tickets, we were each handed a card. His said "White" and mine said "Non-White." Then we had to enter the museum through different entrances, which made Kobus all tense. I don't know what Kobus saw in the Whites area, but I saw a lot of apartheid signs, documents and quotes from the time. It was jarring. Judging fom how quiet he was, I'm guessing Kobus wasn't looking at a bunch of Anne Geddes photos.
The museum told the complete story of apartheid in South Africa -- from when it began with government legislation in the late 40s to when it ended in the 90s when Nelson Mandela became the first democratically-elected president. Twenty million people turned out to vote that day in April 1994.
(Above is Kobus in the "White" entrance. I think he's in the middle of swapping out his sunglasses for his indoor glasses there.)
The various stories we read, watched and heard were amazing, horrific and extremely unsettling. But towards the end, they were also hopeful. I didn't know apartheid lasted until the 90s. I guess when the worst of the violence was going on, I was still a kid, watching the old Beverly Hills 90210 and listening to the old New Kids on the Block.
By the time we were done, both Kobus and I were in a somber mood. We agreed it was a good museum and got back in the car for the drive back to my hotel. It was quiet for a while until Kobus said this: "That museum made me feel weird." It was perfect.
wow, that's amazing. I didn't know apartheid had been in existence into the 90's either..
i don't know why but I had imagined Kobus as a black dude. hmm..
Posted by: Jess | Nov 27, 2008 at 09:38