I have a friend who designs fabrics and often exhibits at markets around South Africa. Thanks to her I have discovered quite a few markets that I had no idea existed.
We had the pleasure this weekend of experiencing the BusStop7 Open Air Market. If not doing it for a friend we would never have bundled our energetic son into his car seat for the 50 minute car ride. It was worth every minute.
It is a vibrant market with an uplifting and cheerful atmosphere. The giant red bus greets one at the entrance, setting the tone for the little gem of a world you are about to enter. For a few hours, among a variety of little stalls with excellent coffee, caramelized nuts, berry blasts, giant candy floss, toys of all kinds, beautiful fabrics, pony rides, face painting, jewelry and free-flowing pants and dresses, I felt happy, home and alive.
On the 9th of August, we will celebrate women’s day in South Africa. There is an international Women’s Day that is celebrated on 8 March. So why do we celebrate our own South African Women’s Day? And why is it a public holiday?
On 9 August South Africans commemorate and celebrate the strength and unity shown by South African women 65 years ago on this coming Monday.
To understand the importance of this holiday, we need to rewind to 1952 when a law was passed that required all black South Africans over the age of 16 to carry a passbook, everywhere and at all times. No non-white South African could travel from one town to another without showing a passbook. These passbooks were to be signed weekly by the individual’s employer. This resulted in an annual arrest of around 250 000 black South Africans for offenses under the Pass Laws. Needless to say, the passbook became a hated symbol of apartheid.
On 9 August 1956, more than 20 000 South African women of all races stood together and staged one of the largest demonstrations of its kind. These 20 000 women, organised, inspired and, headed by Lillian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Albertina Sisulu and, Sophia Williams-De Bruyn marched in a dignified and disciplined manner to the Union buildings in Pretoria. Their mission: To present a petition against the law that forced women to carry passbooks to the prime minister at the time. Their petition had 100 000 South African signatures against pass laws for women.
This unified act of bravery came to symbolize the strength and determination of South African women. That day is now commemorated to remind South Africans of the value of their women and to inspire the women to remember what they are capable of when they stand together in peace and dignity, yet firmness for what they believe to be right.
Half an hour’s drive from Johannesburg is the Cradle Moon Conservancy. Likeminded landowners in this area manage their land with the aim to embrace and emphasise the benefits of ecotourism.
This venue with its giraffes, zebras and various other antelope species, peacefully grazing among the natural vegetation endemic to the region is hugely popular with locals and we decided to visit and make up our own minds.
We chose a crispy clean winter’s day. In Gauteng, this is the best weather for a hike as it is not all that cold, nor as scorchingly hot as it can be in summer.
The fact that we had to stand in a bit of a que to pay the reasonable fee just proves how popular this spot is
Armed with our armbands and the reassurances of experienced Cradle Mooners that our 3-year old could easily handle the hike, we set off with enthusiasm. I found that nothing fills a little boy with vigor for a hike as much as his own backpack filled with lightweight snacks and some juice.
We saw antelope and zebra as we walked on the well marked trail, but sadly no giraffes. After a few kilometers and lots of snack stops we caught our first glimpse of the Crocodile River that is the life blood of the Lodge….
Where there are rivers, there are little streams and little streams require exciting bridges which need to be crossed several times just to be sure that it works.
Still full of energy we carried on to the most impressive part of the hike: The dam wall built entirely by hand and with stone.
According to their website “The dam wall stands 20m high, is 300m wide, and just short of 10m thick at the base. All the stones used during the construction were found on site, now visible as coves on the sides of the lake. 50 000 bags of cement were used to keep each hand packed stone in place. These numbers make the wall the largest stone dam on the African continent!”
It was quite an impressive sight and it was just good to feel ‘waterfall mist’ and see a ‘waterfall rainbow’ so close to the city.
There is a lovely restaurant on the edge of the dam wall which means that you can have your well-deserved meal overlooking the Cradle Moon lake.
The restaurant also serves a white-sand area on the edge of the lake. This little beach provided our son with entertainment while we tucked into delicious burgers.
We concluded our hike with a leisurely stroll along the edge of the lake, stopping now and then to collect stones to throw into the water.
“You should wake up! You need to know what goes on around you…”
No! I can’t! I can’t face it…
When it comes to politics, I live with my head in the sand. My own country’s pain is far too close to home, so I prefer to be up to date with what goes on in the wider world… the world further removed from the people I love and the soil that runs through my veins.
But I suppose that is what protesters do: They knock people like me whose heads are in the sand on the shoulder. They force us to look, to face ugly truths. They force us to look, then they leave us to think, to feel and to agonize.
We had an innocent day at the Johannesburg zoo. We were excited to see the gorilla and chimpanzees, entertained by the monkeys, amazed by the beautifully elegant giraffes, charmed by snakes and awed by the lions and tigers.
We were loving another blue-sky winters’ day. We were letting ourselves be drawn into the fresh, enchanted world that only a toddler can inhabit. And oh the trees! Johannesburg has got the most beautiful, big trees. And the zoo’s collection is breathtaking – different shapes and colours. All tall and stately.
We were delighting in these pleasures when security started driving around the zoo telling all visitors to leave urgently as protesters might be planning to attack the zoo.
With my shoulder now prodded I pulled my proverbial head out of the sand and bewildered, discovered that the small protests that started a few days ago because our former president Jacob Zuma was imprisoned for contempt of court, has spread across the country and spilled into Johannesburg.
We left and were fine. My head is back in the sand but my mind is troubled! Troubled for the fate of those innocent creatures at the zoo, for our children who has no one to trust but us, for our elderly parents who have no other hope except us. Troubled for this spectacular land and its people!
Mom&Teacher Thoughts 