South Africa First Impressions

We have only been in Cape Town five days, and judging South Africa by just one city on its west coast is like judging all of Canada by Vancouver, however, I can honestly say Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been to. It is the perfect size, half a million people, spread out around (literally around) three  main mountains lending stunning views from almost everywhere in town. And because part of the city is on a point surrounded by the Atlantic ocean, on one side of the mountains there are beautiful water views from almost everywhere, and on the other side, differing mountain drama and rolling hills covered in vineyards. Add to that a stunning and well-planned waterfront complete with canals, an historic downtown with green spaces, markets and lovely colonial buildings, and volumes of great eateries. Summer weather is not too hot, dry and not humid, with lovely sea breezes. I do believe Cape Town is worthy of its title of most beautiful city in the world. The only thing that hangs dark over that is the horrific reality that is the Cape Flats, a sad consequence of aparteid.

Apartheid was an ideology introduced by the National Party of South Africa in 1948. The philosophy was to separate - or set apart - white people, black people, coloured people, and “other” people.  People were removed from their homes by force, and segregated by skin colour. Blacks and coloured people were relocated to what is now called the the Cape Flats where the government build “temporary worker accommodations” because technically, all blacks were considered to be resident of their cultural “homeland” - a similar concept to that of First Nation reserves in Canada. The government of the day did not really anticipate the blacks not returning to the Homelands, and the “temporary” housing developments were clearly not adequate. Later, many more illegal migrants from other parts of Africa settled in the flats, building shacks of corrigated tin, cardboard, and wood. These “slums” are easily seen as you drive from the airport into Cape Town. Water, streets, electricity, and other infrastructure is limited, and the crime you hear and read about in Cape Town mostly takes place there. Of the 2000+ murders in Cape Town last year, only 80 took place outside of the Cape Flats. Poverty there is abject, illiteracy abounds, and crime is proliferate.

When Apartheid ended in 1994, I suppose we all thought things would improve, but for those in the flats, things actually got worse. Tribal factions began fighting for power, criminals fought for control of drugs, and for the average poor black, things were terrible, and still are. While some blacks have been able to pull themselves out of poverty and make better lives for themselves, for the most part, the problems are getting worse. Unemployment is near 27% and migrants from even poorer countries like Zimbabwe are fleeing here, adding to the overcrowding of the townships. South African blacks are hostile towards those from other countries because jobs are already so few...

As a white person staying here you do not really see or experience this horrible Apartheid legacy. We have been wine tasting and strolling down beautiful streets, hidden from the reality that is, much like we do back home when we put on the blinders regarding our own poor.