Apartheid Museum - Sunday August 1st. (The First visit)

Quoting from the brochure: "The Apartheid Museum is a journey, not just a destination.

The seven pillars of the constitution, from outside the entrance

A journey to understanding, freedom and equality. It may be the most important lesson you'll ever learn.

Simple, yet powerful

Whoever you are, you cannot but come away with a deeper understanding and appreciation of this country, its darkest days and its brightest triumphs".

The Seven Pillars of the constitution (of Wisdom?) right outside the entrance.

Replications as you exit the museum.

"The basic principle behind apartheid was simple - segregate everything. Cut a clean line through a nation to divide black from white and keep them divided.  

Pay us a visit and you will come to understand that any form of racial inequality leads to destruction".

This visit was indeed a very powerful experience, and the brochure quotes above are succinct and accurate.

I had already heard the museum recommended, and also that some visitors felt that the 1/2 day visits did not allow sufficient time to take everything in. Now I understand why - I only got to the half-way point when it was time to leave (10am-12.30pm).

It was so powerful, and so important, that I will have to go back again another time so that I can really absorb the most I can. After all, I'm lucky to be here in the first place, and there's no guarantee I'll be able to return anytime soon.

I won't attempt to wax too lyrical about what I saw and heard, but "deeper understanding and appreciation of this country, its darkest days and its brightest triumphs". is absolutely right.

It's one of those experiences that isn't easy to describe adequately with the written word - you really do have to be there and go through the journey yourself. That said, I will post up various photos of text, explanation and some pictures in the entries that follow. You can decide for yourselves whether you'd like to read them. 

I was going to mention that, like Billy Connolly (again) "there are some things in this world that my brain just won't allow me to understand", and apply that to the apartheid regime. Unfortunately, upon reflection, I've changed my mind. Apartheid didn't happen overnight - it was the culmination of centuries. And it's a complex web, involving greed, oppression, lust for power, and all the usual elements that some human beings seem capable of inflicting upon their fellow man.