Johannesburg: City of Miracles
Johannesburgo siempre me ha parecido una ciudad demasiado grande como para no poder perderte cómodo. Sus inmensas e interminables avenidas te descolocan hasta tener la situación de navegar en círculo en dirección al infierno. But, esta descomunal mole de cemento guarda una de esas historias que sobrepasan mi entendimiento. No place amazes me more than this: for his cruelty coal and gold color, for his last race with sticks and forgiveness unexplained. A South African fatalism me I think its virtue: there is no country in the world that can boast of living so well with tears.
Is there, como periodista, el sitio en el que clavar mi mirada cuando ocurra lo inevitable
Esta vez me alojé al llegar en la barriada de Soweto, en Kliptown, en el único hotel de 4 estrellas que hay en un gueto donde viven 5 million people. El Soweto Conference Centre fue todo un descubrimiento. Fui allí para estar cerca de donde más me interesa estar cerca en el momento que muera Mandela. “Es allí, como periodista, the place I stick my eyes when the inevitable happens ", thought
Around the hotel is excruciating misery. The lodge is one of the worst areas of the township, glued to a neighborhood notorious and ironic name called Eldorado. The grandmothers of this district wrote a letter to President Zuma a few months ago saying that the drug is eating the lives of their families.
I have forgiven. It is better that we all live in peace as it says here
The square where the hotel is located also has the new conference center. There is a more, is where in 1955 drafted the famous Freedom Charter (freedom letter), South African civil associations that drew nine universal principles in which they asked to be treated like human beings. There, a memorial brick, ESTA Thabal, a man of 55 years, sympathetic, mandatory that serves as guide. He explains each of the early childhood and ends somewhat playing the anthem of South Africa with his old flute. "You lived in apartheid, What do you think now of whites in your country?”, asked. "I have forgiven. It is better that we all live in peace as it says here ", responds.
Then, in three days I have a wonderful opportunity to live the life of the neighborhood. See spend their rickety trains; observe their nightly bonfires and zombies wandering; walk in their markets women lying on the floor selling fruit, rice flour; circumvent the makeshift hairdressers in corners where some girls struggle to untangle the hair of the other; happy for his improvements evident as solar panels on their new brick house (Furniture probably still empty) hospitals or, gyms and shopping centers. I talk to people, I ask for their lives, their sentences, and no one ever complains or talks to me about a past as an excuse for their impossible present..
Boys were mixed, white and two black, speaking of looking to the future, excuse to end apartheid and demand good service
In this sense, a conversation with three South African students at the doors of the conference that President Obama gave last Saturday at the University of Soweto was surprised by clairvoyant. Boys were mixed, white and two black, speaking of looking to the future, excuse to end apartheid and demand good services to their political. "There is hope", thought, as I have always had in this country that seems to me the most interesting socially Africa.
Soweto is too great to understand at a glance, but these three days spent there helped me to intuit more. Then, is the historic district. It is a must, the only important that I think there is in this city and that teaches a lesson for life. I had never visited the apartheid museum and now I had time to do so, also looking for stories about Mandela (The exposition of his life is fascinating and makes him even more proud by explicitly telling his mistakes.). I won't say much about the museum, that should be a mandatory visit for the entire planet, not because of what is inside, but for the outside. After walking through those walls that embarrass, You go out into the street and see that the black guard is talking to the white deputy director as if nothing of what was said there was too recent to be forced to fight each other.. It is a miracle, this country is a great miracle.
You see the nascent South African black middle class, mega luxury cars, silver window shops
And then, since I missed Soweto hotel for three nights after full, I have moved to my Sandton hotel, the best neighborhood in Joburg. And that's when you run and run congratulating everyone for not killing each other all. Where you see the emerging black middle class South African, mega luxury cars, storefronts stores silver ... and you actually exceeds. Remember Soweto, my hotel where ladies sold at the door remains of fruit thrown on sidewalks, the walls of museums that explained how beat up blacks when they dared to dream of having the rights of whites and think: “¿? ¡!» And you learn, learn a lot of kindness and forgiveness in one of the most violent deaths has on the planet.
PD. All this miracle has a name, one side and a few words: Nelson Mandela.
Comments (4)
First Travel
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Formidable vision of a country in which, in the end, The "zebra system" will shed more lights than shadows…
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Javier Brandoli
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I hope so too
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Lydia
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I share the idea that the work of Mandela has been magnificent and enduring. It seems impossible to live together in peace black and white. I think the bases have been the forgiveness, confidence, hope and goodwill.
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Laura
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I did not have a specific belief, except that our cause was just, was very strong and it was winning more and more support. N.Mandela.
Well, that.
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