A country thats been in the spotlight for decades for all the wrong reasons. Apartheid was abolished on the 27th April 1994, yet there is still a very clear divide noticed from our visit in Feb 2019.
Traveling through the Zululands we had the privilege to visit the game reserves and experience what South Africa is known for around the globe. However driving to local towns just across the freeway is the impoverished black community, existing on what little they have.
Its a 3 hour drive back to Durban and all along the freeway there are numerous black people hitching rides, holding out small denomination notes in the vain attempt the attract a ride.
We board our flight and Durban from the air looks incredibly similar to the beach towns back in Australia, big oversized homes for the richer people.
We grab an Uber in Port Elisabeth, no surprises that its a well spoken and friendly black guy who helps us out, driving around town trying to buy a pair of motorbike gloves for tomorrow’s adventure. He’s honest and a true ambassador for what South Africa strives to be, but in reality we can see the divide.
The game park in Port Elisabeth is yet another example of what jobs segregate the country. Whites serve the paying guests while Blacks do the cleaning and house duties.
The next 3 days were to be challenging as we rode from Port Elisabeth to Cape Town.
As we rode into Knysna the divide was apparent. Black shanty shacks made from what ever can be found line the hills as we descended down to the harbour and along the waterfront. Its clear there’s plenty money in town by the size of the yachts in the marina. Don’t get me wrong I like Knysna. House prices a good and I’d consider moving here, but its this divide that bugs me.
Riding through the deserts and mountain passes along whats known as the garden route to Swellendham its once again demonstrated as this, the 3rd oldest settlement in South Africa is predominantly Dutch, although the region boasts a more harmonious relationship with the indigenous people.
Its Cape Town that we struggled with the most. While on the surface all seems kosher, the number of displaced Blacks living off the streets was astounding.
Sadly this was also the place we were scammed and robbed. Heres how the scam works…
1. A security guard will tell you that the road youre walking on is about to be closed to foot traffic and youll need to go and purchase tickes from ths shopping mall to enter the area.
2, the security guard offers to take you to the ticket machine in the mall.
3, the security guard breifly explains that you need to pay by card and the machine will dispense tickets for the attraction.
4. The guy now standing behind you to use the machine says its legit and offers to guide you
5. You put your card in and while you guy shows you with on hand the buttons to push he removes your card.
6 you get a hunch somethings not right and push cancel waiting for your card…
And they’ve disappeared.
The next thing the real Security turn up… by then its too late… and no one saw them leave.
Returning the bike to a suburb in the outskirts the devide again rears its head. On one side of the freeway are beautiful houses while literally a 8 lane highway segregates the haves from the have nots. Approaching the airport only intensifies the shanty towns as the shacks sprawl along the fenceline of the freeway.
I dont know the politics that drive the devide. But from an outsider looking in with their own eyes and not those of the Murdoch Media, I’m sadened. I naively cling to the hope that Nelson Mandela’s dream for South Africa will one day see the blacks of this country being equal. But from this visit I feel the wheel of fortune has spun more in fashon like Russian Roulette wheel and the bullet in the chamber has once again tageted those who were already opressed.
Like I said, Im no politician. But when reforms come, the rich get richer and the poor are left to fight for what little is offered.
