Durban looms large
in the history of South Africa in general and the Zulu in particular. On
December 24, 1497 Vasco da Gama sailed into Durban’s bay and named the area
“Terra do Natal”, the land of Christmas, the next day. In 1824 the British made
contact with Shaka, King of the Zulu. Shaka remains so fabled that elements of Black Panther were taken from his legend.
In 1835 the area was named after Governor Benjamin D’Urban. Shaka granted
permission for the British to build a trading station and Durban remains the
country’s largest port and the second biggest city. www.durban.gov.za
The Zulu were never thrilled
with the presence of outsiders and fought periodic bloody battles to preserve
their homeland. The final uprising took place in 1906. In 1844 the region
became part of the British Cape Colony. The Inanda Heritage Route interprets the story of
the Inanda Valley just outside of Durban. Gandhi’s Phoenix Settlement, his
100-acre farm and home is now a museum. The nearby Ohlange Institute was
founded by John Dube and modelled on Tuskegee Institute. Dube also founded the
ANC and was greatly admired by Madiba. After casting his first vote in 1994 in
the school’s chapel Mandela visited Dube’s grave and reportedly said, “Mr.
President, I have come to report to you that South Africa is free today.” www.visitdurban.travel
The Nelson
Mandela Capture Site is located on the site where he was captured in August 1962.
Mandela, disguised as a chauffeur, was apprehended, after a 17-month police
pursuit, on this road between Durban and Johannesburg. He stepped out of the
car and onto a broader stage of history. A temporary museum exhibits compelling
photographs, many rare family pictures. A magnificent sculpture, 31-ft. high
and 99-ft. wide is comprised of fifty steel columns that when viewed at a
certain angle depict a 2-dimensional image of Madiba. The emerging picture represents
his disappearance and reemergence 27- years later. The sculpture is accessed
via a twisting path lined with wayside markers that relate benchmarks in his
journey. The www.thecapturesite.co.za
LaVue
Floating Restaurant is one of Durban’s unique treasures. The boat offers two
decks, two bars, an amazing buffet and dancing beneath the stars. Guests obtain
awesome views of the city skyline. www.la-vue.co.za
The Southern Sun Elangeni & Maharani hotel is a
beachfront hotel ideally situated to provide easy access to outdoor activities
and indoor pleasures. www.tsogosun.com/southern-sun-elangeni-maharani
Port
Elizabeth, part of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, was
founded in 1820 as a buffer between the Xhosa and the Cape Colony. The city was
named in memory of the wife of Sir Rufane Donkin. In 1965 enforced removals of
non-whites began and townships were created. The Donkin Heritage Trail links 51
historic locations and interprets the history of the city. The trail begins at
The Campanile, a 176-ft., 204-step, tower with 360-degree views. www.nmbt.co.za
Route 67 is an
arts and cultural route that features 67 public art works representing Madiba’s
67-year journey to free South Africa. The route begins at the Campanile Monument
and ends at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum. The route’s premiere
artwork is the 125-ft. long Voting Line Sculpture depicting his first vote at
the age of 72. The laser-cut figures represent children and people from all
walks of life. www.route67tours.co.za
The 5-star Boardwalk
Hotel stands on the Golden Mile. All of the accommodations boast deluxe amenities and ocean views. www.suninternational.com/boardwalk
Cape
Town, known as “The Mother City”, was established to resupply the Dutch East
India Company. In 1795 the British seized the town and in 1814 the British took
total control. In 1910 it became the legislative capital of the Union of South
Africa. After apartheid was legislated many of the anti-apartheid leaders were
incarcerated in the prison on Robben Island.
Table Mountain has been inhabited for more
than 30,000-years and was sacred to the Khoi and San people. The first European
to sight it was Bartolomeu Dias in 1448. In 1929 a cable car was installed so
that visitors could ride to the top at 3563-ft. above sea level. No trip is
complete without a visit and a view. www.tablemountainnationalpark.org
Groot Constantia has been producing award-winning wines since 1685.
Visitors can tour the authentic Cape Dutch Manor House, wine taste, view exhibits
in the museum and dine. www.grootconstantia.co.za
On a City Walk you can take in
the Slave Lodge, a museum on several levels. Exhibits feature South African
slavery history and modern human rights. www.iziko.org.za/museums/slave-lodge.
Robben
Island, a World Heritage Site, was the scene of Madiba’s incarceration for
18-years. He and other activist prisoners turned their imprisonment into an
opportunity to educate and to learn. Mandela later stated that the time on the
island was, “the longest unbanned meeting of the Congress alliance”.
Visits
begin with a boat ride to the island followed by a narrated bus ride to the
significant sites. Your guide for the walking prison tour is a former prisoner
who takes questions and escorts you to Mandela’s cell. Other important areas
are the limestone quarry where prisoners worked and the garden in which Mandela
hid the manuscript he later had smuggled out. www.robben-island.org.za
The 5-star Table Bay Hotel is simply the best place to stay in Cape Town.
The accommodations are luxurious and it is situated on the V&A Waterfront,
in the heart of the action. www.suninternational.com/table-bayThe perfect place
to end our path through Madiba’s Journey is in Nobel Square on the waterfront.
There sculptures of Desmond Tutu, Nkosi Albert Luthuli, F.W. de Klerk and
Nelson Mandela, all Nobel Prize winners, are arrayed in the square for
contemplation and photo ops. These are people who worked to become the change
they wanted to see. #VisitSouthAfrica
Madiba’s
Journey is available as an application. www.madibasjourney.southafrica.net
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