THE MANDELA ROUTE To get a real sense of South Africa you cannot visit without seeking some insight into the country’s most powerful leader – Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela – the man who set South Africa’s people free and whose memory lives on, immortalised in avenues, bridges, highways, monuments, statues and museums across the country. TRAVEL IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF NELSON MANDELA Brought to you by SA-Venues.com® Copyright © 2020 Net-Focus Interactive THE MANDELA ROUTE elson Mandela, one of the world’s N most remarkable leaders, would have been 100 on 18 July 2018. He will be remembered for years to come as the man who went beyond the call of duty, the man who put any thought of retribution behind him to lead a country to peace and democracy. Mandela’s legacy is left predomi- nantly in three geographical regions. To get a sense of the man, we trace his history through the Eastern Cape, Johannesburg and the Western Cape. DESIGN ADDITIONAL READING • A Journey from Yesteryear to Tomorrow: Long March to Freedom YOUR • Mandela’s South Africa – Mandela-infused sites to visit OWN • Must-visit museums in Cape Town • Robben Island – a brief ROUTE history We’ve made it easy for you by dividing Mandela-infused sites Loved and revered for his magnanimity towards all, he into 3 sections: became known as Madiba, the ‘father’ of the people. We’ve made it easy for you by dividing Mandela-infused sites into 3 sections: 1. MUST-SEE SITES: These are the places of interest and Each of these sections has been grouped 01 attractions you won’t want to miss by the province in which they’re located – the Eastern Cape, Johannesburg and the Western Cape – to make Designing your 2. ADDITIONAL SITES OF INTEREST: These sites will add own Madela Route as simple as selecting 02 further insight into Mandela’s life what’s closest to you and plotting your route accordingly. 3. SITES FOR MANDELA ENTHUSIASTS: Really interesting 03 sites which you can skip if you’re pressed for time, but the real enthusiast will want to visit 2 THE MANDELA ROUTE CONTENTS THE MANDELA ROUTE EASTERN CAPE GAUTENG WESTERN CAPE Nelson Mandela’s early years Nelson Mandela’s years of Nelson Mandela’s years in prison political activism THE HISTORY BEHIND THE PLACES OF THE HISTORY BEHIND THE PLACES OF THE HISTORY BEHIND THE PLACES OF INTEREST IN THIS PROVINCE 4 INTEREST IN THIS PROVINCE 7 INTEREST IN THIS PROVINCE 12 MUST-SEE SITES IN THE MUST-SEE SITES IN GAUTENG 8 MUST-SEE SITES IN THE EASTERN CAPE 4 Apartheid Museum 8 WESTERN CAPE 12 The Voting Line Sculpture 4 Constitution Hill 8 City Hall and the Grand Parade 12 Route 67 5 Chancellor House and the Shadow Robben Island 12 Nelson Mandela Museum 5 Boxer 8 Nelson Mandela Gateway Museum 13 ADDITIONAL SITES OF INTEREST 5 Liliesleaf Farm 8 Nobel Square 13 Mandela statue 8 Nelson Mandela Metropolitan ADDITIONAL SITES OF INTEREST 13 National Heritage Monument Art Museum 5 Giant billboard of Mandela 13 statues 9 Nelson Mandela Youth and Houses of Parliament 13 Heritage Centre 5 ADDITIONAL SITES OF INTEREST 9 Drakenstein Prison 13 SITES FOR THE Nelson Mandela Bridge 9 St George’s Cathedral 13 MANDELA ENTHUSIASTS 6 The Shadow Boxer Mural 9 SITES FOR THE Nelson Mandela Square 10 Fort Hare University 6 MANDELA ENTHUSIASTS 14 Magistrates Court 10 Qunu 6 St Mary’s Cathedral 14 Mandela House Museum 10 Tutu’s house – Bishopscourt 14 Sharpeville Human Rights Mandela Rhodes Building 14 Precinct 10 Pollsmoor Prison 14 Palace of Justice 10 Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens 14 SITES FOR THE Newlands Stadium 14 MANDELA ENTHUSIASTS 11 Mandela Memorial Square 14 Mandela statue 11 The Saxon Hotel 11 The Old Synagogue 11 REST OF THE COUNTRY Nelson Mandela Foundation 11 Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory 11 Additional Sites of interest Dr Xuma’s house 11 Mandela’s residence in Houghton 11 Mandela’s first home 11 Nelson Mandela Capture Site 15 Inanda Heritage Route 15 Ohlange Institute 15 Albert Luthuli Museum 15 Shambala retreat, now Zulu Camp 15 Naval Hill 15 3 THE MANDELA ROUTE THE EASTERN CAPE NELSON MANDELA’S EARLY YEARS IN BRIEF The history behind the places of interest •01 The must-see sites in Eastern Cape •02 Additional sites of interest, if you have the time •03 Sites for the Mandela enthusiast THE HISTORY BEHIND THE PLACES OF INTEREST IN THIS PROVINCE Madiba’s birthplace and early years were spent on the grasslands of the Wild Coast as a cowherd. He was born in the modest rural village of Mvezo near Mthatha in 1918. “The hills above Qunu were dotted with large smooth rocks which we transformed into our own roller- coaster. We sat on flat stones and slid down the face of the rocks. We did this until our backsides were so sore we could hardly sit down.”–EXTRACT 01 FROM LONG WALK TO FREEDOM MUST-SEE SITES IN THE EASTERN Born the son of a Thembu chief, CAPE one who acted as counsellor to the Thembu King, he was to get his educa- • The Voting Line Sculpture tion at Christian mission schools. His father died early and Mandela was Where? Donkin Reserve, Port taken into the Royal family and raised Elizabeth by King Jongintaba Mtirara, receiving a privileged upbringing and the best The Voting Line Sculpture is a 38 metre possible education at the time. laser-cut steel silhouette sculpture of a tracked both men down, ordering long line of voters – of all shapes and Between 1939 and 1941 he attended them back to the Eastern Cape. Justice sizes – connected together in a queue the University of Fort Hare, then a was to return and succeed his father, at the end of which is a separate tertiary institution for black African but Mandela remained, becoming cut-out of Nelson Mandela, his fist students (predominantly South embroiled in politics). raised in the air. The work is by artists African). Mandela was to complete his BA Anthony Harris and Konrad Geel and He managed to get expelled from the through UNISA a couple of years later, the Mandela figure is the logo for the university after demonstrating in a and finally his LLB some 50 years later Nelson Mandela Foundation’s Madiba student protest whereupon the king whilst in prison, through the London Trust. You’ll find the sculpture in the decided to arrange marriages for both University. He was to say about Donkin Reserve, on one of two routes Mandela and his cousin, Justice, similar education: – the Donkin Heritage Trail, or Route in age and studying with Mandela. 67 where the Voting Line Sculpture is Both men left the countryside in defi- “Education is the most powerful one of several artworks celebrating ance of this arrangement to journey to weapon which you can use to Mandela’s 67 years of public life. Johannesburg (Jongintaba apparently change the world.” 4 THE MANDELA ROUTE • Route 67 Where? Port Elizabeth Route 67 is a tourist route filled with 67 artworks that form part of a wonderful self-guided walking tour peppered with quotes from Mandela (stop at the Visitor Centre at the Donkin Reserve and ask either for the booklet, or engage a guide to walk with you). The 67 artworks are inspired by Mandela’s life and rep- resent his 67 years of public life. It’s not difficult to do either, as the local Eastern Cape artworks all lie within 67 giant steps, between the Campanile in Strand Street and the Great Flag in the Donkin Reserve. Really worth doing. • Nelson Mandela Museum its name from King George VI Art • Nelson Mandela Youth and Gallery in favour of Madiba in 2002 Heritage Centre Where? Bhunga Building, Mthatha as a tribute to him. It deserves a visit for the rich display of South African What most people don’t know about Where? Qunu art, and specialisation in Eastern Cape the Nelson Mandela Museum is Province art. Its three exhibition halls Only a few hundred metres from that it’s in three parts – the Bhunga are re-hung throughout the year with Mandela’s house in Qunu, the Nelson Building (the heart of the museum rotating collections and special exhi- Mandela Youth and Heritage Centre where you can follow self-guided bitions. They’re closed over weekends is on the ruins of his primary school. activities) in Mthatha, the museum in and on public holidays. Route 67 ends Donations are welcome, although Qunu, and the open-air museum in at the art museum. there is no visitors fee. Organise a visit Mvezo (where Madiba was born and through the museum in Qunu. only the museum can arrange with the chief of the area for a visit to Mvezo). A visit can include Madiba’s primary school, the pastures where he was a shepherd, his original home in Qunu and hikes in the surrounding areas (there are five tour options). Contact the museum directly before visiting. 02 ADDITIONAL SITES OF INTEREST – IF YOU HAVE THE TIME • Nelson Mandela CREATE YOUR OWN TRAVEL PLANNER (page 16) Metropolitan Art Museum □ The Voting Line Sculpture Where? St George’s Park, Port □ Mandela Statue Elizabeth □ Sharpville □ Nelson Mandela Square While Mandela has no direct con- □ Newlands Stadium nection with the Nelson Mandela □ Pollsmoor Prison Metropolitan Art Museum, it changed □ Robben Island 5 THE MANDELA ROUTE 03 SITES FOR THE MANDELA ENTHUSIASTS • Fort Hare University Where? Alice The university doesn’t have any tribute museum within its grounds to warrant a visit for Mandela fans, but for hard- core enthusiasts a drive-by is not out of the question.