Abba's Africa

Cape Town, South Africa

Cape Town is a big metropolitan city and according to everyone we spoke to, not at all representative of South Africa. It is in an absolutely beautiful setting, dominated by Table Mountain on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other. Being in Cape Town, learning first hand about Apartheid from our guide, Suleiman who grew up during that period, was very emotional.

Suleiman is a Muslim of Malay Heritage and was classified as 'coloured'. The classes were arbitrarily divided into four:

Highest - White
Second (but far back) - Coloured
Third - Asian
Fourth - Bantu / Black

The 'Company' Castle. The 'Company' is the Dutch East India Company who opened up South Africa much as the Hudson's Bay Company opened up Canada. The castle was built to protect the harbour.

Cape Town City Hall - Nelson Mandela made his first speech after being released from prison in 1990 from the balcony. Suleiman was in the crowd when he spoke.

South Africa Museum

Table Mountain covered in cloud or 'with the tablecloth on'.

One of South Africa's three Parliament Buildings

St. George's Cathedral

Protest March passing by.

one of many Mosques in the Malay district

The Malay district where Suleiman grew up and many of his friends still live. This is now a very desirable and expensive residential area.

Suleiman

Another mosque

Malay Distract with Lion's Head in the background

Habour

Nobel Square: from L to R Albert Luthuli, Desmond Tutu, FW de Klerk and Nelson Mandela all winners of the Nobel Peace Prize

On our way to Robben Island

On this boat

Robben Is

Leper Cemetery (Robben Is did house lepers at one time)

Limestone Quarry where prisoners were made to work

Rock pile at quarry on Robben Island. Pile started with a rock from Nelson Mandela when ex-political prisoners returned to Robben Island in 1995.

View of Cape Town from the Island

Our guide on the island was a former political prisoner who spent many years on the island. He was very forthright about the gruesome treatment the prisoners received.