Cape Town - Driving through Town Day 1: (1 of 7)

(2 videos)

We were in Cape Town on ATW2023 (see 4/4 - 4/6 and 10 postings https://findpenguins.com/bruce-loves-to-travel/…) and we learned a lot about the culture and people here and their very difficult history with Aparteid since 1959. Sadly, 3 years later and many years and government changes later, many of the people we spoke with are more than “challenged” to describe today as “better times”.

We had also gone to a great winery event, the Jewish Museum Complex (we had an abrupt ending … see post for more info), Iziko Museum and a full day at Robben Island where Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in captivity.

Cape Town is a major global destination for travelers and the second largest city in South Africa (after Johannesburg) but Cape Town is not necessarily representative of South Africa which of course is not representative of Africa. South Africa is a democracy where Blacks make up the overwhelming majority of the population and hold most political power nationally through the African National Congress (ANC), Nelson Maldela’s party, whose mission has been primarily against apartheid. Since apartheid ended in 1994, Blacks have had full voting rights and have held the presidency and most national government positions. To be more confusing, compared to the rest of South Africa (and Africa in general), Cape Town is somewhat unusual because it is governed by the Democratic Alliance (DA) rather than the ANC. The DA is more of a “center-right” liberal party emphasizing efficiency, and governance different from the more left ANC which supports a larger government role in addressing inequality but is criticized for a strong government that has been known for corruption in recent years and has not done enough for those that are still very poor.

In Cape Town more than in most of the rest of Africa, black people are treated mostly as equals although in the richer areas it seems there is still some racial inequalities. Many people from elsewhere in Africa move to South Africa seeking economic opportunities although Black South Africans on average remain poorer than white South Africans due to historical factors and continuing economic disparities.

Compared with much of Africa, Cape Town is often viewed as wealthier and more advanced but compared with many other African cities, racial inequality and spatial segregation remain far more visible because of the legacy of apartheid. Black people are not generally treated as a racially disadvantaged majority across Africa, because they are the overwhelming majority of the population and hold most political power in most African countries although South Africa still has some of the world's highest levels of inequality, with racial disparities still visible in income, property ownership, and employment.

This visit we got up early and took a great private tour seeing the artwork in the Palestinian part of town before going to the Jewish area (only blocks away) and then off to the countryside to enjoy the beauty. After many stops for the view, we went to an Ostrich farm and bought an ostrich egg, to the Cape of Good Hope and to visit the penguins before driving back to the ship. We arrived back after a long day but just in time for the Marimba musicians, went to dinner and then were treated to local Zulu dancers & drummers.

We went to the Cape of Good Hope (named in 1488 when discovered with the help of Jewish scientists, mathematicians and mapmakers from Portugal) as a trade route to India. Religious freedom by the Dutch in 1804 opportunity for Jews in Europe and Russia. Interestingly, the Synagogue in CapeTown, Tikvat Israel, founded in 1841, means "The Hope of Israel".”Read more