South Africa is an efficient, “second world”
society. Its cities are large, developed andcosmopolitan. Its attractions are
diverse and spectacular. Is it any wonder, therefore, that the country is
Africa’s most popular tourist destination? Philip Briggs takes a closer
look.
South Africa is a land
of astonishing beauty. Ironic, then, that European visitors generally touch
down in the one part of the country to which these adjectives are seldom
applied. Johannesburg boasts perhaps the greatest concentration of skyscrapers
on the continent; its indentikit shopping malls and seemingly endless sprawl of
suburbs are a far cry from the image of untamed wilderness most people
associate with Africa.
A striking aspect of Johannesburg, at least to
the unintiated, are the flat-topped yellow hills that dot its outskirts. These
mine dumps are glowing reminders of the fact that southern Africa’s
wealthiest, most populous and fastest growing city stands over the richest
seams of gold ever discovered.
Johannesburg was founded as recently as
1888, and little effort was made to beautify the place even then — few
people thought the mining shanty town would last more than 20 years. Sadly,
this formative aesthetic has survived into the modern era.
Johannesburg has many assets — it is a vibrantly cosmopolitan city, with a
near perfect climate — but attractive it is not. Most tourists spend
little time in South Africa’s heaving commercial centre. The
better-advised ones head straight up the 60km of highway that leads north to
the official capital of Pretoria: staid, sleepy, and best known to Westerners
for the Union Buildings outside which President Mandela was inaugurated in
1994.
Could any two cities be more different in character than
Johannesburg and Cape Town? Many long-time globetrotters rank Cape Town with
Rio and Sydney as perhaps the most visually arresting in the world. It is also
South Africa’s oldest city. It nestles between the Atlantic coast and the
incomparable Table Mountain on a bay settled by the Dutch in 1652. The beaches
and mountains of the adjoining Cape Peninsula are a delight, but what makes
Cape Town special is not simply the scenery. The stately Cape Dutch
architecture generates a strong sense of place, and the city’s almost
infinitely laid-back atmosphere is perhaps its one truly African feature. In
many parts of Cape Town you could be forgiven for wondering whether you are in
Africa at all.
Cape Town is renowned for its varied selection of
restaurants. Seafood is a speciality, as is traditional Cape Malay cooking, but
there’s something for everybody. Good food is something you can take for
granted here; it is possible to eat top-class international standard cuisine at
prices that will seem absurdly cheap to most western visitors. And if you count
yourself among those for whom wining and dining is an integral part of any
holiday, then South Africa’s prolific vineyards won’t let you down.
Not only is the wine damn good, but it is damn good value for money.
South Africa’s main centre of viniculture lies only an hour from Cape Town
by road, and even confirmed lager louts will enjoy a wine-tour through the
historic town of Stellenbosch, whose leafy avenues boast perhaps the
country’s greatest concentration of Cape Dutch architecture. Also to be
enjoyed is the superlative mountain scenery that characterises the Cape
Winelands.
Different again is the seaport of Durban, the busiest
harbour on Africa’s Indian Ocean coast. Somewhat paradoxically, this is
also an important resort town, boasting a busy seafront beach complete with
aquarium, funfair and a string of bars. What may come as a surpise to visitors
is Durban’s decidely Asian tang — this is where South Africa’s
large Indian community is centred, and a visit to the exotically aromatic
Indian market is a must, as is a meal in any of several excellent Indian
restaurants.
To many Europeans, African travel more-or-less equates to
game viewing. While cities such as Cape Town add an extra dimension to travel
in South Africa, the country also boasts more than 300 game and nature
reserves. Between them, they protect a range of habitats second-to-none on the
African continent.
The largest and most famous of these reserves is
the Kruger National Park, a classic tract of African bush covering an area
greater than Wales. The Kruger supports more types of mammal than any other
reserve on the continent, while over 500 bird species have been recorded, more
than you’d see in a lifetime of birdwatching in most northern hemisphere
countries.
An excellent road system and good amenities make the Kruger
ideal for those who want to hire a car and immerse themselves in the
mesmerising atmosphere of the African bush, unconstrained by the somewhat
diluted experience offered by the more conventional guided safari.
The
so-called Big Five — lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo — are
all present in the Kruger in significant numbers, along with such perennial
favourites as zebra, giraffe, wildebeest and warthog, more than a dozen
antelope species, and less celebrated predators such as jackal, hyaena, hunting
dog and cheetah. But the thick bush often makes game-spotting a real challenge;
those who want to be sure of seeing most of the above-mentioned species are
advised to spend a couple of nights in one of the more upmarket private
reserves adjoining the Kruger. Here, off-road game drives in open vehicles are
led by experienced guides and trackers, and visitors are practically guaranteed
the opportunity to eyeball lions, leopards and the rest at chillingly close
proximity.
South Africa boasts several other fine bush reserves, most
notably the cluster in the northern part of KwaZulu-Natal Province, arguably
the best place on the continent to see white and black rhinos. On the other
side of the country, the infrequently visited Kalahari Gemsbok park is a prime
candidate for that trusty old ‘best-kept secret’ tag. Situated in the
vast and sparsely populated Northern Cape Province, bordering Botswana and
Namibia, this 10,000 square kilometre tract of rolling red dunes and deep blue
skies is the country’s second largest reserve.
The apparent
inhospitality of its climate is belied by the plethora of large mammals it
supports — the elegant gemsbok, dainty springbok, massive eland and
ungainly wildebeest. This is the country’s finest reserve for predators,
and the open terrain makes it easy to spot all three of Africa’s big cats,
as well as smaller predators such as the endearing bat-eared fox.
Bush
reserves represent a mere fraction of South Africa’s natural diversity. At
the heart of the country are the Drakensberg Mountains, an immense and
spectacularly scenic range returned to year after year by keen hikers and
ramblers.
The Cape Town area is renowned for its fynbos, a heath-like
vegetation cover unique to this mountainous part of the country and regarded as
constituting one of the world’s six floral kingdoms. Particularly rich in
proteas, the fynbos biome supports one of the most varied floras in the world
— the tiny Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, for instance, protects more
indigenous plant species than are found in the British Isles.
Another
unique biome occurs in the Namaqua region to the north of Cape Town, where the
dry stony earth erupts into an unrivalled display of wild flowers every spring.
Then there is the Garden Route, the outstandingly beautiful stretch of coast
that lies to the east of Cape Town, with its heath-covered cliffs, lush
indigenous forests, idyllic lagoons, picture-postcard beaches and quaint
seaside towns.
It is worth noting, too, the several special interest
groups that are catered for in South Africa. Train buffs, for instance, can
select from the mega-expensive Blue Train and Rovos Rail or content themselves
with more affordable short-distance puffers like the Banana Express and
Outeniqua Tjoe-Choe.
For birdwatchers, roughly 800 species have been
recorded in South Africa, including a greater number of endemics than any other
place on the continent — in many parts of the country it is quite easy for
twitchers to pick up more than 100 species in a day. Hikers have in the region
of 100 overnight trails and perhaps 10 times as many day trails to choose from.
Adventure sport enthusiasts can bungee jump off the Gouritz Bridge, go
white-water rafting on the Orange River or be taken on a kloofing trip into the
mountains around Cape Town. And once you have ticked off the terrestrial big
five, you can put their size into perspective with a visit to Hermanus —
at the right time of year this offers some of the best whale-watching in the
world.
As much as South Africa is a country of immense natural
variety, so is it one of Africa’s great cultural melting pots. That 11
official languages are recognised says much, but even this unique statistic
conveys little of South Africa’s multitude of cultural influences. In
essence, however, this is an African country, and some 80% of the population
consists of various Bantu-speaking peoples, each with their own distinct
customs and cultural heritage.
As is often the case in modern Africa,
it is increasingly meaningless to try to view traditional African culture in
isolation from external influences. However, visitors who wish to explore this
arguably rather neglected aspect of South Africa are urged to visit one of the
vibrantly painted Ndebele villages that dot the Johannesburg area or to partake
of the traditional Zulu experiences offered by places like Simunye and
Shakaland in the province of Kwazulu-Natal.
There is a slogan that has
stood the South African Tourist Board in good stead for as long as I can
remember. It is this: “South Africa: A World in one Country”. This is
the sort of sweeping statement that will consume any sensible person with the
urge to tie up the nearest PR person and make them watch the same television
commercial non-stop for 24 hours.
There are no glaciers in South
Africa any more. As a potential ski-holiday destination, it ranks only slightly
above Libya on the ‘no thank you’ stakes. And whatever you might say
about the Dutch-built Castle of Good Hope — the country’s oldest
extant building — it hasn’t quite the historical significance or
ambience of the pyramids, or the Colosseum, or even the ruined city of Great
Zimbabwe.
But let us concede, however grudgingly, that the tourist
board has a point. South Africa is a country of dazzling variety. Not a world
in one country, but — given the time restrictions that face the normal
tourist — possibly the next best thing.
Where else, in the space
of a two-week holiday, could you realistically expect to experience this wide
range of riches: the game-rich acacia savannah of the Kruger National Park; the
scenic grandeur of the mountainous Cape Winelands; a city of such stateliness
as Cape Town alongside one as brashly modern as Johannesburg; and a 3,000km
coastline encompassing both the paradisial subtropical beaches of the Indian
Ocean and the captivatingly austere rockcapes of the chillier, drier Atlantic
seaboard? Not anywhere else in Africa, that’s for sure. Perhaps nowhere
else in the world.
Philip Briggs has spent four years travelling
around Africa, but now lives in Johannesburg, South Africa. He is the author of
eight African travel guide books, including Bradt’s Guide to South
Africa.
South Africa Factfile Geography:
The Republic of South
Africa covers about 472,000 square miles (1,222,000 km2) and is the tenth
largest country in Africa. It is five times the size of Britain and twice
as big as France. An escarpment, varying between 30 and 160 miles (50—250
kilometres) inland from the coast, divides the coastal belt from the
highveld. There are nine provinces: Northern Province, Gauteng, Mpumalanga,
Kwazulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Free State, Northern Cape, North West and Western
Cape.
Climate:
Most of the country has a
mild or temperate climate though parts of the northern Cape, the sub-tropical
Natal coast and the lowveld bordering Zimbabwe and Botswana become very hot in
summer (October to March). At this time country temperatures average between
60°F (15°C) at night and 96°F (35°C) at noon, whilst winter
temperatures are between 32°F (O°C) and 68°F
(20°C). Winters can be frosty but snowfalls are limited to high peaks,
notably the Drakensburg and Maluti (Lesotho) mountains.
On the whole
South Africa is a dry country with a mean annual rainfall of 20 inches (502
mms). Rains fall during the summer, except in the western Cape which has a
Mediterranean-type climate with dry summers and cold wet
winters. Rainfalls are higher in the east (about 40 inches or 1,000mms
annually) whilst the west receives a quarter or less of that.
Entry:
Visas are not required for nationals of the
UK, EC countries and USA. You could be asked to show a return ticket and
prove “sufficient funds” for your holiday.
General:
Good airline, road and rail links cover the
country and car hire is easy. Health facilities are excellent, but
expensive. There is a very wide selection of accommodation
available. This ranges from five star hotels, through luxury guest houses,
lodges, safari camps, self-catering facilities, bed and breakfast inns to youth
and backpacker hostels. Dining and entertaining facilities are varied and
excellent. You can find all types of national cuisine, eastern and
western. Traditional South African, Halaal and Kosher food are widely
available.
Activities and Special Interests:
Adventure addicts will find plenty to do. There are several locations for
bungee jumping and paragliding; white water rafting takes place on the Orange
river; horse riding and mountain-biking are popular, and there are superb
hiking and rambling locations, particularly in the Drakensburg mountains; the
sea allows for excellent surfing and rewarding scuba diving, and there are some
of Africa’s finest golf courses. Most special interests are catered
for: South Africa boasts over 700 species of birds; it has some excellent rock
art sites; several steam train operations; superb land-based whale-watching is
possible on the Cape Coast; and the wild flowers of the Namaqualand (Western
Cape) are extraordinary. Sport is widely played throughout South Africa,
and so there is usually something to watch.
Top Spots
KRUGER NATIONAL PARK: Accommodation in Kruger’s 23 camps is
usually fully booked a year in advance. There are five private camps in
the park. Three of the world’s largest private reserves, Kaserie,
Timbavati and Sabi Sand, are among the thirteen independent five-star
establishments along the Kruger’s western border. The park is open between
sunrise and sunset, actual times depending on the season. It is about a
five hour drive from Johannesburg.
V & A WATERFRONT: Cape
Town’s cosmopolitan waterfront development is the province’s
principal shopping and entertainment centre. There are speciality shops
and markets, theatres, cinemas and restaurants. Worth visiting are: the
Maritime Museum, famous for its model ships; The Telkom Exploratorium,
exhibiting a history of telephonic communications; the BMW Pavilion with
its five-storey cinema screen; and the Two Oceans Aquarium. For concerts,
shows and festivals the Amphitheatre is the place to go, whilst the Arts and
Crafts Market houses over 140 stalls offering a wide range of goods, many made
on the spot.
GOLD REEF CITY: This is a reconstruction of old gold rush
Johannesburg. It is situated 8 km from the centre of the present day city,
on the site of what was the world’s richest gold mine. The reconstructions
include shops, saloons, restaurants and snack bars, and a number of museums
portraying the city’s history. Traditional mine worker dances are
performed to marimba bands, an old steam train runs and a Victorian-style
fairground provides continuous entertainment. Highlights of a visit are
the old mine headgear; a 30-minute Underground Mine Tour some 220m below
the surface; the opportunity to watch a gold bullion bar being poured and
to see the oldest working coin press in the world. Gold Reef City is open
daily, except Mondays, between 0930 and 1700 hours.
DIAMOND CITY: If
you watched Rhodes on the BBC, the Big Hole at Kimberley is a must. From here
14.5 million carats of diamonds were extracted. The Big Hole is the focal point
of the Kimberley Mine Museum, a full-scale, open-air site including 48
reconstructed historial buildings. There is the town’s first
(prefabricated wooden) house, its oldest existing church, and its most famous
bar, “Diggers Rest”. An exhibition shows the development of the
diamond industry and a display of genuine diamonds, including the 10.73 carat
“Eureka”, the first discovered in South Africa. The Big Hole, the
world’s largest man-made hole, can be viewed from a platform adjoining the
Museum and the visit completed with a ride back to the City Hall on a restored
electric tram, the last of its kind. Whilst in Kimberley also visit the
Duggan-Cronin Gallery, the McGregor Museum, the Aviation Memorial and the
Sister Henrietta Chapel — all historically interesting. Kimberley is
well endowed with hotels, motels and guest-houses.
SHAKALAND:
Shakaland is a cultural centre built on the site where the original Zulus
settled in the 18th century and is a recreation of their life style. It
was built as the film set for Shaka Zulu and later used in the production of
Ipi-Tombe. Morning and afternoon tours lead visitors through activities
such as beadwork, pottery, weaving, weapon making and the brewing of
traditional beer. Sangomas (herbalists) may be consulted and ritual dances
watched. Overnight guests stay in thatched ‘beehive’ huts, which
cleverly incorporate modern en-suite conveniences, and are offered traditional
cuisine including maize meal and stew relish. A conventional restaurant,
bar and swimming pool are, however, available.
Your Safety In South Africa
South Africa has been making
international headlines for years, and it continues to do so. More latterly,
unfortunately, the ‘miracle’ of the Rainbow Nation has been edged
aside to make way for other, less positive news. The big South African story
today is the crime wave. Gory details are snapped up by both the local and the
international media, with daily offerings appearing everywhere, from local
“knock-n-drop” newspapers to dedicated internet sites, aiming to feed
a seemingly insatiable global appetite.
To deny that South Africa has
a crime problem would be self-defeating, therefore we should take an honest
look at the situation, what is being done to improve it, and how it is likely
to affect someone visiting this country, for business or for pleasure.
Two of the most important factors regarding crime and tourists in South Africa
are: a) tourists are not being specifically targeted and b) things are
happening on the ground to improve the situation. The tourism industry and
security organisations alike are at pains to point out that the situation in
South Africa regarding crime against tourists is not political and tourists are
in general not being singled out as targets.
Politically-orientated
crime is evident in some countries, but not here, and although a mugger is more
likely to go for the tourist festooned with expensive cameras (and by
implication a bulging wallet as well), there is no noticeable anti-tourist
trend.
The government stands accused of lacking the political will,
or even the capability, of taking serious steps to redress the situation, but
people and organisations like the police, the business sector, local
authorities and even just local communities, are taking the initiative to
secure their own environment, and therefore that in which visitors are likely
to find themselves.
Not the whole of South Africa is a ‘red
alert’ zone. As is the case anywhere in the world, it is the cities that
have the big problem, and certain tourist areas and isolated spots. The major
urban centres have taken the situation very much to heart. After all, apart
from anything else, what affects tourism affects the city coffers too.
The Business Against Crime (BAC) movement is already scoring some major
successes. Organisations like the South African Police Tourism Assistance Unit
and local council initiatives such as the Tourist Support Units are beginning
to make a mark. Nationally the Tourism Safety Task Group of the Department of
Environmental Affairs and Tourism is creating awareness of the issues in both
the tourism industry and among tourists.
The BAC movement was
established to bring the management skills, partnerships and facilities of
business into the fight against crime. A number of pilot projects in various
parts of the country have already met with huge success. In the Western Cape,
CCTV (surveillance by closed circuit television) systems are up and
successfully running in the towns of Stellenbosch and Paarl. In Cape Town, CCTV
was set up at a popular tourist spot in the city and within weeks the incidence
of reported crime had been reduced from 60 a month to zero. The system is now
being expanded to cover much of the city.
BAC is also involved in
projects like high profile patrols on horseback, motorbikes and mountain bikes
(one small town even has a cop on a donkey cart); Rent-a-Cop; the street
children issue, and the revamping of the criminal justice system. In Cape Town,
South Africa’s most popular tourist attraction, the provincial government
has already held a number of highly successful joint police and military
anti-crime operations. It is setting up a ‘super task team’ modelled
on similar organisations abroad and aimed specifically at organised crime
syndicates.
In KwaZulu-Natal, “Where Durban is the gateway to
the province, and the beachfront is the key to the gate,” (says a local
city councillor involved in tourism), said beachfront is a hive of security
activity. There are beach guards to watch the beach, car guards to watch your
car, and flea market guards, presumably to watch your wallet. There is also a
Beachfront Business Council to keep an overall eye on things.
In
upcountry Gauteng, the South African Police Service (SAPS) is working closely
with Business Against Crime and between them they are recording cautious gains
in the fight against crime. Programme Johannesburg, a joint SAPS/BAC project,
has identified police stations in hot spots, which the BAC support. At least 10
special training programmes have been set up, putting more ‘bobbies on the
beat’, with civilian volunteers in the stations ‘pushing the
paper’. The result has been a marked decrease in crime levels.
Similarly, the Effective Detective programme has seen a 99% increase in the
number of cases actually coming before the courts. There are other
organisations, like Sportsmen Against Crime and the CBD Initiative in central
Johannesburg, which are also making a difference, and growing co-operation
between hotels and private security companies is creating tourist-friendly
zones.
Recently, an international Urban Safety Conference was held in
Johannesburg, where the global experience was shared by city-dwellers from
around the world. Gauteng, it would seem, is slowly turning the corner. As one
senior official put it, “We have an elephant-sized problem here, but you
can only eat an elephant one bite at a time, and that’s what we’re
doing”.
The South African Police Service has issued a set of
guidelines for tourists (and locals) to make life easier, and safer. These
include:
• Plan your journey before you leave your hotel and, if
in any doubt, check with the hotel to ensure the route or destination is
secure; • Keep valuables in the hotel safe deposit box and do not draw
attention to yourself by displaying large amounts of cash, expensive jewellery,
cameras etc; • Do not take your hotel room key out with you;
• Do not leave bags or anything else unattended when moving around, even
on a guided tour, in a hire vehicle or taxi, and keep the doors locked and the
windows closed when there are people around; • Keep an eye open at
traffic intersections, when travelling at night, or in places that may not
appear too salubrious; • Do not leave valuables (handbags, briefcases,
cellphones) in view on the seats; • Never pick up strangers;
• Park in secure areas; • If you are going to use a taxi,
use a reliable service (check with your hotel), and • Always be
careful of people approaching you in the street. • The police (Flying
Squad) emergency number is 10111, and on a cellphone that number is 122.
All these projects, plans, initiatives and advice, from hi-tech
surveillance to bobbies on horses, are designed for one thing and one thing
only — to make the environment safer for South Africans and visitors.
There is a crime problem in South Africa, but with a little common sense, and
perhaps a little help from ever-friendly South Africans, you should be
fine.
A Home Away
On a
certain day in the Bo-Kaap (Upper Cape), there is unusual activity in the
houses of Malay families as little girls ranging anything from three to twelve
years old are dressed up in colourful silken flower dresses handed down by
older sisters and cousins. The little girls are then made up. Lipstick is
applied and kohol, the traditional eyeliner worn, ironically, mostly by men in
the desert. The reason for this is that the dark coal-like substance absorbs
heat and tends to cool the eyelids of the nomads who range the desert.
Finally, resplendent in their silk dresses, processions of young girls and
women make their way towards the mosque. They have with them boards and knives
handed down from generation to generation. These will be used to slice the
orange leaves. In the Bo-Kaap this is known as Rampies-sny, literally, to
‘cut the mixture’.
Soon the air becomes redolent with the
smell of orange. The occasion is the Feast of the Orange Leaves, chosen to
celebrate the birthday of the Prophet. The sliced leaves are flavoured with
expensive oils, mainly rose oil. They are then put into sachets, each one
adorned with a red rose and left in the mosque. Then the day pauses and it is
silent once again.
But at dusk the adult men begin to make their way
to the mosque. After prayers they return home with their gifts and in the dimly
lit streets their sonorous voices can be heard calling out, their white flowing
robes gleaming in the street lights as they trundle across cobble-stone
streets.
When the husband arrives home he makes a gift of the rose to
his wife and he places the little aromatic sachet in his wardrobe. This will
smell of citrus fruit for the next year, perfuming his clothes until the next
Feast of the Orange Leaves.
I remember being fascinated by this. But
there was another emotion too, that of envy. I was jealous of a people able to
create a sense of mystery, a ritual of beauty, right here in the city where I
lived. It was so far removed from the usual ‘Western’ pursuits, eight
hours at work, an hour on the freeway, supper, television, and to bed. Even the
possible pleasures, the movies and the clubs, seemed shallow in comparison. I
remembered being invited into the home of a Malay family while taking
photographs. They offered me coffee and little cakes. The daughter entered,
carrying the mother’s baby. I wanted to photograph her but she was shy. I
was also envious of a community that was able to trust strangers, that was able
to show hospitality because it is in their nature.
But then, this is
in the spirit of Kanalla, and it has existed for centuries. It is something I,
growing up in the city, was only dimly aware of. The Spirit of Kanalla means
that during hard times they stand together and help one another. And if the
smells emanating from your dinner reach the house of your more needy neighbour,
you will send across a plate of food from your table.
The first Malays
arrived here three centuries ago. Most were brought as slaves and political
exiles from the Archipelago, comprising Sumatra, Java and Malaysia. But mostly
they came from Java. The Dutch, who colonised the East, forbade them to
practise Islam so this they had to do in secret. This explains why the graves
of their ancestors, Kramatte, are traditionally built high up on the mountain
slopes. During the Dutch Colonial period many of them lived and worshipped
clandestinely.
The most famous Malay to be banished to the Cape was
the Sultan Sheik Yousef, said to be a brave warrior and a thorn in the flesh of
the Dutch Colonial powers. Being a person of considerable piety and
intelligence he enjoyed a tremendous following in his native country. The
Dutch, fearing his execution might precipitate a popular uprising, decided to
banish him to the Cape. It is told that here the Dutch Governor at the Cape,
Simon van der Stel, befriended him and regarded the prince as his
‘guest’, rather than his prisoner.
They settled in the
Bo-Kaap on the slopes of Signal Hill and this area constitutes the Malay
Quarter. Their houses, which their ancestors built with their own hands, attest
to the Malay skills as builders. They were also tailors and carpenters and
during the early years many were employed as coopers in the Cape wine industry.
Their skills and crafts were handed down through the generations. To this day,
if you need to have a suit altered, or a dress, you invariably go to a Malay
tailor who still plies his trade in his home. But this trade is a dying one,
and the tailor you’ll find is likely to be old, with arthritic hands, bent
over his antiquated Singer sewing machine.
But the chances are you
will think of him as wise, as wisdom often translates as tranquility. His sons,
instead of learning the art of tailoring, will have gone to university to study
computer science or medicine or law. Centuries ago the Malay women brought with
them their culinary skills, their almost serene knowledge of cumin, mustard
seed and masala. Even today, crossing a square, you will be surprised by a
delightful smell of Malay curry wafting towards you. And so, in a tactile way,
you are reminded of their presence.
Traditions are strong, and the
Malays live strictly according to the dictates of the Koran. A young boy starts
to learn the Koran from an early age and before he is ritualistically accepted
as a man, which is the equivalent of our confirmation, he must have a thorough
knowledge of the Koran and be able to recite from it. Moreover, he must be able
to enunciate correctly, giving subtle emphasis where required.
Marrying is usually arranged between families and permission is given by the
prospective father-in-law, with the consent of the young bride. The Maskawi
(money paid to the bride) decided on may vary from a few rand to a house or
more, depending on the wealth of the bridegroom. A few days before the wedding
the bride and her bridesmaids, in wedding array, call on her friends to invite
them to the feast.
On the wedding day the bride wears a headdress that
reminded the poet I.D. du Plessis of the golden ballets of Bali — the
medora — and a veil. She receives guests in her first wedding dress while
the bridegroom attends the ceremony at the mosque. She is represented there by
her father.
In the old days she would be fetched by a coach drawn by
four white horses plumed with ostrich feathers, driven by a coachman wearing
the traditional toering (tudong: Malay for conical straw hat). Several changes
of dress would follow. Should she belong to a wealthy family, a third and even
a fourth dress might be worn. In his book on the Cape Malay, du Plessis
described how another carriage would follow behind her “containing four
bridesmaids in sea-green, with tall, pointed head dresses spiked out with gold
from which floated embroidered veils of green”. Today, of course, people
travel in cars and, sadly, the brilliant spectacle of plumed horses can no
longer be seen. But the bride is still resplendent in silk and she still wears
a gilded headdress, which is typically Malay, and she will change her gown at
least once.
The most significant date on the Islamic calendar is, of
course, Ramadan, during which the Malay fast for a period of a month. When the
new moon is sighted the Malay get together to prepare their feasts. Once again
the Spirit of Kanalla prevails and the poor, who perhaps cannot afford it, are
given meat by the more affluent.
During the fast of Ramadan an
important event occurs for which the Malay traditionally prepare by cleaning
their houses. This is the Holy Night, in which forgiveness of sins is granted
to the faithful. During this night, the angels and souls of Heaven descend to
earth and many miracles are performed.
Their religion is a practical
one, a way of life and, although they are a peace-loving community, if their
way of life is threatened, the threat will be met with stern resistance.
When I visited Zany, the effervescent owner (her name suits her) of the
Bo-Kaap Bazaar, she offered me little cakes and told me they were twee-gevriets
(two-faced). True enough, each side had a different face in icing. I asked her
what this meant, and she told me that during the early years of Apartheid, 50
or so years ago, General Hertzog promised the Malays a better deal. He never
honoured his promise. Today the memory of this statesman is celebrated somewhat
ambiguously in this culinary fashion.
Zany’s sister, Shereen, has
a thorough knowledge of the history of the Bo-Kaap and takes groups on daily
tours around the region. On your tour you may find yourself surprised by the
number of pigeons. This a legacy of the past, when council regulations forbade
Malays to keep pets (because of the closeness of the houses). But keeping
pigeons was allowed, so many of the houses have pigeon lofts.
Noticing
a large number of pigeons being fed by an old man, I asked Zany about this and
she told me the story about the pigeons. If I was charmed at first, I was
dismayed when, later on, she added that as children they made pigeon pie when
the birds became too plentiful. I looked at her, shocked by this disclosure,
and she gazed back at me peacefully, in typically Malayan fashion. And behind
that ‘timeless gaze’ I thought I discerned the faintest trace of
humour.om Home
Johan Liebenberg
is a freelance journalist, based in Cape Town.
