Tuesday, March 21, 2023

Freedom is not free!

 One of the main reasons for coming to Cape Town was to go to Roden Island. But it was not to be, as the sea was too rough.

I felt like crying, but strongly believe all things happen  for the greater good, so know all will be well tomorrow.

So we pushed things forward and took on the museums today.

It was wonderful and because  today is Human Rights Day, a public holiday, entry was free.

Now, I am by no means an expert on museums, but have been to a few in my short life, and this Iziko Slave Lodge is by far one of the best I have ever visited, in terms of information and displays.



I don’t know if it was deliberate but I never detected a pause between slavery and apartheid. 

For the struggle for freedom and human rights in South Africa never really ceased with abolition.


I was a bit disappointed to see that Winnie Mandela was written out of the history though.

 For yes, she found other lovers when Nelson was incarcerated. But she was human wasn’t she?

The fact is though, without her non-stop years of struggle, his name would not have remained on the front pages throughout history.

My view!

Anyway I was overwhelmed that my favorite Reggae artist, the late great Peter Tosh, ❤️was memorialized in the section outlining the important role music had played in the struggle .


This was in a room dedicated to the role of music in the struggle for freedom and throughout, South African Freedom songs are played non stop in the background. 

There is so much to talk about I just don’t know where to start!๐Ÿ˜Š
Another thing , I had just recently learnt that since slaves had no identity, the names they were given in South Africa represented the month they were brought to these terrible shores.



Another room was dedicated to that era.


They also had a comprehensive map showing where the  slaves were brought from and the route they traveled to get here.


Then there was a room displaying the weapons the white people brought versus what the invaded people had at their disposal.

African weapons 


The white man’s arsenal.



Another thing I loved was how they tied in Egyptian history into Africa, for that’s where it belongs. 

However, some revisionists would have you believe Egypt is no where close to Africa.

It took me a total of 23 hours to get here, but this visit to the Iziko Slave Lodge and the Cape of Good Hope (so far) made it more than worth the effort. 




Kids perform outside Iziko Slave Lodge. 

Don’t believe me, just pay a visit and see if you agree.

MEMORIES 




























The street outside 

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing, trip was well worth it. Sorry you didn't see Robben Island. Your pictures are worth a thousand words, emotionally must be hard seeing all those images. Winnie Mandela should definitely be in our history of struggle for freedom. African American Museum in Washington DC is a must visit.
Horace

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing this important part of history. Continue to enjoy, and safe travels. Ken

Anonymous said...

Thanks a lot. So much to absorb. SP

Anonymous said...

I'm disappointed they erased Winnie. She played a very important role in the struggles. Your pics are interesting.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing your trip with us. I am proud that the role of Jamaicans in the fight for freedom is highlighted. It’s disappointing to learn that there is still so much inequality meted out to blacks in South Africa. The struggle continues.