Monday, January 10, 2005
Day 8 Pariliament, Stellenbosch, and Delaire
10 January 2005
Hi Everyone,
I hope you have all enjoyed reading the blog as much as everyone here has enjoyed sharing it. It’s hard to imagine we have passed the week mark in our trip to South Africa. The general consensus is that with all the amazing things we have done it feels longer but time has certainly raced by.
Today started as every other by preparing a lunch bag and having a quick breakfast. From there we headed to downtown Cape Town. It is worth noting that the drive into Cape Town (DeWaal Dr.), which we have taken many times now, is quite breathtaking. We see an expansive overview of the city, Table Mountain, the harbor, and much of the Cape Flats (the large surronding area of dense population outside the city).
We piled out of the vans across from the city hall, guarded by tall palm trees, and walked a couple blocks to the South African Parliament. Because it is summer here most people are on “holiday,” including the MPs (members of parliament), so unfortunately we couldn’t meet face to face with any, but the tour was intersting nonetheless. The tour guide walked us through the wondefully archeticted building and explained the history of South Africa’s parliament and its modern form. Originally, South Africa had a tricameral parliament divided by race: one for the whites, one for the coloureds, and one for the Indians. The Bantu, or black Africans, could not participate in government. As a result the building has three major chambers. Under the current system there are two houses: a national house and a municipal (provincial) house. I’m sorry if I go into too much detail but I think its worth sharing some of the background as well as some of the events our trip.
The first chamber we saw was the oldest - dating back to the early 1900s if I recall correctly - and is currently only used for caucus meetings. From their we proceeded to the NCOP or provincial congress chamber. The final destination was the chambers of national congress. A large marble entry stairway surronded by South African flags led to the doors of the chamber. The interior was under renovation so it was filled with carpet rolls and torn out seats but we could all appreciate the location. (FYI, no photos were allowed in chambers so none are posted here).
After our tour, we went to a wonderful park behind the parliament building and sat down for lunch in the shade at Company Gardens. The presidential mansion is directly adjecent and while it was guarded by a fence it was possible to get a close view. After a brief walk back through the market, we left for Stellenbosch.
After arriving at Stellenbosh University, a primiraly Afrikaner language institution, we were met by Amanda Gouws who is chair of the political science department and friend of Matt and Tracy. She gave a striking lecture on South Africa’s transistion to democracy and the problems that remain. While I can’t cover it all here, some of the key points involve the massive problem of AIDS in Africa, rape/gender violence, the danger of one party domination to SA democracy (the African National Congress/ANC holds 70% of seats) and President Mbeki’s stifeling of criticism. Our group never shys away from discussion so these topics led to a lot questions and conversation. It was a lot to absorb but absolutely worthwhile.
With a half hour of free time we milled about the college town of Stellenbosch. Some of us had the interesting experience of being trapped in the arts building for some time (most of the doors were locked from the inside as while as out creating an academic prison). The town was pretty small and quaint and quite obviously centered around the college.
The night culminated with what I consider one of the best dinners I’ve ever had. We drove about 10 min. away to the Delaire Winery nestled among hills and mountains. Words don’t do justice to the rolling vineyard and beatiful view of the moutains against the dusk light. We walked around the property for a while (and sampled a few grapes off the vine) and sat down for an outdoor dinner overlooking the scenery.
Everyone’s food was absolutely delicious and beautifully presented. The dinner choices in the group included stuffed chicken, veal, stir-fry, pasta, and a game plate. For dessert some had an ice-cream waffle. Amazingly, the main dish only cost an average of 60-70 Rand or about $10-$15 which is probably a quarter of what you’d pay for the same experience in the States. After walking around and enjoying the stars, we enjoyed a fun hour-long drive back to Cornerstone. No meeting tonight, just some time to play cards and head to sleep.
Best wishes for everyone at home.
~Scott Admiraal