On Friday, our class rocketed through four museum tours near St. George’s Mall. Under a relentless South African sun, the cohort traveled through the beautiful streets of Cape Town stopping at the historic Slave Lodge Museum, South African Holocaust Museum, South African Jewish Museum, and finally, St. George’s Cathedral. With heads full of knowledge and feet aching from a long day of walking, we then prepared ourselves for intense haggling sessions with the local vendors at Greenmarket Square.
These museum tours taught our class about the impact of religion in various aspects of culture. Through our time at the South African Jewish Museum, South African Holocaust Museum, St. George’s Cathedral, and two township churches, we came to realize that political involvement is often based off reglious beliefs.
The South African Holocaust Museum provided a unique perspective for our class. Most of us had some prior knowledge of the Holocaust, but this museum presented that information through a different lense. Our museum guide drew parallels between the oppression of the Nazis and the apartheid government of South Africa. For example, the Nuremberg Laws provided a model for the laws of the apartheid regime and many apartheid leaders studied in Nazi Germany. The Dutch Reformed Church provided further structure to the ideaology of apartheid.
The South African Jewish Museum was our final stop before lunch. It reinforced the role of propaganda in the oppression of the Jews and the non-whites of South Africa. Surprisingly, this museum also contained a large collection of cartoons that commented on the choices of Nelson Mandela throughout his political career.
Langa was our class’s first experience with township life. Within the township, there were several distinct levels of affluence. Some areas contained dirt roads and shacks and other homes had fenced-in gardens, satellite dishes, and nice cars. All of the inhabitants we saw were black, an observation which indicates a disparity in wealth distribution in South Africa. We spent time in two churches in Langa: a traditional Methodist church, and then a Baptist church geared towards the younger generation. In the Methodist church, most of the members were women and their young children. The church contained banners offering support for those suffering from HIV/AIDS. The service was mainly conducted in the traditional Xhosa language. The second church we visited was more contemporary. More young people were in attendence and the service used modern technology. It was mainly conducted in English and was more interactive. Both congregations greeted us warmly and seemed happy to spend their Sundays worshipping with lots of energy.
In the past, religion in South Africa was used to impose ideas upon people and determined the political ideas of certain groups. Today, its is still linked to politics, but also strives to offer social support and guidence to younger generations. The church provides a sense of unity, hope and happiness. South Africans are genuinely excited to attend church and care for each other like one large extended family.