SouthernFocus
a photo essay by leon yacher
Where the Wild Things Are A tumultuous land of apartheid in its past, poverty in its present, and a thriving tourist trade that might rescue South Africa's future.
Soweto is now a tourist stop that includes structures commemorating the life and death of hundreds of people during the apartheid era.
The late Nelson Mandela’s leadership in South Africa is legendary by virtue of his strong desire for reconciliation as a policy that he believed would save his country from total chaos as apartheid -- legal separation of the races, with the white minority in total control -- ended by 1991. Apartheid was enforced through legislation by the National Party (NP) governments, the ruling party from 1948 to 1994. South Africa continues to rebuild, in spite of the many issues faced by most people in the country. Social problems continue to afflict the population, and the government is dealing with crime, cultural traditions and the fight against the spread of AIDS. In spite of such issues, tourism draws thousands of visitors to South Africa, most in search of adventure. The country’s tourist infrastructure is superior to that found in most other countries in the continent, and the landscape is impressive. Big animals attract most tourists to South Africa, with the preservation of animal life in its natural form a key policy of the country. When entering deep into the game reserves, a visitor gains a sense of nature’s cycles.
Much has changed in Soweto, but poverty continues to be pervasive.
iiiiiiii A hyena’s watchful eye can be a problem if it perceives that its cubs may be in danger. Poverty is especially pervasive in the Limpopo region in the northeast of South. This home near the village of Ngudza is an example. Locals buy a few bricks at a time as their budgets permit. Across the street from where Nobel Prize winner Mandela lived, family members established a restaurant for primarily foreign tourists. The street where Mandela lived is the only street in the world where two Nobel Prize winners lived near each other: Bishop Desmond Tutu resided only a few blocks away. Near the tip of Cape Town, the South African penguins are found in government-protected parks in Boulders Beach. This rhino survived a bloody battle with another male as his region of dominance was being disputed.
Inland travel shows visitors astonishing landscapes, often missed by most tourists. Big animals can be easily seen in the large reserves, and visits to these reserves can yield unexpected results. After a kill, a leopard may find a place to rest, posing no threat to tourists.
Most animals seem unperturbed by human presence, as with a group of baboons that stopped in the middle of a side road to rest.
For the water buffalo in the savanna, danger is always a reality, requiring vigilance. Those resting are faced in all directions, while those standing keep an eye out for potential predators. The elephant often escapes the confrontational nature of the wild. It is unlikely to be challenged by smaller animals owing to its size and it travels in large groups.
Lions, too, can be approached as long as they have just finished a good meal.
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SouthernLife • december 2013