Wendy and Phobian are both feisty women, strong characters who make the most of what they have, and who hope to narrow the gap between rich and poor in the country they love.
Wendy supports her philanthropist husband in funneling funds into development projects in health care, education, agriculture, and small business development. Because social and economic progress is hindered by a government widely considered corrupt and incompetent, there is little that phobes can do to improve conditions for the black majority.
Few tourists have ever met Wendy and Phobian, but a small group recently visited them as part of an innovative approach to better understand the challenges facing South Africa. I visited. The idea was the brainchild of Nicholas Wood, a former Balkans correspondent for the New York Times who organizes political tours to war-torn countries.
“The aim is to help people understand complex political and economic issues by allowing them to see what's happening on the ground,” he says. “As a journalist, I have had privileged access to the people and places featured in the news. These tours offer similar access to anyone with an inquisitive mind.”
The South Africa tour begins in KwaZulu-Natal, with briefings by local newspaper editors, meetings with district councilors and visits to rural schools.
The group met with leaders of the main opposition parties and the chief executive of a development think tank in Johannesburg, before touring the vast town of Soweto. Visit a stock exchange, then delve deep into a uranium mine to find out about violent conflicts in the mining industry.
In Cape Town, a meeting is scheduled with Helen Zille, leader of the main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) and premier of the Western Cape, the only province not controlled by the ruling African National Congress (ANC). There is.
In the inner sanctum of local power, we learn about the conflicts and drives of South African politics and the dangers of concentrating too much power in the hands of a few.
In response to questions from the tour group, Mr. Gill stressed the need to build strong institutions to counter political patronage and maintain an independent judiciary, media and business sector.
While touring the nearby Parliament Buildings, we encounter ghosts from the past. In an inconspicuous hallway is a large apartheid-era South African flag in a framed glass case, bearing the coats of arms of Natal, the Orange Free State and the Transvaal Boer Republic. A sign of changing times is that when our two young white guides ask what the emblems mean, they have no idea.
Tour leader Peter Sullivan, a former editor of Johannesburg's The Star newspaper, conjured up another ghost in Parliament House. He recalls comments made by the late veteran anti-apartheid activist Helen Suzman when President PW Botha announced the extension of the detention without trial order from 90 days to 180 days.
“I can see them shivering around the bench trying to straighten their backs,” she said.
Take in the luxurious beauty of the Western Cape on a drive to the fishing port of Hout Bay, or have time to sample traditional fish and chips at an outdoor snack bar by the sea. But the nearby hills loom above our heads, reminding us of the huge social problems plaguing this country.
The Imzamo Yetu (Our Struggle) settlement was planned in 1991 to accommodate 500 families. The core of matchbox houses is now swallowed up by a sea of barracks packed with an estimated 40,000 people. Our local guide states the obvious that the main challenges are lack of sanitation and water.
Here we met Phobian Mazibuko and her husband Themba. Their one-room living quarters have some furniture, a double bed, a TV and not much else, but are as clean and tidy as possible.
Phobians laugh easily despite the shackles of poverty. “Everyone wants a home, but there's nothing we can do about it,” she says. “We must unite. My dream is a home for everyone.”
Themba is small and shy, and speaks softly. “There's no toilet, there's no running water. I don't feel well. It's hard when it rains,” he says.
Ms Phobian's dream became a reality for some of her neighbors, thanks to a big name Irish pub owner who spent his honeymoon at a nearby resort. The international charity heard that in her three years he built five modern houses in this settlement. During the same period, big merchants brought workers from Ireland to build the 455.
Our guide explains: “He was impressed by the resilience of the people. He saw them poor, but they were smiling.”
That night, over dinner at a wine farm, a prominent white businessman and political consultant talks about the bleak current situation. Corruption is rampant, local government has collapsed, and an incompetent government and its cronies extract large salaries amidst a sea of poverty.
This sentiment is familiar to anyone who closely observes a society that oscillates daily between optimism and despair. Almost two decades after the fall of apartheid, Nelson Mandela's vision of a just, multiracial society remains a mirage for most South Africans.
Seven members of our group were impressed by the briefing and discussion. Jo Cleary, executive director of London's Lambeth Council, found resonance with her community, which has a large African population and a problem with gang violence.
“Some of the issues are the same,” she says. “It's about understanding and working with communities to move away from paternalism and dependence and empower people to take control of their own destiny.”
Dylan Thwaites, a former Young Entrepreneur of the Year award winner from Yorkshire, recalls an enlightening conversation with drinkers at the Soweto shebeen, saying, “The insight you get when you look up is the same as the insight you get when you look down.'' is very different from that.”
On the final day, we are invited to Demorgenzon, the Appelbaum vineyard, to discuss labor disputes in the winelands. Wine farmer Andre will also be participating. He speaks honestly about the shortcomings of both sides.
He freely admits that the wine industry is introspective and selfish, but the ANC has wrested control of the Western Cape from the Democratic Alliance by making it ungovernable through local agitators. He said he was trying to steal.
He tells the story of a young farmer who is warned that an angry mob is coming to burn his farm. The man dropped off his family and stood at the entrance to the farm, waiting.
When the mob arrived brandishing clubs, he told his leader: “I'm here to listen. Tell me why you're angry.” Hearing the endless complaints, he asked if he could address the crowd.
He told them about his struggle to make ends meet with his family and how he tries to be a fair employer. He then invited people to tour the farm to see for themselves the decent living conditions of the workers. The mob's anger faded, and the men who had come to set the farm on fire embraced the farmer.
André concluded, “Real change can only happen between individuals. We need to get to know each other.”
- The eight-night South Africa tour costs £3,200 (one-time supplement of £400) and includes accommodation and meals, but not flights. For more information, call 0843 289 2349 or visit politicaltours.com.
Other trips Political Tours has planned for 2013 include:
kosovo
Explore the roots of the conflict and changes since independence in 1999 with politicians, economists, and Serbian refugees. Includes visits to medieval monasteries and villages. (30th March to 6th April, £2,550, single supplement of £250).
north korea
Gain valuable access to the demilitarized border area with South Korea, industrial ports, factories, universities, farms, schools, and an information session about one of the world's most isolated nations. (April 27th – May 7th, £2,750 plus £250).
Putin's Russia
Meetings with pro-Putin and anti-Putin activists from Moscow to Kazan examine Russia's domestic and foreign policy, human rights, and the conflicting views of Putin's leadership. (May 25th to June 2nd, £3,200 plus £400 surcharge).
Northern Ireland
Meetings with politicians, community leaders, ex-paramilitary groups, and ordinary people from loyalist and nationalist communities to analyze the causes of the conflict and persistent challenges. (July 20-28, £2,700 plus £250 surcharge).
greece and euro
From Samos to Athens to Corinth, we will discuss the lessons to be learned from the Greek debt crisis and the future of the eurozone with community leaders, economists, trade unionists and local business people. (June 22-30, £2,750 plus £250).
georgia
He toured the country extensively to examine the aftermath of the 2008 war with Russia, its impact on East-West relations, and the prospects for President Saakashvili's vision of free market reform. Includes visits to cultural and historical sites. (5th to 13th October, £2,750 plus £250 surcharge).