August 4, 2005
By Sipho Maduna
CONSTITUTION Hill, in Braamfontein, is fast becoming one of Johannesburg's most popular tourist attractions, with an average of 171 visitors each day.
Seven days a week, trained guides offer regular tours of the hill and its various spaces, like Number Four, the old jail; the Old Fort; the Women's Gaol; and Constitutional Court.
Trevor Chueu, Constitution Hill's marketing officer, goes so far as saying a trip to Joburg is not complete without a visit to the hill, the city's most popular and happening site.
"Constitution Hill's department of education has developed educational programmes [that] are tailor-made to suit our visitors, who range from learners, children and educators, to the inner city community."
An aerial view of Constitution Hill
Number Four
First stop on the tour is the notorious Number Four jail.
"Number Four is where thousands of ordinary black people were imprisoned and brutalised before the coming of democracy in 1994," Chueu explains.
Moses Ngwenya, a tour guide, adds, "In the dark, cold communal rooms in Number Four, prisoners slept on the floor whether it was winter or summer."
Today, some of Number Four's cells have overhead projectors beaming pictures of the prisoners of old on to the walls. Video clips of prisoners singing are also played.
Inmates in this jail had an eating room and an exercise yard; the dishes they used are still dirty - just as the prisoners left them.
Old Fort
Next to Number Four is the Old Fort, built by President Paul Kruger in 1893 using prisoner labour, to keep the British at bay. In 1902 it became a prison under the jurisdiction of the Department of Public Works.
In 1999 the National Heritage Resources Act defined the Old Fort as a heritage site because of its exceptional qualities that are of special national significance.
Male prisoners entering the Old Fort passed through an entrance tunnel; the walls are pockmarked with gunholes, in case the fort was ever attacked.
Only white males were held at the Old Fort, and today pictures on the walls show the daily life of inmates. Nelson Mandela was the only black prisoner given a bed here - in the hospital section on his arrest in 1962.
The tour heads for the Isolation Cells, where prisoners were kept in solitary confinement. The solitary cells are dark and cold, with no windows and a toilet inside - a scary place indeed.
Constitutional Court
Rising out of these dark days is the Constitutional Court. Its design symbolises a tree, referring to bygone days when elders met under a community tree to discuss important matters.
According to Chueu, in 1995 a historic decision was taken to locate the Constitutional Court of South Africa and its supporting institutions at the site.
"The Constitutional Court is home of the constitution, the highest law of the land," Chueu says.
Court hearings are open to the public.
Education programmes
Other than tours, there are several educational programmes at the site that take place in The Children's Room, like the Schools Programme and Adult Education.
The Children's Room is a colourful space, and children's paintings adorn the walls. A programme for children between the ages of three and 12 is run from here.
"We teach children about their rights and about child abuse," says Mmabatho Mokwena, the children's educator.
Chueu adds that the Schools Programme is the most formal education programme. It ensures that a visit to Constitution Hill is relevant and meaningful for learners and educators.
It is linked to the Department of Education's curriculum, and the idea is to develop Constitution Hill as crucial site of learning that can meet cross-curriculum learning needs.
The Adult Education programme "is aimed at ensuring that every visitor to the heritage site has an opportunity to participate in these lively informative tours", Chueu says.
"The site provides a unique perspective on the city and its fascinating and evolving history."
Night tours
Every last Thursday of the month there is a night tour of the hill. However, special bookings can be made for groups of more than 20 people on any day of the week.
The night tour has a dinner option. It costs R60 just for the tour, but R190 including dinner, for both children and adults.
The cost of day tours for adults is R15 and R10 for students who have valid students' cards. For children between the ages of five and 12, entrance is R5.
Constitution Hill is open from 9am to 5pm daily, including public holidays, except Christmas Day and New Year.
For general programme inquiries, contact Tokello on 011 381 3110.
Permission to use web site material
Publishers may use material from this site free of charge, as long as:
- Credit is given to either the "City of Johannesburg website
(www.joburg.org.za)" or to "Johannesburg News Agency
(www.joburg.org.za)";
- If the article is used online, a link is provided to the original
article on this website;
- The name of the article's author is acknowledged;
-
The webmaster is informed of how and where the material is used (fill
in this brief online form).
Johannesburg News Agency is operated by BIG Media at 011-484-1400 |
