Situated on the spot where the first court of law for Johannesburg once stood, a statue of Mohandas Gandhi by sculptor Tinka Christopher depicts him as a young man dressed in the required clothing for an attorney in a court of law – an image much different from the one often associated with the man who came to be addressed as Mahatma – an honorific Sanskrit term meaning ‘great soul’. It was here that Gandhi served as an attorney, and where he was sentenced for his involvement in political activism in South Africa. Some time spent enjoying refreshments at the local cafés while watching the daily activities of the people who call Johannesburg home, will give visitors a true sense of why South Africa is referred to as the ‘rainbow nation’.

For a panoramic view of the city of Johannesburg there is no better vantage point than the observation deck at the top of the 223 meter tall Carlton Center, the next stop on the bus route. The view highlights the diversity of the area, with remains of re-mined mine dumps to the south, the FNB Stadium, Soccer City and Soweto to the southwest, Gandhi Square below and the distinctive skylines of Braamfontein and Hillbrow to the north.

The James Hall Transport Museum offers insight into the evolution of transport in the city and surrounding areas, from the time of horse-drawn carts through to today’s modern modes of transport. Categories at the museum include animal-drawn vehicles, bicycles and motorcycles, buses and coaches, motor cars, fire engines, steam-driven vehicles, and trams and trolley buses.

Continued in Part 2