ABSTRACT

South Africa embodies paradox. Tourists flock to the nation to see international landmarks such as Table Mountain, Kruger National Park and even Nelson Mandela's prison cell on Robben Island. Yet, these destinations remain inaccessible for the majority of the population. The natural beauty throughout the nation paints breathtaking backdrops, always countered by the social landscape of severe inequality and inescapable poverty. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) 1 sets a world precedent for reconstructing society in the aftermath of apartheid, while thousands wait for reparations that will determine the "value of a lost limb. "2 The nation prioritizes gender rights as central to democracy; meanwhile women refuse to ride city trains for fear ofrape. Living in South Africa means confronting these paradoxes hundreds of times each day. The severe economic inequalities appear through hawkers, car guards and street children-a daily presence so universal they are almost transparent. Flying into Cape Town necessitates facing South Africa's most severe contradiction-the massively impoverished townships that practically line the runway. These are spaces where whites still will not go, exemplifying the residue of apartheid's geography of separation.