Today was a very important day for me because I got to meet with Dave Steward, Chief of Staff to former South African President, F.W. de Klerk.  President de Klerk is responsible for freeing Nelson Mandela, and the two men received the Nobel Peace Prize together. Mr. Steward is also the former South African Ambassador to the United Nations. Needless to say, Mr. Steward is a very important man with a long career in politics.

I had the honor of speaking with Mr. Steward about South Africa’s Constitution. I felt really good about the interview - all of the work I have done up to this point helped to prepare me for an in-depth conversation about the past, present, and future of South Africa. We spoke about how the South African Constitution was formed, implemented, and maintained. For instance, even though the new consititution was written in the early 1990s, the government of South Africa chose to write a completely original document. They could have modeled it after many other succesful constitutions, yet, they realized the importance of tailoring it to fit South Africa’s special needs and growing democracy. One other aspect of this process was the incorporation of every group in South Africa. This meant that even the Nationalist Party, which had a great deal to do with the enforcement of apartheid, got to contribute to the final document. Everyone had a say and everyone was represented.

We also spoke of the hardships the country faces today, and what we as global citizens, can do to help the upward journey of South Africa. So much about this country has changed so quickly, and Mr. Steward has seen all of it first-hand. It was a privledge to get his unique perspective on these historic events.

FYI: The current South African President is Thabo Mbeki.

Afternoon Diversion in Bo-Kaap

After our meeting with Mr. Steward we made a quick stop to an area of Cape Town called Bo-Kaap.  Bo-Kaap is a predominately Muslim area where every house is painted a bold and bright color. The residents repaint their homes every year, when they fast, as a symbol of cleansing their bodies and lives. We were told that Bo-Kaap residents discuss the color they are thinking of using with their neighbors. This is to ensure they select a unique colors as well as colors that do not clash with one another. Bo-Kaap is really striking, vibrant, and a fun place to walk around and take some great photos. And the coolest thing about Bo-Kaap is that next year, it will be completely different!

In the early evening, we headed to Green Market Square, an area of Cape Town where local vendors gather to sell handmade goods such as wood-carved kitchen utensils, jewelry, indigenous instruments, and other various South African knick-knacks. I picked up a hand-beaded belt and some ostrich leather bangle bracelets.

Part I: F.W. de Klerk & Nelson Mandela	Part II: South Africa’s Constitution	Part III: South Africa’s Challenges	Photos: Mr. Steward & around Bo-Kaap

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