The bus is so crowded that a small schoolboy has to perch precariously on the steps above the doors that slam open and shut at every stop. Passengers of Johannesburg’s Metrobus are annoyed by the constant problems they experience. Delayed and overcrowded busses, breakdowns and busses that simply do not arrive are all causes of their frustration.

South African jazz giant Hugh Masekela played here. So did piano maestro Abdullah Ibrahim. Former United States president Bill Clinton almost did, but declined at the last moment. But now, Kippies, with its high ceilings, arched windows and dark corners, where budding artists have gone on to become legends, is taking a bow.

Two months of ”people’s power” on the streets and in the squares of Ukraine reached a celebratory climax on Sunday when Viktor Yushchenko finally took the oath as president, promising the massed ranks of the Orange Revolution a fresh start after freedom’s triumph over tyranny.