On June 16th, 1976 a thirteen-year old boy was shot on a street corner during what was supposed to be a peaceful student protest. His death would spark a bloody student uprising throughout the surrounding area and beyond against the oppressive system of apartheid. The protest had formed in response to the government’s imposition of Afrikaans as a mandatory language in secondary schools for several key subjects in 1974. When police felt they could no longer control the growing student protest, they open-fired on the crowd, killing thirteen-year old Hector Pieterson in the process. Within the span of two months, over 575 more people were killed during this explosive uprising. Years later, Hector’s untimely death on the corner of Vilakazi street serves as a constant reminder of the violent struggle to the community of Soweto.
Much like the country of South Africa as a whole, Soweto has an extremely rich and troubled history. The country’s largest township played a major role in the anti-apartheid struggle as the site of the infamous Soweto uprising in 1976. The student uprising not only attracted the international spotlight on apartheid’s atrocities, but was a key turning point in the battle for racial equality. In addition, political activists from all over the country met in Soweto in 1955 to establish the Freedom Charter, a ten-part document outlining the vision for an equal country. To this day, the Freedom Charter still serves as the basis for ANC party policies. It seems all too fitting that the basis for the New South Africa was formed within an area that resembles the country very closely. Soweto currently serves as a powerful microcosm of the country as a whole.
Poverty is one of South Africa’s largest and most noticeable problems. The line between the upper and lower classes in this country is so stark that one can easily walk from a township to a beachside mansion within minutes. In “Chasing the Rainbow,” this economic polarization is described as a “gaping divide between South Africa’s ‘first economy’ and ‘second economy.’” This divide was further emphasized during our visit to the U.S. Consulate in Johannesburg. Labor officer Robert Yewing noted that South Africa’s Geni Coefficent rating, which serves as an international measure of economic inequality within a country, is very low. Thus, the wealth within South Africa is extremely skewed.
The number of blacks living in extreme poverty in this country is a major issue, one that can easily be traced back to the laws and restrictions put in place by apartheid. This economic divide is even more clear in Soweto, where informal houses made of metal and tin sit right across the street from middle and upper class dwellings. Our tour guide, Morena, made a point of showing us a street in Soweto that literally divides two economic classes. Having visited other townships like Langa and Khayelitsha in Cape Town, we have learned about the daily struggles of those who reside in informal housing. Knowing that these people are struggling to maintain their livelihood while upper class individuals are thriving across the street is an idea that has been difficult for me to comprehend.
One of the largest issues with apartheid at the time was the lack of majority control. Despite the fact that blacks comprised the majority of the population, national control lay in the hands of the Afrikaner minority. While visiting Soweto, I couldn’t help but sense a similar situation after learning two facts about the township. For one, Soweto is “99.9% black,” according to Morena. In addition, the population of Soweto, which is approximately 3.5 million people, significantly outnumbers that of Johannesburg. And yet, Soweto is still just a part of Johannesburg. It seems as though the majority is losing its voice once again, this time to the selective upper class of Johannesburg. Amid this struggle, however, Soweto is taking steps in the right direction towards a more independent and successful future.
On the outskirts of the Soweto Township, a massive stadium looms over the area. Soccer City holds 96,000 people, and was the main venue used for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. South Africa’s decision to place its most important stadium in Soweto clearly demonstrates that the township is making strides towards a more economically prosperous future. Deep within Soweto, however, another symbol of progress might easily go unnoticed. A small billboard stands above several houses reading, “2.7 million houses in 14 years. 13 million people in subsidized homes.”
Housing has become one of Soweto’s top priorities, as thousands of blacks find themselves poverty-stricken, homeless, or living in informal settlements off the side of the road. As a result, groups such as Keep Soweto Alive (KSA) have formed to team up with the South African government to provide housing to impoverished individuals. Rather than mope in the shadow of its violent and politically radical past, Soweto has established museums, memorials, and thousands of subsidized houses to push itself in the right direction. The pride in the voices of our tour guides when describing these initiatives is unmistakable. It is a pride that is indicative of the entire township.
One of the greatest burdens that we as foreign travelers bring to Africa is the perception that poverty often equals misery. Driving past the informal settlements in Soweto, one might think that the residents would be bitter and miserable. Within moments of speaking to these people, however, their tremendous sense of cultural pride becomes evident. People in Soweto are proud of their monumental history, and are excited about the direction that it is moving. Most of all, Soweto residents are eager to shatter this misguided perception by welcoming outsiders into their community with open arms. While at an Orlando Pirates soccer match, I found myself within a mob of people dressed in all black screaming Zulu chants. Rather than choosing to alienate me as the only white person in the crowd, these fans put their arms around me, taught me how to say the chants, and screamed emphatically alongside me. When the Pirates managed to come back from a two-goal deficit and score the game-winning goal in extra time, the stadium erupted. Fans waved their Jolly Roger flags above their heads and formed crossbones with their arms. After exchanging hugs with a number of fans, the man beside me threw me over his shoulder and lifted me into the air. It genuinely felt like a scene out of a movie, and I couldn’t help but feel at home within the throng of fans throughout all of it.
As the birthplace of the Freedom Charter, Soweto is a community based around the principles of equality. When Hector Pieterson was shot at the corner of Vilakazi street during a protest to secure this equality, he set into motion one of the most violent and passionate uprisings in this country’s history. Much like the country that it resides in, Soweto has strived to form a new identity beyond its painful history. Although it continues to struggle with poverty and homelessness like the rest of South Africa, it is clearly taking major steps in the right direction. But as Soweto continues to evolve and form its own individual identity, how important is the racial demographic of the community? Will Soweto, a community often defined by its protests against apartheid, ever be able to incorporate whites and other ethnicities into its society? Or is Soweto better off remaining entirely black?
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