Photographs from Soweto

During my time in Johannesburg, I visited the vast township of Soweto on two occasions. Soweto is located south west of the centre of Johannesburg (Soweto is in fact an abbreviation of South Western Townships). Notable landmarks include Desmond Tutu’s house, Nelson Mandela’s house where he lived from 1946 – 62, and the Orlando Towers.

The famous Soweto Uprising of 16th June 1976 began as a result of the government trying to enforce education in Afrikaans as opposed to in the native langauge of the people of Soweto. The death of a 13 year old boy called Hector Pieterson, who was shot by police aiming fire at protesting students, is seen as a symbol of struggle against the brutality of the Apartheid Regime. In many ways the Soweto Uprising was the catalyst for the eventual dismantling of apartheid.

Soweto is also home to South Africa’s largest stadium, the FNB Stadium, which is the homeground of both South Africa’s national football team and one of South Africa’s top football teams, the Kaizer Chiefs.

Below I am featuring some photographs I took during my time there.

 

 

Visiting a Soweto learning centre

 

Soweto children 1

 

Soweto children 2

 

Soweto children 3

 

Soweto residencies photo 1

 

Soweto residences photo 2

 

At the Hector Pieterson memorial and museum

 

Political party posters

 

On the side of a carton of Joburg beer

 

Necking some of that Joburg Beer which is very similar in taste to the traditional Zulu beer sorghum 

 

Shebeen scene

 

Outside Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s house

 

Fans of Deliciously Ella rejoice! This is the choice of snack of many people who live in the townships in the Gauteng area. A Kota is a quarter loaf of white bread hollowed out and filled with chips and cheap processed meats like salami slices and Vienna sausages. For R12 it is all yours.

 

One of the Orlando towers

 

Outside the Apartheid Museum

 

 

by Nicholas Peart

20th July 2016

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