During the 2019 Christmas holidays my wife and I decided it was time to return to South Africa to visit family. It had been almost 5 years since I had visited the country and the time away from parents, siblings and loved ones was wearing on me. Although myself and my family members are not South African by birth I finished High school there: where I studied South African History.
Most of African history, I think we can all agree, is marred by war, exploitation, and oppression, and modern day Africa, at least for South Africa, has entered a new era. An era of self-governance and growth for the black middle class. One of the greatest challenges for South Africa today, which has plagued the nation for decades, is economic and infrastructural inequality. The country still ranks as one of the most unequal societies in the world. According to a world bank article inequalities are still being passed down from generation to generation and very little has changed overtime.
I was interested to see first hand what life was like in Soweto. An area in Johannesburg generally thought of as a township, and there are certainly neighbourhoods within this area that definitely fit that label, but the area is much more than that. Diepkloof, a neighbourhood within Soweto, is a typical suburban neighbourhood with SUV’s and lawns and security services on patrol, whereas Kliptown, only 8km away, is a poverty stricken area dominated by shacks with very limited access to running water and no permanent sewerage or electricity lines. Inequality still exists in every corner of the country.
More importantly, Soweto is a famous neighbourhood. Nelson Mandela and Bishop Desmond Tutu, two fathers of the nation, both Nobel Prize winning champions of peace and icons in the battle for equal human rights, lived in Soweto. Their houses are now museums to inspire generations of people to fight for their dreams and for those of their countrymen. Soweto was also the battleground where countless protests and marches were held and where protesters came face to face with apartheid era policemen with tragic and fatal consequences.
Soweto meaning South Western Township was established in the 1930's to remove native people from the capital cities and neighbouring areas. The very first permanent housing erected in this area were the mining houses pictured above. Long dormitory-style buildings where only men, male mineworkers, could live. The Nearby goldmines are all but exhausted but the large yellow mine dumps and long, narrow mine houses still stand in the area as a reminder.
Another reason why I visited Soweto was because Johannesburg and the capital city are foreign to me: I have never lived or stayed there for any length of time. The city has a reputation for being dangerous but is also a hub for big business and big money. When I lived in South Africa Johannesburg was generally agreed to be where the biggest salaries and the most violent crime exist. Townships are for the most part thought to be very unsafe. This is largely because unemployment in poor areas is very high and society is still very unequal.
I was very lucky to have a private tour of Soweto and it’s surrounding areas by a well connected guide who put me in touch with community leaders living and working within each township. This meant that I was shown around each area by a local resident who is well respected in the community. The reason why this was key is that I was welcomed into communities that might otherwise have been wary or suspicious of outsiders. The other benefit is that the residents can immediately see that i pose no threat to them and that I am there with someone they know, who can explain that I am there to try to understand their situation and to tell a story if I can.
Residents of Kliptown township create make-shift houses out of a patchwork of signs, corrugated roof sheets, wooden boards, plastic sheeting and wooden posts. The panels are fastened together with nails and wire and the roof is generally held down using rocks and old tires. Old mattress springs are repurposed as security fences. Several community leaders work with residents to solve disputes and to assist with problems such as fires or injuries. Most communities have no public services, no running water, no electricity, and no sewage systems. In some areas as many as 45 000 people share 50 water taps and less than 100 portable toilets.
Unemployment in these communities is very high. For children who are born and who grow up here there are not many safe places to play in the township.
The little that the community does have is shared. Residents tend to solve problems internally preferring not to involve local authorities. The communities themselves are often quite varied with residents from several ethnic groups and from various different African nations. South Africa has 11 official languages and many more ethnic groups. South Africa is also the second wealthiest nation in Africa making it a refuge for many people throughout the continent.
The children are the most heartwarming aspect of the townships. Their smiles and friendliness is incredible considering how little they have. The day I visited this township a young girl was electrocuted trying to pick a peach just like the one the boy is holding in the photograph. She climbed a fence to pick the fruit from the tree and unfortunately the make-shift electric wires that are fashioned by fearless township electricians had killed her. Life is especially hard for kids as they are often left to their own devices or in the care of an older relative or even slightly older sibling. Because Soweto is a 30-40 minute taxi ride away from the city parents who do work are often forced to travel far from where they live.
There is always life around the small stores and local sellers. The people of Soweto are kind and welcoming despite the hardships that they face. The first people to offer assistance in times of danger or accidents such as fires or traffic accidents are neighbours and other members of the community.
An iconic photograph of Hector Peterson, a 13 year old boy who was gunned down by police during the days of the Apartheid government during a peaceful protest held by Students in Soweto, who protested unfair education laws in the 1970's. The site of the incident is now a museum and memorial to the students who risked their lives to speak out against inequality and injustice. The words of Hector Peterson's Mother and Father are engraved at the site sharing their profound sense of loss and strength.
Tuck shops or Spaza Shops are common sights all over South Africa. There is almost always a group pf people hanging out outside the store chatting or a group of kids waiting expectantly for whatever candy they have managed to acquire.
The mural depicts a students protest, where students are shown holding placards and throwing stones while the police look on with their guns and dogs. In reality the crowds were far bigger and in truth it was protests like this that signalled to the world what was happening in South Africa and eventually lead to independence in 1994.
The interesting thing about visiting anywhere, no matter how foreign or different the culture is from your own there are always interesting similarities and signs that show how much we as humans are all very much the same. With identical hobbies and ways of expression - this is illustrated by these young men skateboarding down the street that Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu lived on. A street in a township with 2 Nobel prize winners.
The heart of Soweto was always a thriving hub for artists and musicians but it has since become a hub for bars and restaurants with influencers driving sports cars vying for attention.
With scarce opportunities for residents people set up simple businesses and barbecue stands to earn money for themselves.
Wherever you go in the township you see smiling children. This young girl is running an errand for her aunt, she stopped to check out the candy on her way home.
Only 7 or 8 feet above the ground is a network of wires that have been coiled together to draw electricity from any accessible source nearby. The wires are not particularly strong and the currents they carry can be very high. It is a dangerous job to install these wires and the residents of the township often joke that people who run the wires are not afraid to die. The wires power lights and small household appliances.
Pictured is a community leader who also works at this a community center for young people in one of the townships. The community center provides one meal a day for between 500 and 600 students. The community center has a television room, a small computer lab, and a few classrooms where students are free to attend after school programs. The programs aim to teach basic computer literacy, language and math classes as well as acquiring trade skills and driving licences. The young people who attend the classes are encouraged to complete courses which which will hopefully assist them when seeking employment. Photographs of successful graduates of the programs are enshrined on noticeboards to inspire the students - many of the young people lucky enough to have benefitted from this community become life-long donors to the center.