Soweto

How many times have you heard the name of this township?  A hidden suburb of Johannesburg, it is a vibrant testament to the power of the human spirit.

Both Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu lived here. Both men fought for the freedom of their people and both men won. Both men have come to symbolize freedom, courage and human will. 

Soweto is an acronym for South West Town ship. Hidden behind the remain of gold mining, far from the eyes of rich, white inhabitants of Johannesburg and the rest of the world, Soweto now shares it rich legacy of hardship and rise to prosperity.

The uprising of students in 1976, protesting language rules in school, led to the death of many black students, including  Hector Pieterson who was the first to die in the right to use their language of choice in school. The blood of these children paved the way for today’s Constitution in South Africa.  Wide ranging in its challenges, the constitution has given equality to all people in South Africa.

We toured Nelson Mandela’s house and saw the home of Archbishop Desmond Tutu.  Now enshrined as a testament to South Africa’s past, these dwellings are a rich reminder of how far human rights has come.  

The Constitution is written in stone on a monument in Freedom Square.  While we were at Constitution Square a patriotic gentleman described to us the 10 elements of the Constitution and played the national anthem on his ‘penny whistle’.  We are grateful for s enlightenment.‘

A tour later through old Johannesburg further highlighted the deep divide between rich and poor in Johannesburg, while offering to us glimpses of hope for the future.