July 28 - Soweto
Today we went into Soweto - the SOuthWEsternTOwnships of Johannesburg where displaced South African Blacks were forced to move during Apartheid. The most moving thing for me was the hope and joy of the people. In my visions of Soweto, I always saw miles of shantytowns - poverty and dispair beyond belief. But I was amazed by the people we saw - those on the streets who waved and smiled to the busses, the vendors who were friendly and open, even if you didn't buy anything, the people working in the restaurants and museums and churches. Given their history and past circumstances, the Sowetans had and have every right to feel bitter and to complain about their lot in life. Instead, I saw genuine joy and smiles, and a peoples who strive to overcome those obstacles and despite everything, to enjoy life.
We started the day at Freedom Square in Kliptown. The monument celebrates the rights of the people, and the "X" on the top of the monument represents the voting rights of the people.
From there we drove through Soweto, stopping to see some of the "informal settlements" that still sprawl across the landscape. It was a difficult thing to see from inside our luxury busses, and it was our first real taste of the poverty and plight of the people.
We drove to the Regina Mundi Church, where Bishop Desmond Tutu and the Truth and Reconciliation Committee met, as well as where all of the funerals from the Soweto Uprisings were held. Unlike those glorified, gothic monstrosities you see in Italy and other parts of Europe, it is a humble brick building with cracked tile floors, worn carpeting, and bullet holes in the roof. Upstairs is a series of photos from Soweto's history, and graffiti jams the walls behind the pictures. The struggle of Soweto's people clearly impacted everyone one on earth, and the messages left there show how inspirational they were.
From there, we went to the Hector Pieterson memorial and museum, a tribute to the young who marched in the Soweto uprising and who gave their lives for the struggle against apartheid.
Then to the Nelson Mandela House:
We drove to the Regina Mundi Church, where Bishop Desmond Tutu and the Truth and Reconciliation Committee met, as well as where all of the funerals from the Soweto Uprisings were held. Unlike those glorified, gothic monstrosities you see in Italy and other parts of Europe, it is a humble brick building with cracked tile floors, worn carpeting, and bullet holes in the roof. Upstairs is a series of photos from Soweto's history, and graffiti jams the walls behind the pictures. The struggle of Soweto's people clearly impacted everyone one on earth, and the messages left there show how inspirational they were.
From there, we went to the Hector Pieterson memorial and museum, a tribute to the young who marched in the Soweto uprising and who gave their lives for the struggle against apartheid.Then to the Nelson Mandela House:
And on the way, we saw the cooling towers from the power plants that were used to generate electricity for the whites in Joburg.
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