History of Soweto
An interesting look at the history of Soweto from 1934 to 2002.
1934
Africans had been drawn to work on the gold mines that sprang up after 1886. From the start, they lived in separate areas on the outskirts of Johannesburg, such as Brickfields, also known as Newtown. In 1904 British-controlled city authorities removed Africans and Indians residents of Brickfields to a so-called evacuation camp at Klipspruit municipal sewage farm. The increasing eviction of Africans, following a reported outbreak of bubonic plague, led to the formation of Soweto. South West Townships of Johannesburg were formed, starting with Pimville in 1934 which was part of Klipspruit, and then Orlando in 1935.
1944
During world war I informal settlements developed to meet the growing lack of housing. This was organised by Sofasonke squatter’s movement which was led by James Mpanza in 1944. They occupied vacant land in what became known as Orlando West. The city council was forced to then set up emergency camps in Orlando, Moroka, and Central Western Jabavu.
1948
The Afrikaner-dominated National party gained power in 1948 and began to implement apartheid, the pace of forced removals and the creation of townships outside legally-designated white areas increased. The Johannesburg council established new townships to the southwest for black Africans evicted from the city’s freehold areas of Martindale, Sophiatown, and Alexandra to Diepkloof, Meadowlands, Dube, and Rockville.
1954
Tladi, Zondi, Dhlamini, Chiawelo, Senaoane were formed,
1955
The first hostel to accommodate migrant workers evicted from the inner city was built at Dube.
1956
Houses were built in the newly proclaimed townships of Meadowlands and Diepkloof.
In the same year, townships were laid out for particular ethnic groups as part of the state’s strategy to sift black Africans into groupings that would later form the building blocks of the so-called “independent homelands.” Spurred by a donation of R6-million to the state by Sir Ernest Oppenheimer for housing in the area
Naledi, Mapetla, Tladi, Moletsane, and Phiri were created to house Sotho and Tswana-speakers.
Dhlamini, Senaoane, Zola, Zondi, Jabulani, Emdeni, and White City were created for Zulu and Xhosa speakers.
Chiawelo was created to house Tsonga and Venda-speaking residents.
1963
The name Soweto (southwestern townships) was officially adopted for the sprawling township that now occupied what had been the farms of Doornkop, Klipriviersoog, Diepkloof, Klipspruit and Vogelstruisfontein.
1976
On June 16, Soweto came to the world’s attention with the Soweto Uprising, when mass protests erupted over the government’s policy to enforce education in Afrikaans rather than English. Police opened fire in Orlando West on thousands of students marching from Naledi High School to Orlando Stadium. The rioting continued and 23 people, including two white people, died on the first day in Soweto. The first to be killed was Hector Pieterson, who was 12 years old when the police began to open fire on the students. Another among the killed was Dr. Melville Edelstein, who had devoted his life to social welfare among blacks. The impact of the Soweto protests reverberated throughout the country and across the world. In their aftermath, economic and cultural sanctions were introduced from abroad. Political activists left the country to train for guerrilla resistance. Soweto and other townships became the stage for violent state repression. Until this day June 16 is commemorated in South Africa.
In response, the apartheid state started providing electricity to more Soweto homes yet phased out financial support for building additional housing.
1983
Soweto became an independent municipality with elected black councilors. Previous to that the townships were governed by the Johannesburg council.
Soweto’s black African councilors were not provided by the apartheid state with the finances to address housing and infrastructural problems. Township residents opposed the black councilors as puppet collaborators who personally benefited financially from an oppressive regime. Resistance was spurred by the exclusion of blacks from the newly formed tricameral Parliament (which included Whites, Asians, and Coloureds). Municipal elections in black, coloured, and Indian areas were subsequently widely boycotted, returning extremely low voting figures for years. Popular resistance to state structures dates back to the Advisory Boards (1950) that co-opted black residents to advise whites who managed the townships.
In Soweto, popular resistance to apartheid emerged in various forms during the 1980s. Educational and economic boycotts were initiated, and student bodies were organized. Street committees were formed, and civic organizations were established as alternatives to state-imposed structures. Such actions were strengthened by the call issued by African National Congress’s 1985 Kabwe congress in Zambia to make South Africa ungovernable. As the state forbade public gatherings, church buildings like Regina Mundi were sometimes used for political gatherings.
1995
Soweto became part of the Southern Metropolitan Transitional Local Council.
2002
Soweto was incorporated into the City of Johannesburg. A series of bomb explosions rocked Soweto in October 2002. The explosions believed to be the work of the Boeremag, a right-wing extremist group, damaged buildings, and railway lines and killed one person.
Source: Wikipedia