Back in 2004 my wife and I spent some time in South Africa. While there, we made certain that we paid a visit to Soweto, the township within Johannesburg that changed so much of the country’s history. I don’t know for certain, but I’m reasonably sure that, since then, Soweto has become the “go to” place for visitors to the area. But back then, it certainly wasn’t. In fact, it was quite difficult at the time to even find someone willing to escort us around the place. So in my quest to attempt to show our members a region they may never have known about, I give you some photos of this township as it was nearly two decades ago. I’m sure that, due to the incursion of tourism, it’s a much different place now.

Soweto is short for "South Western Townships," and is a name that resonates with a powerful history of resistance, resilience, and transformation. This sprawling urban area has been at the center of significant social and political change. One of the most defining moments in its history is the Soweto Uprising of 1976, a pivotal event that shook the world's conscience and played a crucial role in the struggle against apartheid. Although it has received so much world attention since that time, when we were there, nearly thirty years after those events, it was still not the safest place in which to live or even walk through. The myriad razor wire visible in many of my photographs attests to this.

Soweto's history can be traced back to the late 19th century when Johannesburg experienced rapid industrialization, attracting laborers from across its own as well as neighboring countries. As the city's population swelled, racial segregation became the norm. Black South Africans were forcibly relocated to the outskirts of Johannesburg, giving rise to Soweto in the early 20th century. This sprawling township became a symbol of apartheid's brutal system of racial segregation.

Under apartheid, Soweto endured profound inequalities, where black residents were subjected to inferior living conditions, subpar education, and limited access to essential services. The apartheid regime sought to maintain control over the black population by enforcing discriminatory laws and oppressive policies.

The turning point in Soweto's history came on June 16, 1976, when thousands of black students took to the streets to protest the imposition of Afrikaans as the medium of instruction in schools. This policy, viewed as an attempt to further oppress and assimilate black students, sparked outrage. The protest, initially peaceful, quickly escalated into a violent confrontation with the police.

The police responded with extreme brutality, using tear gas, rubber bullets, and live ammunition against unarmed students. Tragically, among those killed was 13-year-old Hector Pieterson, whose image, captured in a heart-wrenching photograph, became an enduring symbol of the Soweto Uprising. In the days that followed, the violence spread to other parts of South Africa.

The Soweto Uprising marked a turning point in South Africa's struggle against apartheid. It galvanized international condemnation of the apartheid regime, leading to increased sanctions and pressure on the South African government to dismantle apartheid policies. Inside the country, the uprising inspired further acts of resistance and civil disobedience.

Over the years that followed, the anti-apartheid movement gained momentum, culminating in Nelson Mandela's release from prison in 1990 and the subsequent negotiations that led to the end of apartheid. In 1994, South Africa held its first multiracial democratic elections, with Nelson Mandela becoming the nation's first black president. Soweto played a vital role in this transformative journey towards democracy and equality.

Today, Soweto stands as a symbol of the triumph of the human spirit over oppression. It has evolved into a vibrant and diverse community, reflecting the multicultural tapestry of South Africa. The struggles and sacrifices of those who participated in the Soweto Uprising are commemorated annually on June 16th as Youth Day, a national holiday in South Africa that honors their courage and commitment to justice.

Back in 2004 my wife and I spent some time in South Africa. While there, we made certain that we paid a visit to Soweto, the township within Johannesburg that changed so much of the country’s history. I don’t know for certain, but I’m reasonably sure that, since then, Soweto has become the “go to” place for visitors to the area. But back then, it certainly wasn’t. In fact, it was quite difficult at the time to even find someone willing to escort us around the place. So in my quest to attempt to show our members a region they may never have known about, I give you some photos of this township as it was nearly two decades ago. I’m sure that, due to the incursion of tourism, it’s a much different place now.

Soweto is short for "South Western Townships," and is a name that resonates with a powerful history of resistance, resilience, and transformation. This sprawling urban area has been at the center of significant social and political change. One of the most defining moments in its history is the Soweto Uprising of 1976, a pivotal event that shook the world's conscience and played a crucial role in the struggle against apartheid. Although it has received so much world attention since that time, when we were there, nearly thirty years after those events, it was still not the safest place in which to live or even walk through. The myriad razor wire visible in many of my photographs attests to this.

Soweto's history can be traced back to the late 19th century when Johannesburg experienced rapid industrialization, attracting laborers from across its own as well as neighboring countries. As the city's population swelled, racial segregation became the norm. Black South Africans were forcibly relocated to the outskirts of Johannesburg, giving rise to Soweto in the early 20th century. This sprawling township became a symbol of apartheid's brutal system of racial segregation.

Under apartheid, Soweto endured profound inequalities, where black residents were subjected to inferior living conditions, subpar education, and limited access to essential services. The apartheid regime sought to maintain control over the black population by enforcing discriminatory laws and oppressive policies.

The turning point in Soweto's history came on June 16, 1976, when thousands of black students took to the streets to protest the imposition of Afrikaans as the medium of instruction in schools. This policy, viewed as an attempt to further oppress and assimilate black students, sparked outrage. The protest, initially peaceful, quickly escalated into a violent confrontation with the police.

The police responded with extreme brutality, using tear gas, rubber bullets, and live ammunition against unarmed students. Tragically, among those killed was 13-year-old Hector Pieterson, whose image, captured in a heart-wrenching photograph, became an enduring symbol of the Soweto Uprising. In the days that followed, the violence spread to other parts of South Africa.

The Soweto Uprising marked a turning point in South Africa's struggle against apartheid. It galvanized international condemnation of the apartheid regime, leading to increased sanctions and pressure on the South African government to dismantle apartheid policies. Inside the country, the uprising inspired further acts of resistance and civil disobedience.

Over the years that followed, the anti-apartheid movement gained momentum, culminating in Nelson Mandela's release from prison in 1990 and the subsequent negotiations that led to the end of apartheid. In 1994, South Africa held its first multiracial democratic elections, with Nelson Mandela becoming the nation's first black president. Soweto played a vital role in this transformative journey towards democracy and equality.

Today, Soweto stands as a symbol of the triumph of the human spirit over oppression. It has evolved into a vibrant and diverse community, reflecting the multicultural tapestry of South Africa. The struggles and sacrifices of those who participated in the Soweto Uprising are commemorated annually on June 16th as Youth Day, a national holiday in South Africa that honors their courage and commitment to justice.

Thank you for your wonderful overview of Soweto. It is a place dear to me. I visited there frequently in 1980 when Apartheid was in full force. I have few photos of Apartheid Soweto for fear that if caught taking one I would be thrown in jail by the white government and deported to the US. I have some nondescript Kodak and Fujifilm slides of friends—Zulu, southern Sotho, Swazi, Ndebele, Xhosa. The individual Townships were separated by wire fences with a 20-30 ft DMZ between Townships. The entire city of 2-4 million had 1 red light and many many stop signs. Most of the roads were red dirt. Coming or going I was always stopped by police who could have been knocked over with a feather when they saw this white kid at the wheel. They checked my pass and off we drove. Would never have gone in without a pass for fear that I would have a lengthy detention. The city itself was very violent. Most weekends had 10-20 murders, sometimes up to 30.

Most of my Soweto friends lived in cinderblock homes with cement floors 20X30 ft. in size for between 2-4 adults and 4-8 children. All had running water and sewage and most had electricity. That was not true for all of Soweto. The other townships in South Africa at the time depended on kerosene lamps. Soweto was the only black city that was electrified—those multicolored generator smokestacks were once functional. I often saw the smoke. Soweto was actually the nicest township that I visited. Once again, thank you for sharing.