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.
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.