Lys Inungu

The Spirit of Soweto

With broken bottles of beer strung on rich, red dirt to carefree children running along the road, the group was taken to the township of Soweto. Located on the outskirts of Johannesburg, Soweto is unlike any other township I have seen in South Africa. Townships, a device used by the apartheid government were neighborhoods or suburbs used to divide people on the basis of race. Soweto, a black township, was one of the key places where people struggled for equality and rights as citizens of South Africa, and ultimately citizens of the world. Soweto holds a rich cultural history and is called home by many political leaders and figures of South Africa such as Nelson and Winnie Mandela, Desmond Tutu, and Hector Pieterson. On Saturday, June 2, 2007, our journey to Soweto began. As our tour guide, Kenny, took us down the streets of his hometown, Soweto, I couldn’t help but see the spirit of this hopeful township. The home of anti-apartheid uprisings, Soweto has seen its share of devastation and triumph. One of our inspiring stops was the Regina Mundi Church. A church is often associated with a place of worship and healing; but in 1976 the Regina Mundi Church became a place of violence. As hundreds of Africans sought the church for refuge and a place to voice their frustrations, the apartheid government stormed the church shooting and killing many people. They took the innocent lives of moms, dads, brothers, sisters, family, and friends.  Visiting the church was a reminder of how deadly apartheid was in the country of South Africa. As our journey continued to the Hector Pieterson Museum in Soweto, I was inspired by the risks that many Africans including Hector Pieterson took to fight for something that was rightfully theirs which was the right to education and equality. As I looked around the city of Soweto, these horrible tragedies have not been forgotten but have turned into sources of hope. With redevelopment and renewal, Soweto has become the home of many professional doctors and lawyers. With the fall of apartheid in 1994, many Africans have mobilized themselves with access to education, land, and other rights.  Although the country is still plagued with the aftermath of apartheid, together, South Africans of all backgrounds are making an effort to make their country the best for everyone and I see this in the spirit of Soweto.

Signing off, Lys Inungu,
Pedagogy of ActionTeam Member,2007