Kliptown, one of the oldest districts in Soweto, is an area steeped in history – violent, restorative, sad and uplifting. It is most famously known as the site where more than 3 000 people attended what became known as the Congress of the People in 1955 to adopt the Freedom Charter, a document in which oppressed South Africans formulated ideas of a society free of apartheid rule.
The town was laid out in 1891 on a portion of the Klipspruit farm, named after the klipspruit (rocky stream) that runs through it. By 1903, an informal settlement of makeshift shacks had been established, which acted almost like a buffer zone between Soweto and Johannesburg. Despite a police blockade barring the area, people came from far and wide to see the Freedom Charter signed in June of 1955, eager to see the beginnings of democracy form in the country.
Today, the population of Kliptown stands at roughly 45 000, and the area where the delegates met in 1955 is now a bustling square with a marketplace for traders, offices, shops and a hotel. In 2005, the unemployment rate in Kliptown stood at a dismal 72%. That year, the Johannesburg City Council announced plans to revitalise the area in a R375-million upgrade project, which included a large-scale housing upgrade.
Look to the edge of the newly developed square and you’ll find the Kliptown Open Air Museum, built in dedication to ANC stalwart Walter Sisulu. Through vibrant artworks, photographs, song, narration and newspaper clippings, it tells the story of how he and other leaders helped draft the Freedom Charter, the resistance they faced, and how the Charter ultimately formed the basis for South Africa’s liberal constitution.
Kliptown is well known for being a hugely entertaining social hub. Interestingly, the Oscar-winning film, Tsotsi, was filmed in Kliptown.
If you plan on visiting the area, be sure to book a few nights at the Soweto Hotel on Freedom Square, the first international four-star hotel built in Soweto. From there you’ll be able to visit attractions like the museum, the nearby 10 pillars – a symbol of the 10 pillars of the Freedom Charter – as well as the SKY (Soweto Kliptown Youth) centre, which helps neglected children in the area.
Gauteng.net