Southern Africa (and London)-2104: 11. Day 6 (Aug. 22): Soweto: Freedom Square

(Note: I inadvertently left off the link to the full resolution photos in the previous post. To avoid having to resend that post, I've included in this post the link to that post's full resolution photos as well as the link to this post's photos.)

Freedom Square, which is more properly known as Walter Sisulu Square of Dedication, is located in the Kliptown section of Soweto. As noted in the last post, the Soweto region of Johannesburg, (formerly a separate city) was one of the prime centers of anti-apartheid activity in South Africa. Walter Sisulu was deputy director of the African National Congress, co-founder with Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo of the African National Congress Youth League in 1945, and the man who had one of the largest roles in radicalizing Nelson Mandela and mentoring him in the struggle against apartheid. From all the reading I’ve done, he was always treated as black African even though his father was a white foreman supervising road builders and who apparently had little to do with his son.

Now a bit of history:

On June 25-26, 1955, over 3000 delegates gathered at Kliptown in what would eventually be known as Freedom Square. This was known as the Congress of the People or the South African Congress Alliance and consisted of the African National Congress (ANC), the South African Indian Congress (SAIC), the South African Congress of Democrats (SACD), and the Coloured People’s Congress (CPC). Under the racist policies of the apartheid regime, people were assigned racial designations and these four groups tended to have primarily, but not exclusively, members of one racial classification: Blacks (ANC), Indians (SAIC), Whites (SACD) and Coloured (CPC). The term “coloured” in South Africa does not comport with the archaic term “colored” in the US referring to people of African origin. Rather it refers to people who were of mixed race. (For example, under these rules, President Obama would be classified as colored and Michelle Obama would be classified as black. As a consequence their marriage would be illegal.) This is a gross oversimplification of the racist policies of the apartheid government; in addition, policies changed over time, becoming harsher as the struggle went on.

The Congress of the People on June 26 adopted the Freedom Charter, which became the vision for a post-apartheid South Africa; the Freedom Charter was subsequently adopted by each of the four sponsoring groups of the Congress of the People. Its vision is of a multi-racial democracy, noting that “only a democratic state, based on the will of all the people, can secure to all their birthright without distinction of colour, race, sex or belief.” (Note the reference to gender equality.) The Freedom Charter is somewhat similar to the Declaration of Independence for the United States but is also more — its 10 core principles are incorporated into the South African Constitution and served as the model for the South African Bill of Rights (which Albie Sachs, who we will meet later and who was at the Congress as a 20 year old law student, had a prime role in drafting).

The 10 core principles of the Freedom Charter are:

• The People Shall Govern

• All National Groups Shall have Equal Rights

• The People Shall Share in the Country’s Wealth

• The Land Shall be Shared Among Those Who Work It

• All Shall be Equal Before the Law

• All Shall Enjoy Equal Human Rights

• There Shall be Work and Security

• The Doors of Learning and Culture Shall be Opened

• There Shall be Houses, Security and Comfort

• There Shall be Peace and Friendship

The government broke up the Congress on the second day, but the participants had already adopted the Freedom Charter. As a result of the Congress’ action, the government banned the ANC and arrested many of its leaders, including Mandela and Sisulu.

One of the key concepts throughout the core principles of the Freedom Charter was its commitment to a multi-racial (or non-racial) South Africa. This was not a given and there was much debate during the Congress as to whether there should be a multi-racial/non-racial South Africa or a black South Africa. The decision taken at the Congress resulted in some members of the ANC, who had wanted a black South Africa, leaving the ANC and forming the Pan Africanist Congress.

The importance of this core document to the current generation of South Africans must be emphasized. The Freedom Charter is only 60 years old and the South African Constitution that incorporates it is only 18 years old. It is not ancient history but continues to be the subject of debate. In fact, while we were in South Africa the Constitutional Court issued a decision upholding the principle of affirmative action based on the Constitution and the Freedom Charter.

Now that you know what Freedom Square / Sisulu Square symbolizes, let’s take a look at it.

The square itself is a large paved area. There are ten columns with sculptures on top of each one representing the 10 core principles of the Freedom Charter.