Telling The Story of Sophiatown

(Blog Author's Note: Originally published in the Mail & Guardian, this article is one of a number included on this highly informative page that explore the overlapping history of Sophiatown and Triomf.)

Telling the Story of Sophiatown
by Reesha Chibba | Johannesburg, South Africa
Globe & Mail
11 February 2006 09:51

The reclaiming and renaming of Sophiatown, which has had two names for far too long, is a past we dare not forget, said Johannesburg Mayor Amos Masondo on Saturday.

Masondo was speaking at a ceremony to rename Triomf back to Sophiatown, west of Johannesburg.

“Sophiatown is a place with an amazing history and depth. Sophiatown was, in its heyday, the epicentre of politics, jazz and blues in South Africa. It’s renaming is an attempt and effort to tell [its] story,” he said.

Masondo spoke of the suburb being “bulldozed to dust” during the forced removals in 1955, leaving 65 000 residents without homes. They were forcefully removed over the following eight years and dumped in matchbox houses in far away places like Meadowlands, Lenasia, Western Coloured Township (now Westbury) and Noordgesig.

“Sophiatown evokes memories of a vibrant, creative, multicultural community. A place where artists, writers and musicians flourished, against the odds, in an atmosphere of racial tolerance,” he said.

Nandi Mayathula-Khoza, a Johannesburg council member, paid tribute to former African National Congress president, Dr Alfred Xuma, in her speech.

Xuma, who lived in Toby street, was one of the last residents to leave Sophiatown in 1959. Today, his house is one of only two houses that managed to escape the destruction of Sophiatown by the apartheid government.

A heritage plaque honouring Xuma and his wife was unveiled at their former home during the street parade. People dressed up in true 50’s style and jazzed up the streets with their singing and dancing during the street parade after the official ceremony. Everyone rejoiced when the Sophiatown suburb sign was officially unveiled.

Thabo Matsho, an Ekurhuleni councilor who was born in Sophiatown, said there were moments during the street parade when he felt very emotional.

“I felt like knocking on the door [of the house my parents once lived in] and saying, 'My parents lived here. It’s my parents place. I want it back!' But you can’t do that.”

Freda Tangee, a former District Six resident from Cape Town, said she will never forget the time of the forced removals.

“I will never ever get over that. It was terrible and it’s frustrating.”

Tangee said she feels frustrated because she never had the opportunity to carve a better life for herself.

“At 17 I couldn’t even get a job. It was because of the colour of my skin,” she smiles.

She said she felt hesitant to chat to a policemen at the event because she doesn’t trust them anymore. “I don’t know. Should I be friends with the police? They are not part of me anymore. They have become extinct. I forgive, but I never forget,” she said.

Small children with painted faces, colourful striped tops, hats and umbrella’s cluttered the back of Ben Linde’s 1970’s cream bakkie.

“Sophiatown is the best suburb. It’s the best place that I’ve lived in."

(Used by kind permission of Johannesburg News Agency; www.joburg.org.za)

Jurgen Schadeberg Supplies Triomf with Photos of Sophiatown Forced Removals

Michael emailed me today with these comments:

I was due to go and meet some crew on a shoot in Soweto today – it was canceled cause of the general strike – too risky. People who went to work were careful not to wear uniforms of any sort. Even maids with aprons off.

Today I spent time with Jürgen Schadeberg and his wife Claudia – the photographer of so much of SA history. He will be supplying stills of Sophiatown days and the forced removals. You can see some great stuff from the 50s on his website.

Bonne nuit a toi et a Bart…

Bonne nuit à toi trop Michael! And...I did some research on Jürgen and found this quote in an Axis Gallery exhibition article:

"In 1994, Schadeberg was again able to photograph Mandela as a free man, gazing through the bars of his former cell on Robben Island. Jürgen Schadeberg has returned to live in Johannesburg. Together with his wife, Claudia, he has produced several films and books, which are available in the Online Store."

There is also an in-depth and very interesting article entitled Jurgen Schadeberg, still capturing Joburgers, written March 1, 2004 by Lucille Davis with lots of images here courtesy of the City of Johannesburg website.