#JoziWalk through Sophiatown a historical road trip
SOPHIATOWN – The birthplace of South African jazz is Sophiatown, but so were the forced removals in 1955. The first Jozi Walk tour delved deep into the history of this suburb.
Hundreds of Johannesburg residents had the rare opportunity to intimately explore and experience their neighbourhoods and backyards on 24 and 25 June when they took part in a total of 13 guided tours of some of the most exquisite and unique places in the city.
One of these tours, called Jozi Walks, started at Sophiatown The Mix, the cultural and heritage hub of the community.
Sophiatown was the birthplace of South African jazz, but this is also the place where the forced removals in took place in 1955.
The first Jozi Walk tour, initiated by the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA), delved deep into the history of this suburb.
Tshepo Letsoalo, the tour organiser and guide, walked a group of around 30 people through all the streets that were named after founder Hermann Tobiansky and his wife Sophia’s children. Letsoalo, who lives in Sophiatown, said the most interesting thing people do not know about the suburb is its rich political history. Indeed the house of the first African National Congress (ANC) leader Dr Alfred Bathini Xuma, is on the corner of Toby Street and Edward Road.
Walking the streets, one encounters Christ the King Church, a national heritage site with a tower designed by popular architect Herbert Baker and also the resting place of anti-apartheid activist Father Trevor Huddleston.
Residents like Palesa Nobathane and her father John later welcomed the tour group into their home in Bertha Street and served vetkoek and a traditional drink, umqombhothi. John was one of the residents who returned with his family after the were forcefully removed.
One of the visitors, Thabo Lehlongwa, said his parents and grandparents lived in Sophiatown. He now lives in Meadowlands, where many families were removed to in the 50s.
“I encourage everyone to be part of this walk. It is a part of our history of which we can learn many lessons. Through the stories told here today, it has become a part of my personal journey of healing. This was a journey back to where my mother was born.”
Douglas Cohen, JDA’s executive manager for Planning and Strategy said through the tours the agency seeks to give residents the opportunity to experience a personal take on the culture, social history and development of the city’s different and diverse communities, engage with locals and share stories and ideas with them.
Although it is in its inaugural year, the initiative has exceeded the agency’s expectations, with most of the tours fully booked within a few days of them being offered to the public.
Details: www.sophiatownthemix.com
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