Forced removals As neighbouring white working-class areas, such as Westdene and Newlands, developed adjacent to Sophiatown, the perception arose that the suburb was too close to white suburbia. From 1944 onwards, the Johannesburg City Council planned to move the black population out of the Western Areas, including Sophiatown. After the election victory of the National Party in 1948, relocation plans were debated at the level of national politics. Under the Immorality Amendment Act, No 21 of 1950, people of mixed races could not reside together, which made it possible for the government to segregate the different races. When the removals scheme was promulgated, Sophiatown residents united to protest against the forced removals, creating the slogan "Ons dak nie, ons phola hier" (we won't move). Father Trevor Huddleston, Nelson Mandela, Helen Joseph and Ruth First played an important role by becoming involved in the resistance . On 9 February 1955, 2 000 policemen (armed with handguns, rifles and clubs known as knobkierries) forcefully moved the black families of Sophiatown to Meadowlands, Soweto. Other ethnic groups were also moved: Coloured people moved to Eldorado Park in the south of Johannesburg; the Indian community moved to Lenasia; and the Chinese people moved to central Johannesburg. Over the next eight years Sophiatown was flattened and removed from the maps of Johannesburg. (ref: Wikipedia)
Against this background it was inspiring to spend part of Heritage Day celebrating the opening of the new Trevor Huddleston Centre (adjacent to the Sophiatown Cultural Centre) with some of the residents that had been forcibly removed; as well as some - Mrs Sally Motlana being one - who fought a hard struggle during the Apartheid years; as well as many young people who were there to learn and share and celebrate. We are a colourful nation and it was wonderful to see so many in their colourful traditional attire as well as to be entertained by legendary artists such as Dorothy Masuku and Bheki Khosa who were legends in those days and who played favourites from that era while we all danced and celebrated. In my discussions with many of those who lived in Sophiatown and were removed to Soweto during this time, it was amazing to hear how their struggles united them, how they stood together and how music and song kept them going. I was amazed to see how this spirit still exists and how the younger folk are embracing their culture and carrying this spirit forward.
While there are things which we should not forget there is so much which we need to celebrate and carry forward; and it was an honour to be part of this celebration.
