April 20, 2004
By Lucille Davie
A MEMORIAL wall, a Gerard Sekoto mural, a huge floor map of old Sophiatown, and the recreation of a beautiful 63-year-old mural at the Anglican Christ the King Church in Sophiatown, are the latest developments in capturing some of the suburb's past memories.
The person behind the developments is the Reverend Mongezi Guma, resident minister at the historic church, who hopes to implement them by February next year, in collaboration with the City.
"This is how we hope to keep the memory of Sophiatown real in a way that links it to today's reality," he says.
On 9 February, 2005 the suburb commemorates the 50th anniversary of the beginning of forced removals of some 65 000 people to places like faraway Meadowlands in Soweto, over eight years. The suburb was renamed Triomf after blue-collar Afrikaners were moved in.
The church was made famous in the 1940s and '50s by Archbishop Trevor Huddleston, a vocal, dynamic opponent of apartheid who spent 10 years living in Sophiatown. He stood up for the rights of his constituents, often at the risk of his own life.
Guma hopes to erect a memorial wall along the northern boundary of the church grounds. It will consist of panels, which he hopes will be bought by individuals in lieu of sponsorship, recounting events and "ordinary and non-ordinary people" of significance in Sophiatown's history.
"The wall should not be seen as a wailing wall, but rather it should be a celebratory wall," says Guma.
Gerard Sekoto mural
Measuring around 6m by 3m, the Gerard Sekoto mural will be based on Sekoto's paintings, particularly of Sophiatown, where he lived for several years. Besides using students from the Gerard Sekoto Foundation, Guma hopes to involve youngsters from Meadowlands and Triomf to help paint the mural on the outer wall around the north side of the church, alongside the apse. Benches will be placed nearby the mural and the tombstone of Huddleston, whose ashes were buried in the grounds, on his wishes.
The floor map is set to be constructed on the tarmac parking area in front of the church. The plan is to bring young and old people together to create it, and additions will be made as new details are remembered. It's probably going to be painted in oils, and for the first few years at least, will be renewed until the final map is established.
Interior mural
The interior mural was painted by Sister Margaret between 1939 and 1941 (the church was built in 1935). The church itself changed hands several times after the Anglican church sold it in 1967, and sometime in the 1970s the beautiful mural was whitewashed. Though he would prefer to restore the mural, restorers are not readily available, and he has opted to have a new mural painted over the whitewash, capturing the spirituality of St Margaret's original. The difficult task now is to find a suitable artist.
"The idea in all these projects is to involve young people and adults, and help them to find each other," says Guma.
Heritage precinct
In addition to the murals, there are other moves to revive the spirit of Sophiatown and attract tourists. The City is planning a Sophiatown Heritage Precinct, which will involve a community-based museum where oral and written histories of former residents will be recorded; an interpretation centre will include a place for cultural activities like theatre, art and music; and a walking trail taking in memorable sites like the Anglican church.
Guma is also keen to acknowledge the unrecognised contribution of ordinary women in the life of Sophiatown and the forced removals of 50 years ago. In August he plans to hold a workshop on healing to focus on the "brokenness that haunts women".
He says: "We never talk about the women, the silent voices, women are always the backdrop."
Structures, particularly legal structures, accommodated men only, he says. "Women, the chief homebuilders, have been tippexed out of history," he explains.
Guma wants to use music as part of the reconciliation process and is planning to invite two psychologists and a cellist to attend the workshop. To raise funds for his various projects, Guma hopes to get the Naught for your comfort Foundation, named after Huddleston's autobiography of the same title, off the ground.
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