June 20, 2005
By Tammy O'Reilly
AS THE deadline for completion of the Walter Sisulu Square of Dedication in Kliptown looms, not even a visit from President Thabo Mbeki could distract the labourers from their task.
The Walter Sisulu Square of Dedication in Kliptown nears completion
Builders took off their hard hats, saluted Mbeki and went straight back to work as the president made his way through construction rubble while touring the site.
The City of Johannesburg and the Gauteng provincial government hosted Mbeki on Saturday, 18 June, the president's 63rd birthday. He viewed the progress of the square and heard about renewal initiatives for the rest of Kliptown.
It was at this spot half-a-century ago that the Congress of the People adopted the Freedom Charter, a document that enshrines the guiding principles of the African National Congress. The square must be completed by Sunday, 26 June, as the main celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Freedom Charter will take place here.
More than 40 000 people are expected at that event, during which Mbeki, Gauteng Premier Mbazima Shilowa and Johannesburg Executive Mayor Councillor Amos Masondo will officially open the square.
Arriving for his tour promptly at 11am, with bodyguards in tow, the president was ushered into the Soweto Tourism and Information Centre, a building that overlooks the site and has a bird's eye view of Kliptown.
A presentation by Aubrey Manganye, the development manager for the Johannesburg Development Agency, the implementing agent for the Greater Kliptown Development, shed light on the projects that have been completed successfully, as well as those that are still planned.
Bulk sewerage upgrades, the formalisation of informal traders, the development of green spaces and tourism initiatives were just some of the successes. Previously Kliptown did not even have a bank, but now two fully fledged banks operated around the square.
Once complete, the Soweto Tourism and Information Centre will house tourism associations. Planned for the rest of the square are an open-air museum, public open spaces for events and entertainment and a multi-purpose hall.
"We plan on making this whole town a museum, with each section of Kliptown telling a different story. We are also developing education programmes targeting kids, where we will teach them about our history," Manganye said.
In recognition of the role that women have played in the country's history, the establishment of a women's node is also on the cards, along with an arts and crafts node around the home of Gerard Sekoto.
More than 1 800 short term jobs have been created during the building of the Walter Sisulu Square of Dedication; those employed include 627 youngsters and 162 women. Furthermore, 60 percent of the professional team of engineers and land surveyors are black.
Following the presentation, Mbeki was surprised with a birthday cake from the volunteers at City Year and everyone joined in, singing Happy Birthday.
From there, it was off to the site, where Mbeki, Shilowa and Masondo were guided through the project by Manganye. He pointed out where the museum, hall and formal stalls for hawkers would be situated.
Material from the original buildings, which were demolished to make way for the square, was being used in the new structures, Manganye said. One such structure was a tower that would contain a "kwashisanyama", or a place for preparing braai meat.
Another imposing conical structure is the Freedom Charter Monument. Inside the monument, triangular slabs of concrete with the Freedom Charter written on them will be placed into slots, which will link to form a circle.
Hundreds of people who had heard that the president was in town lined the fence, chanting "Viva Mbeki"; and a people-friendly president responded by pumping his fist in the air and shaking hands with the public.
Manganye said that completing the site in the next week would be a challenge, "but it is one that we are fully prepared to meet".
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