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54 unusual facts about Soweto


1997–98 Premier Soccer League

Before losing to Santos on the final day, African Wanderers had managed to hold Soweto giants Orlando Pirates to a goalless draw, leaving them confident of securing the result required against Santos to ensure their status as a PSL club.

1998–99 Premier Soccer League

Soweto giants Moroka Swallows continued to disappoint as they endured a terrible season, ending 15th on the log, while Santos finished just above the relegation zone once again, albeit a lot more comfortably than they did a year ago.

2009 mid-year rugby union tests

Initial plans were that the Boks would play a late May test against neighbours Namibia at Windhoek, to be followed by a match in Soweto with New Zealand Māori.

2010 Super 14 Final

The Final of the 2010 Super 14 season, a provincial rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere, took place on 29 May 2010 at Orlando Stadium in Soweto, South Africa.

Apartheid

The best-publicised forced removals of the 1950s occurred in Johannesburg, when 60,000 people were moved to the new township of Soweto (an abbreviation for South Western Townships).

Azanian People's Organisation

These were three of a number of black consciousness organisations that were banned on Wednesday, 19 October 1977 for their role in the armed resistance and the 16 June 1976 Soweto uprisings.

Barbara Becnel

On Sunday, June 25, 2006, Becnel and Neal released Williams' ashes into a lake in Thokoza Park, located in the black township of Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Ben Sharpa

Kgotso Semela aka Ben Sharpa aka Oh Kaptin My Kaptin (born 25 March 1977 in Soweto, South Africa) is a veteran underground rapper and music producer.

Berrogüetto

The name is a neologism, that has a triple origin "Berro" meaning "scream" or "shout" in Galician, "Güeto" from the word "ghetto" and, finally, "Soweto", the South African district where the fight against apartheid started.

Bhongolwethu Jayiya

Bhongolwethu Jayiya (born March 21, 1990 in Soweto, Gauteng) is a South African football (soccer) player who plays as a striker for Bidvest Wits in the Premier Soccer League.

By any means necessary

In the final scene of the 1992 movie Malcolm X, Nelson Mandela—recently released after 27 years of political imprisonment—appears as a schoolteacher in a Soweto classroom.

Cyril Nzama

Cyril "Skhokho" Nzama (born June 26, 1974 in Soweto, Gauteng) is a retired South African football (soccer) defender who last played for Batau FC.

Darul Uloom Zakariyya

Since its inception, the Darul Uloom Zakariyya has expanded, to now include a branch in Eikenhof – opened n 2000 – and a Maktab in Mandane – Soweto.

Dead Men Don't Leave Tips: Adventures X Africa

Stories include encounters with mountain gorillas, a breakdown in the Sahara, hunting with Pygmies, climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, exploring the Serengeti, the frustration of border extortion, hopping a “gun-run” thru Mozambique's civil war, rafting the Zambezi rapids and arriving in South Africa as Soweto (circa 1990) erupts into violence.

Doctor Khumalo

Theophilus Doctorson "Doctor" Khumalo also known as "16 valve" (born 26 June 1967 in Soweto) is a retired South African soccer player.

Economic Freedom Fighters

On 28 July 2013, at a press briefing in Soweto, Malema announced that the new party already had over 1000 members, double the 500 required for registration with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).

Education in South Africa

This decree was unpopular with learners and teachers alike, particularly in towns like the Johannesburg township of Soweto, where practically no-one spoke Afrikaans.

Ernst Middendorp

In his first season for the Soweto glamour club he finished third in the league, won the ABSA Cup as well as the coach of the tournament award.

European Union Baroque Orchestra

Outside of Europe, as well as tours to Japan, USA and South Africa, EUBO has played in less favoured parts of the world as Ramallah and the Gaza Strip, Botswana, Soweto and others.

Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema

The story begins with Kunene and his friend Zakes as teenagers living in the Soweto Township.

Godfrey Sapula

Godfrey Zolile Sapula (born 17 November 1973 in Soweto, Gauteng) is a South African football (soccer) midfielder for Premier Soccer League club Platinum Stars and South Africa.

Gordon Igesund

He followed this up in the 2000/01 season with another title, this time at the helm of Soweto giants Orlando Pirates.

Ha!-Ha!-Ha!

Other songs included "Fear in the Western World", which was also a punk number, with socially conscious references to contemporary global hot spots including Soweto and Ireland.

Kairos Document

The Kairos Document (KD) is a theological statement issued in 1985 by a group of black South African theologians based predominantly in the black townships of Soweto, South Africa.

Kaizer Motaung

Born in the Orlando East section of Soweto, Motaung first played professional soccer at the age of 16, for the Orlando Pirates.

Kate Otten

She has designed community libraries, the waterfront development at Tzaneen, an art therapy centre in Soweto and the museum exhibition space at the former Women’s Jail at Constitution Hill which received a commendation from the South African Institute of Architects.

Katima Mulilo

Butterfly, Cowboy, Chotto and Mahohoma are registered informal settlements of Katima, further parts of town are named Nambweza, Soweto (SOuth–WEstern TOwnships, a reminiscence of the famous suburb of Johannesburg), New Look, Mabuluma, Lyambai, Bebi, Greenwell Matongo, Macaravan East and West, and NHE (from National Housing Enterprises, a governmental low-cost housing company that drew development here).

Lebohang Mokoena

Lebohang Mokoena (born 29 September 1986 in Soweto, Gauteng) is a South African football (soccer) player for South African Premier Soccer League side Mamelodi Sundowns and South Africa.

Lehlohonolo Ledwaba

Lehlohonolo Benedict Ledwaba (born 27 July 1971 in Soweto, South Africa) is a professional boxer.

Lesbophobia

In South Africa, Sizakele Sigasa, a lesbian activist living in Soweto, and her partner Salome Masooa were raped, tortured, and murdered in July 2007 in an attack that South African lesbian-gay rights organizations, including the umbrella-group Joint Working Group, said were driven by lesbophobia.

Lila Azam Zanganeh

Up until the end of 2011, she also served on the advisory board of The Lunchbox Fund, a non-profit organization which provides a daily meal to students of township schools in Soweto of South Africa.

Murder Dem

"Murder Dem" was nominated for "Most Gifted Ragga/Dancehall Video" at the 10th Annual Channel O Music Video Awards which took place at the Walter Sisulu Square, in Kliptown, Soweto on November 30, 2013.

Myron Shongwe

Myron Shongwe (born May 6, 1981 in Soweto, Gauteng) is a South African football player who plays as a striker for MP Black Aces in the National First Division.

Norayla Francisco

On December 3, 2008, Francisco placed among the top ten finalists at the Miss World 2008 Top Model competition held in Soweto, South Africa.

Northeast Coalition for the Liberation of Southern Africa

The Northeast Coalition for the Liberation of Southern Africa (NECLSA) was an anti-apartheid organization founded in 1977 at Yale University by members of the Black Student Alliance at Yale (BSAY) and students at Rutgers University in response to the massacre of black students by the South African police during the Soweto student uprisings in June 1976.

Occupy South Africa

In attendance were activists from Soweto and Thembelihle, the Democratic Left Front had a prominent presence and members of Zeitgeist and September National Imbizo/Blackwash were in attendance as well.

Pan Africanist Congress of Azania

The PAC was formally launched on 6 April 1959 at Orlando Communal Hall in Soweto.

Parks Tau

Tau was born in Orlando, Soweto and became active in student politics at a young age.

Patrick Lambie

On 6 October 2012 he played as reserve fullback (taking the field at the 64th minute into the game) versus New Zealand at the FNB Stadium, Soweto at the age of only 21.

Presley Chweneyagae

Chweneyagae was later rumored to be playing a small role in the 2009 film District 9, which was filmed on location in Soweto, as was Tsotsi.

Siphiwe Tshabalala

Lawrence Siphiwe Tshabalala (born 25 September 1984 in Soweto) is a South African professional football midfielder who currently plays for Kaizer Chiefs in the Premier Soccer League.

Sotho phonology

The most stereotypical French-like pronunciations are found in certain rural areas of Lesotho, as well as some areas of Soweto (where this has had an impact on the pronunciation of Tsotsitaal).

Soweto Open

It was held at the Arthur Ashe Tennis Centre in the Soweto urban area of Johannesburg, South Africa, from 2009 to 2011.

Soweto String Quartet

The Soweto String Quartet is a string quartet from Soweto in South Africa composed of Reuben Khemese, Makhosini Mnguni, Sandile Khemese and Thami Khemese.

Street Fighting Years

The lyrics built on the more political themes which the band had introduced with 'Ghostdancing', moving away from the impressionistic or spiritual concerns of earlier 1980s Simple Minds songs and covering topics including the Poll Tax, the Soweto townships, the Berlin Wall and the stationing of nuclear submarines on the Scottish coast.

Surfing Soweto

Surfing Soweto is the story of a forgotten generation: Bitch Nigga, Lefa and Mzembe are three of the most notorious train surfers in Soweto.

Terry Pheto

Raised in Soweto until the age of 21, Terry was spotted by casting agent Moonyeenn Lee in a theatre group in Soweto during the casting process for Tsotsi.

Thabiso Khumalo

Thabiso "Boyzzz" Khumalo (born 27 October 1980 in Soweto) is a South African footballer currently playing for Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the USL Professional Division.

Thulani Hlatshwayo

Thulani Hlatswayo (born 18 December 1989 in Soweto, Gauteng) is a South African professional footballer, who currently plays as a defender for Ajax Cape Town.

Thulani Serero

Born in Mapetla, Soweto, Serero is a product of the Ajax Cape Town's youth academy having been promoted to the first team in 2008, making his debut under then head coach Craig Rosslee.

Trompies

The members of the group grew up together in a Soweto township and agreed to form a band after they had all completeled musical studies in college.

Tsakane Valentine Maswanganyi

Tsakane Valentine Maswanganyi (born 14 February 1979, Soweto) is a South African classical soprano who has an active international performance career.

Zabalaza Anarchist Communist Front

By this time, the ZACF also had members in Swaziland, and was running a small social centre in Motsoaledi squatter camp in Soweto.

Initially, as ZabFed, it was a federation of pre-existing collectives, mainly in Soweto and Johannesburg.


Doornkop

The area is currently being submerged by the westward expansion of Soweto and the eastward growth of Krugersdorp's Kagiso township.

The ridge was taken by cavalry under command of Lt Gen John French while a nearby ridge, now covered by several Soweto suburbs, was taken by seven infantry battalions, including the City Imperial Volunteers and Gordon Highlanders of Lt Gen Ian Hamilton.

Errol Kennedy

He worked with Hugh Masekela at Bray Film Studios to produce the soundtrack for the movie Soweto, and during the 1990s either toured or produced with bands such as Odyssey, Shalamar, Rose Royce, Grace Kennedy, Jamiroquai, Frankie Knuckles, Larry Levan, Arthur Baker, Colonel Abrams and Simon Ellis.

Frank Chikane

Chikane was born to James and Erenia Chikane and he grew up in Soweto attending Naledi High School.

Jozi FM

In 1999–2000, Soweto Community Radio and Buwa Radio merged to form Jozi FM, to form the largest community radio station in South Africa, broadcasting in several languages including: isiZulu, isiXhosa, English, Sesotho, Sepedi, Setswana and Xhintsonga.

Mighty Birds

Mighty Birds are a former South African football club from the Soweto area of Johannesburg.

Munghana Lonene FM

On 1 May of the same year, coverage was extended to listeners in Soweto via a low power FM transmitter atop the SABC building at Auckland Park.

Neil Aggett

Aggett worked as a physician in Black hospitals (under apartheid hospitals were segregated) in Umtata, Tembisa and later at Baragwanath hospital in Soweto, working in Casualty and learning to speak basic Zulu.

Richard Maponya

With the capital acquired he attempted to open a clothing retailer in Soweto, but was blocked by the government's refusal to grant him a licence – despite the intervention by the law firm created by Oliver Tambo and Nelson Mandela.

Soweto Gospel Choir

The song had originally been produced for Firaxis Games's 2005 PC title Civilization IV, but Tin enlisted the Soweto Gospel Choir to re-record the song for inclusion on his debut album "Calling All Dawns," leading to the song's nomination and award.

Thokoza

It was established in 1973 and together with Katlehong it forms the second biggest black township after Soweto.