Dereliction of duty

The central square in Kliptown witnessed one of the most significant moments in the history of South Africa. Today, it lies in ruin.

Oupa Nkosi in Kliptown

Landmark to landfill: For a space that stands so tall in South Africa’s history, Walter Sisulu Square in Kliptown has been given shockingly short shrift. Photos: Oupa Nkosi

In 1955, more than 3,000 people gathered in the central square in Kliptown, south of Johannesburg, in defiance of the apartheid government. Over two days, they listened as speakers read out what became known as the Freedom Charter: a manifesto for a democratic, non-racial, equitable South Africa.

Written in stone: The core principles of the Freedom Charter, inscribed in the tower at Walter Sisulu Square in Kliptown.

“South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white”, the text began. On the second day, shortly after the charter had been read out in full, the police descended to break up the gathering. Famously, Nelson Mandela escaped their attentions by disguising himself as a milkman.

The Freedom Charter became the foundation for the new South Africa’s Constitution, and the new government declared the Kliptown square a national heritage site, naming it after the anti-apartheid activist Walter Sisulu.

Sorry site: An abandoned shop lies looted and vandalised at the historic site of the Walter Sisulu Square in Kliptown, where the Freedom Charter was first read aloud.

At a cost of R436-million ($24.5-million), the site was developed into a tourist attraction, complete with monuments, a conference hall and a hotel. But after years of mismanagement and neglect, it has fallen into disrepair, hosting more drug addicts than tourists.

Open to the elements: The roof of the historic site’s once-grand hall has been stripped of its corrugated iron panels, exposing its interior to hail, wind and rain.

The hotel and museum are now temporarily closed.

Large parts of the building’s corrugated roofing have been ripped off and stolen, along with metal fixtures, cables, light switches, doors, windows frames and paving. Shops have been looted and vandalised, including the entertainment hall. The underground parking is flooded with water because of the poor drainage system.

Scraped bare: The square’s buildings and infrastructure have been stripped and vandalised by thieves thanks to poor security and neglect by the municipality.

For residents of Kliptown – who continue to live in dire poverty without proper housing, roads, sanitation or job opportunities – the derelict square is an all-too-real symbol of how the promises of the Freedom Charter have yet to be met. “It’s really hurting,” says Thulani Mhambi, a self-employed security guard who stands duty on the square. “It hurts deep.”

Drowning: The flooded underground parking lot at the historical landmark helps tip the condition of the historic square from one of mere neglect into actual squalor.