In the heart of Soweto in 1955, Kliptown was the scene of the adoption of the Freedom Charter by the Congress of the People. Systematic underdevelopment as a result of Apartheid resulted in increased unemployment and lower levels of disposable income. Kliptown falls within the “Struggle Route”, a proposed route that aims to link historical sites in Johannesburg and allow tourists an opportunity to follow history along a defined route.

Kliptown has always been a place where people have managed to carve out a space of freedom for themselves within a wider society where the freedom of black people was increasingly curtailed. Within Kliptown itself, the Freedom Route takes visitors on a unique journey through a series of Spaces of Freedom that symbolise how and why people have made Kliptown their home over the past 100 years. The route includes Mandela’s hide-out and Gerald Sekoto’s House. Mini-billboards, created by community sign-writers, tell the story of these heritage spaces. The foundation of the museum experience is in preserving and interpreting the fabric of Kliptown through the trees, the signs and billboards, and the people.

At the heart of Kliptown lies the Walter Sisulu Square of Dedication (formerly Freedom Square) on which the historic Congress of the People was held in 1955. The Square boasts a monument, situated at the centre of the square, which houses a fire that burns 24-hours a day, symbolising “An Eternal Light of Freedom”. Inside the monument there is a place of reflection where the ten clauses of the Freedom Charter are engraved. The Walter Sisulu Square of Dedication is also home to the new Holiday Inn Soweto. Opened on the 1st November 2007, the four-star hotel boasts classy yet uniquely 1950’s township-styled décor, 48 rooms, two suites, two boardrooms and a funky jazz club. The Kliptown Museum located on the southern side of the hotel hosts a historical and contemporary cultural experience in the “People Shall Govern Exhibition”. Visitors to the museum will learn about the roots of democracy and will be inspired by the collective vision of diverse South Africans, aspiring for democracy in their lifetime. All the exhibits were made by artists and crafters, resulting in a unique museum experience.

Soweto Holiday Inn 011 527 7300

t 011 536 0611/2 or 011 339 2700
f 011 939 4406
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