POLOKO TAU
THE SOWETO house of community activist James “Sofasonke” Mpanza, who fought tirelessly for the homeless and spearheaded land invasions, has been declared a provincial heritage site.
About 100 residents were at the unveiling of a memorial plaque at house at 957 Phiela Street on Saturday.
The declaration was part of the City of Joburg’s heritage month activities.
At the height of the housing shortage in Orlando East, Mpanza – dubbed “the father of Soweto” – wrote numerous letters to the apartheid government’s Native Affairs Ministry to highlight the severe housing crisis.
When his letters yielded no results in 1944, Mpanza climbed on his horse and led a crowd of homeless people across the railway and invaded the vacant land. He helped build a squatter camp along Kliprivier using any materials they could find.
Two people were killed in confrontations with the police during attempts to remove the squatters. A court later ordered that accommodation be provided for the homeless people.
The settlement, around the area in which Orlando Stadium is situated today, was known as Masakeni after the hessian sacks that covered the rudimentary shacks.
Masakeni became a self-governed settlement of about 20 000 people.
Areas such as Jabavu, White City, Moroka, Naledi, Zola and others grew out of the Masakeni episode.
For his bravery and fearless nature, Mpanza earned nicknames such as Sofasonke, meaning “we will all die together”. He was also called “Magebhula”, a nickname from his municipal land invasions.
Mpanza was born in Georgedale, KwaZulu-Natal, in May 15, 1889 and moved to Joburg in the 1920s.
Mpanza moved into his Orlando East house in 1932 and lived there until his death in 1970.