Soshanguve is a culturally diverse township located in Gauteng, South Africa, north of Pretoria. The name Soshanguve is an acronym for Sotho, Shangaan, Nguni and Venda, thus showing the multi-ethnic composition of the population. The major African languages of South Africa are heard in Soshanguve.
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Location and Geography
Soshanguve is a township situated about 25 kilometers north of Pretoria, South Africa, just east of Mabopane. Its geographical coordinates are 25.5°S, 28.09°E.
Historical Background
The township was established in the 1970s during apartheid as a residential area for black South Africans. It was established in 1974 on land scheduled to be incorporated into a Bantustan bordering on Mabopane in Bophuthatswana consisting of people who were to be resettled from Atteridgeville and Mamelodi. After the end of apartheid in 1994, Soshanguve became part of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality.
Community Conversations and HIV/AIDS Awareness
In their efforts to see a different direction taken in the struggle against HIV/AIDS, the women of Soshanguve took a daring step recently. Led by the chairperson of the Township Ladies Forum, Francinah Ndala, Soshanguve was one of the first and few townships in the country to participate in the community advisory group for microbicide clinical trials.
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Sept 12, 2008 - “When I think about how many people I have infected, I feel ashamed. I would like to apologise to all of them. Right now I’m standing in front of my community saying that I am HIV-positive. I’m trying to break the stigma. Let us rectify the mistakes we’ve made. This is the first time I have talked about my status in public and I want to thank God for giving me the courage.
These brave words were spoken on August 27, 2008, when the Nelson Mandela Foundation returned to Soshanguve for a community conversation. This was a follow-up to a youth dialogue held in the same township in November 2007. This year, the conversation aimed to involve all age groups in the community, to build on existing awareness and help sustain the people’s efforts to find their own solutions.
The Foundation has held a series of community conversations around the country this year, using a United Nations Development Programme methodology called Community Capacity Enhancement. These methodological tools help the community identify and express its values, concerns and resources. The community conversations team was deployed in Soshanguve on August 18, 2008, with only a week to market the event and engage partners. The venue was made available at no cost by the Roman Catholic Church. The original venue had become unavailable. More than 230 community members attended the conversation at the St Charles Lwanga Catholic Church in Block H, Soshanguve. Most (about 62%) were adult women. Only seven male youths attended. The participants came from Soshanguve, Soutpan and Mabopane.
This process involves all the participants taking small stones to represent the lives of people they have lost, and laying them on a memorial cloth. In Soshanguve it was as if the session was an HIV disclosure process, that of breaking the silence. People told stories of loss, of shame and denial. Participants shared experiences they had with dying members of their families, those who had passed on and those who continued to live with social stigma.
“I have seen three of my closest friends deal with HIV. I lost two because they did not talk until it was too late. Then my friend and I decided we should go for a test together. That’s when she found out that she was positive. We agreed to keep this between us. Her family found out when she had to start taking medication. They were very upset with me for not telling them what their child was going through. She could have died in silence. That made me think about our two friends who died in silence. We as the youth must start to talk and share.
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“When I had to put a stone at the front there, I felt sad and angry. I thought of my family members I have lost to HIV. My sister died last year. That’s when I started wanting to know as much as I could about HIV and how to deal with it. Now I am not afraid anymore. I can actually teach others and encourage them to be strong. Now my nephew is positive, and I know how to assist him better. I would like to say to people who are HIV-positive, there’s hope.
“Sometimes when I think about my life I feel miserable, I feel sad and I feel terrible. I cannot believe my past behaviour. The way I used to change girls. When I think about how many people I have infected, I feel ashamed. I would like to apologise to all of them. Right now I’m standing in front of my community saying that I am HIV-positive. I’m trying to break the stigma. Let us rectify the mistakes we’ve made. This is the first time I have talked about my status in public and I want to thank God for giving me the courage.
“I am a mother of three and I am HIV-positive. When I found out about my status I was small and finished. Look at me now. My family used to hide me when I was sick. When my mother used to return from the shops and find me sitting outside in the sun, she’d ask me what I was doing outside and say that I should get back inside, and I would ask her why she wanted to hide me. Was she ashamed? Let’s support each other and not be ashamed of each other. A lot of people are infected but they are afraid to come out because of the stigma. I see grandmothers and grandfathers coming to take their ARVs when I go for my medication.
“When I took the stone, I remembered that I have lost a father, I have lost an uncle and I have lost my only brother. At first I did not care much about HIV but now I have learnt so much about it I have started teaching others. Let’s teach each other how to be positive. As someone who is HIV-positive myself, I will not bow down to this virus.
“I got infected when I was 16 years old. The one time that a condom burst was the time that I got infected with HIV. Luckily I was informed about it enough. People do not disclose. I have also infected people because of denial. But now I know that we have to disclose to be safer.
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The venue booked (Halala Community Hall) could not be used after all and the community members who were in attendance were shuttled through to the Roman Catholic Church not far from the hall. The priest at the Roman Catholic Church gave a strict condition to the facilitation team that there would be no mention of the word “condom” inside the church. The small crowd meant that the methodology could be followed in detail. The day after the community conversation, the action committee that had been nominated met at the same venue. They asked for a fuller explanation of the Community Capacity Enhancement model and whether it had been used successfully elsewhere. The Foundation’s implementing partner explained that it was being tried in selected communities so that lessons could be learnt before it was extended to more areas.
It later became part of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, and was the scene of riots related to poor service delivery in January 2006.
Economy and Challenges
Soshanguve has a growing economy with various small businesses, retail stores, and markets. Like many townships in South Africa, Soshanguve faces challenges such as unemployment, poverty, and crime.
Education
Soshanguve is known for its proximity to educational institutions such as the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT).
Key Facts About Soshanguve
| Fact | Description |
|---|---|
| Name Origin | Acronym for Sotho, Shangaan, Nguni, and Venda ethnic groups |
| Location | North of Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa (25.5 °S, 28.09 °E) |
| Establishment | Established in the 1970s during apartheid |
| Post-Apartheid | Part of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality since 1994 |
| Economy | Growing economy with small businesses and retail stores |
| Challenges | Unemployment, poverty, and crime |
Soshanguve is a historically significant township in South Africa, known for its diverse population, vibrant culture, and ongoing development efforts.
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