Location

Soweto short for South Western Township is an urban area near Johannesburg.

After National Party gained power in 1948 and began to implement Apartheid the pace of forced removals and the creation of townships outside legally-designated white areas increased.
In 1956 townships were laid out for particular ethnic groups as part of the state's strategy to sift black Africans into groupings that would later form the building blocks of the so-called "independent homelands".
Soweto came to the world's attention on June 16, 1976 with the uprising when mass protests erupted over the government's policy to enforce education in Afrikaans. 566 people died among them Hector Peterson – a 13 year old school boy – who became a symbol  of the brutality of the white terror regime.

Niq Mhlongo lives and works in Soweto. Further informations about Niq in the author section.