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South Africa Travel + Tourism Guide: Kliptown

Kliptown

Kliptown is a suburb of Soweto, South Africa, which is roughly 40 km from the center of Johannesburg.

Kliptown is the the oldest residential area of Soweto. It was first created in 1891 on what was then part of the Klipspruit farm. By the early 1900s, many squatter camps had sprung up.

A second claim to fame came from hosting the Congress of the People - organized by the African National Congress (ANC), the South African Indian Congress, the South African Congress of Democrats, and the Coloured People's Congress - in June 1955.

More than 3,000 representatives faced a police cordon to meet in Kliptown.

This Congress produced a declaration and adopted the Freedom Charter. These later served as the basis for the anti-apartheid movement.

© City of Johannesburg The Walter Sisulu Square in
Kliptown

The field where the convocation took place in 1955 is now a now a national heritage site.

On June 26, 2005, President Thabo Mbeki opened the Walter Sisulu Square of Dedication, commemorating 50 years of the Freedom Charter.

As part of a 375 million rand upgrade for Kliptown, the Walter Sisulu Square was builit. It consists of a park, a market, 17 shops and offices, a multipurpose center, and a hotel.

The overwhelming majority of Kliptown's 45,000 residents, however, still live in dismal housing.

Hotels

Hotels in Johannesburg South Africa - Agoda - hotels in all locations
OR Tambo Airport Hotel - Safari Club SA

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