All Soweto tours include visits to two places; Regina Mundi Church and the Hector Pieterson Memorial.
The Hector Pieterson Memorial pays tribute to the 1976 student uprising in Soweto protesting the required learning of Afrikaans. It was intended to be a peaceful march, but police fired into the crowd, killing 13 year old Hector. Riots ensued, spreading from Soweto throughout the country, not to die down for six months. The picture of Hector’s lifeless body being carried, his distraught sister close behind, spread around the world and put the horrors of apartheid into the global consciousness.
During the uprising, some schoolchildren fled to sanctuary in the Regina Mundi church, but the pursuing police were not in a religious mood. Bullet holes are still visible in the ceiling, a corner of the altar remains smashed by a rifle butt, and a Jesus statue in the rear has had its arms amputated.
In addition to its famous “black Madonna” picture, the church has caused controversy more recently with a visit from the Clintons in 1998, during Bill’s impeachment trials. The reverend at the time was widely criticized for serving the non-Catholic Clintons Communion (say that three times fast), then compounded the discomfort with his choice of sermon… on adultery.
In addition to its famous “black Madonna” picture, the church has caused controversy more recently with a visit from the Clintons in 1998, during Bill’s impeachment trials. The reverend at the time was widely criticized for serving the non-Catholic Clintons Communion (say that three times fast), then compounded the discomfort with his choice of sermon… on adultery.
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