Orlando is a
township in the urban area of
Soweto,
South Africa. The township was founded in 1931 and named after
Edwin Orlando Leake, Mayor of
Johannesburg from 1925 to 1926. It is divided in two main areas: Orlando West and Orlando East.
History
The township of Orlando was directly involved in some of the most important events of the fight against the
apartheid system. Some of the most dramatic clashes between the South African police and anti-apartheid demonstrators occurred in Orlando West. This includes the
Soweto uprising where 12-year-old
Hector Pieterson was killed. The
Hector Pieterson Memorial Museum was established in Orlando West to commemorate those events.[2] In the surroundings of the museum is the house where
Nelson Mandela lived for several years while practicing
law; the house now hosts the
Mandela Family Museum. Opposite the Mandela house is the Mandela Family Restaurant. South African struggle activist and politician
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela resided in Soweto during the apartheid era until her death on 2 April 2018.[3]
Orlando is a
township in the urban area of
Soweto,
South Africa. The township was founded in 1931 and named after
Edwin Orlando Leake, Mayor of
Johannesburg from 1925 to 1926. It is divided in two main areas: Orlando West and Orlando East.
History
The township of Orlando was directly involved in some of the most important events of the fight against the
apartheid system. Some of the most dramatic clashes between the South African police and anti-apartheid demonstrators occurred in Orlando West. This includes the
Soweto uprising where 12-year-old
Hector Pieterson was killed. The
Hector Pieterson Memorial Museum was established in Orlando West to commemorate those events.[2] In the surroundings of the museum is the house where
Nelson Mandela lived for several years while practicing
law; the house now hosts the
Mandela Family Museum. Opposite the Mandela house is the Mandela Family Restaurant. South African struggle activist and politician
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela resided in Soweto during the apartheid era until her death on 2 April 2018.[3]