SOLOMON MAHLANGU FREEDOM SQUARE

Solomon Mahlangu Freedom Square is a site of national heritage significance located at the entrance to Mamelodi from Tshwane. Bearing the name of Solomon Mahlangu, a young MK soldier executed in 1979, the square was also the site of an apartheid era atrocity, the 21 November 1985 massacre of civilians marching to the adjoining Municipal Offices by the security forces.

The design for the upgraded square is anchored by two narrative spines. The 21 November spine traces the route of the 1985 march by Mamelodi residents to the Municipal offices, connecting a number of historically significant sites. Interventions along this spine focus on the marking of important sites through public artworks, plaques and exhibition boards, and through sensitive upgrading of the public environment.

The Liberation spine links the existing Solomon Mahlangu statue to a new plaza to be constructed at the corner of Makhubela and J. Letwaba Streets and a future Museum building. As the spine bisects the seating berm that envelopes the gathering space, a pair of Memorial Walls are planned to commemorate fallen heroes of MK. The Liberation spine is criss-crossed by a meandering ribbon pathway which divides the park up into a series of discrete pockets, some of which will be paved, others ornamental ground cover, and others grassy mounds.