The row of sculptures sits atop 7m tall columns

The columns were built as part of the original plan for the square, when construction started in 2003. But now they are complete – they are each topped with a sculpture by artist Usha Seejarim, who used slate tile and a concrete and steel frame.

“The reason for using stone was twofold. It is firstly a reference to the word ‘stone’ (klip) in the word ‘Kliptown’ and secondly, [it is] a symbol of the manner in which the Freedom Charter was adopted - through the coming together of hundreds of people and hundreds of pieces of paper to form an ideal set of living values,” Seejarim says.

Each sculpture weighs about 800 kilograms; they were put in place towards the end of 2008.

In 1955, a collective anti-apartheid grouping referred to as the Congress of the People called a meeting in Kliptown to discuss and ratify the Freedom Charter, compiled from thousands of submissions from across the country. The new square was opened in 2005, the 50th anniversary of the meeting, and consists of two squares, each 100 metres by 100 metres in size, made of nine smaller squares, with large crosses inside them, representing the votes cast in the first democratic elections in 1994.

Kliptown was established in 1903 and is the oldest suburb in Soweto, some 25 kilometres southwest of the city centre.

Creating a human form

Seejarim says it was challenging to create a human form using slate – the figures were created by using horizontal layers of stone instead of a solid piece of stone. “Individually, each cut piece of stone is just a shape, but together, in the right configuration, they create a human form.”

The brickwork signifies the crosses made in the first democratic election, and provides seating in the square

For instance, one of the clauses refers to the doors of learning being open to all; this is represented by Seejarim in a young girl sitting and reading a book. Another sculpture is of a woman with a briefcase, representing work and security. A figure in a wheelchair refers to the clause on equal rights. A woman holding a child symbolises the clause relating to houses, security and comfort. Two men shaking hands reinforces the clause describing peace and friendship. Another sculpture shows two men holding a mealie, sharing in the country’s wealth.

Because of the height of the columns – some seven metres – she has concentrated on the form of the figures instead of the detail of the body. “There is not much detail on the faces – they are very generalised and don’t look like anyone specifically,” explains Seejarim.

The Johannesburg Development Agency oversaw creation of the sculptures, which have cost R780 000. For the moment, says development manager Orapeleng Moseneke, no more art has been planned as the budget for public artwork has been depleted.

Life in the square

Meanwhile, the thorn trees in the square have grown, some reaching as much as six metres into the air. Hawkers have filled the spaces created for them along the square’s southern border, some even spilling on to the square itself.

Kliptown's towering figures

Moseneke says the square is not operating at its maximum capacity. An urban design framework has been completed, looking at its usage, with a view to improving capacity in the square and the immediate surroundings.