Jabulani Amphitheatre

The Jabulani Amphitheatre is an outdoor theatre (6 000 seater arena ) situated in the Soweto Theatre complex.

History

From 12 Years of Storytelling:

Opened in 1958 as a boxing arena, gymnasium and openair bioscope, the Jabulani Amphitheatre was for many years the heartbeat of live performances in the historic township. At the height of apartheid; its draconian laws and political violence, music served as a source of comfort for the oppressed majority – and Jabulani Amphitheatre was the place to go on weekends for great musical entertainment.

In the 1960s Jabulani Amphitheatre became the home of jazz concerts which evolved into the Soweto National Jazz Festivals. There were also annual jazz competitions, notably the Battle of the Bands contests. In the 1970s it became a stomping ground for African American musicians despite the fact that the United Nations General Assembly had already declared a cultural boycott against apartheid South Africa in 1968.

One of the country’s biggest favourite American artists was Brook Benton, a versatile crooner whose repertoire included soul, R&B, gospel and blues. He performed at the Jabulani Amphitheatre on 20 September 1971, three days after the opening show of his 34-concert, nationwide tour. One of Benton’s concerts at the amphitheatre was organised for pupils from schools around Soweto – including Sekano Ntoane Secondary in Senaoane. Supporting acts included Count Wellington Judge, Judy Clay, Ronnie Madonsela and compere Cocky “Two-Bull” Tlhotlhalemaje. However, Benton returned to the States after just four concerts following the fatal stabbing of a standard eight Sekano Ntoane pupil on her way home after the show. The Staple Singers and Dobbie Gray performed at the same venue in 1976 while Gray returned in 1978 and 1980. But not all visiting African American performers were successful at Jabulani Amphitheatre.

After the 1976 student uprisings, it became a hotbed of political activism by those who supported the cultural boycott and were therefore opposed to these visiting entertainers. In 1980 members of the Azanian People’s Organisation (AZAPO) put pressure on the organisers of a Ray Charles concert scheduled for 19 October to cancel it. This was on the anniversary of the banning in 1977 of eighteen black consciousness formations and news publications including The World newspaper. The choice of this date was therefore deemed politically insensitive or naïve by the organisers. The rich diversity of acts was incredible – township jazz, mbaqanga, maskandi, isicathamiya, soul, disco and gospel. Babsy Mlangeni and the All-Rounders belted out their soulful tunes here. Mahlathini and Mahotella Queens backed by the Makgona Tsohle Band dazzled audiences with their mgqashiyo magic. Jazz crooner Ronnie Madonsela sang his lungs out while Kippie ‘Morolong’ Moeketsi blew a storm on his alto. The Soul Brothers, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Victor Ndlazilwane & the Jazz Ministers, Malombo, The Drive, Harari and Juluka were among the country’s premier outfits that were regulars at Jabulani Amphitheatre. In 1972 Welcome Msomi brought uMabatha, the isiZulu adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth to the famous venue. The schoolchildren enjoyed it. On 5 June 1976, just eleven days before the student uprisings, Elijah “Tap Tap” Makhathini lost on points to American opponent David Love at Jabulani Amphitheatre. In 1983, a 22-year-old singer named Penelope Jane Dunlop and her band, Hotline honoured an invitation to perform at Jabulani Amphitheatre on Republic Day [31 May], a significant day on the apartheid calendar. The police stopped them at a roadblock on the outskirts of Soweto and tried to reason with them that the place was a crime hotspot and therefore not safe for young white civilians like them. In addition, the law forbade them from entering a black neighbourhood without a permit. However, their minds were made up. They were determined to perform in Soweto regardless of what the law dictated. So on that day PJ Powers was the only white woman in a predominantly black artist line-up.

Two of the group’s songs, ‘See You in Soweto’ and ‘Jabulani’ were inspired by the warm reception, genuine admiration and appreciation they enjoyed from fellow artists and audiences. Subsequently, PJ Powers was baptised Thandeka – ‘the loved one’ – by her black fans. The name has stuck and to this day she continues to wear it like a badge of honour. Sipho Mabuse recalls a concert in the early eighties with Juluka, Harari, Hotline, Ladysmith Black Mambazo and the Soul Brothers. “The stadium was so packed that crowds broke down the fence.” Jabulani Amphitheatre was also a hotbed of protest politics. Various anti-apartheid movements – notably the UDF, Azapo and trade unions – held rallies there. On 14 March 1978, 35 000 people assembled at the Jabulani Amphitheatre – at that stage the largest political gathering in Soweto. Most of them came in buses from the hinterlands of Zululand and Natal.

The event was an Inkatha rally and the main speaker of the day was Mangosuthu Gatsha Buthelezi, chief minister of KwaZulu homeland and president of Inkatha, a political organisation that masqueraded as a cultural movement. In 1978 Buthelezi claimed a card-carrying membership of 250 000, including predominantly-Zulu-speaking hostel dwellers. His message on the day was that he was not just a Bantustan leader, but a significant national player with a huge following in the urban areas. Since then over the years the place had become a popular venue for Inkatha rallies on the Reef. It was also at Jabulani Amphitheatre that Nelson Mandela addressed the people of South Africa and the world for the first time since his incarceration on 10 February 1985 from Pollsmoor Prison through his 24-year-old daughter, Zindzi Mandela. In 2022, on the 10th anniversary of the Soweto Theatre, a Legends Tribute concert was staged at the amphitheatre with Sipho Mabuse and Blondie & Pappa as headline acts.

Refurbishment

Themba Consultants were part of the design team tasked with refurbishing the arena while upholding the rich cultural and social significance. Numerous meetings were held with heritage consultants as well as community liaison officers to determine the best way of achieving this.

Unique structural elements include a slender, large-span stage roof as well as a concrete cantilever bridge connecting the two sides of the theatre. This project was submitted as a nominee for the 2018 steel awards.

It was relaunched by the Soweto Theatre in September 2022.