By 1960, the removals were more-or-less complete. In 1959, the City Council launched a competition to find a collective name for all the townships south-west of the city's centre. It was only in 1963 that the City Council decided to adopt the name Soweto as the collective name.

What was Soweto called before it was called Soweto?

Among the names suggested to the City Council was KwaMpanza, meaning Mpanza's place, revoking the name of Mpanza and his role in bringing the plight of Orlando sub tenants to the attention of the City Council. The City Council settled for the acronym SOWETO (South West Townships).

What is Soweto short for?

Soweto, originally an abbreviation for South Western Townships, came into being as a suburb that housed miners and black workers. This city district southwest of Johannesburg grew to symbolise the struggle against apartheid.