Elias Motsoaledi residents rally to rebuild MCR and restore community unity

Soweto, South Africa — On Saturday, March 29, 2025, about 20 residents of Elias Motsoaledi gathered at the corner of Kokwane and Ingwe Streets to officially revive the Motsoaledi Concerned Residents (MCR) — a grassroots community movement initially founded in 2005. The meeting took place outside Mr. Mboweni’s Spaza Shop and marked a powerful call for unity, urgent youth support, and infrastructural development.

Elias Motsoaledi residents gathered at the corner of Kokwane and Ingwe Streets on Saturday, 29 March 2025. Though few could attend due to month-end strains, the streets had already spoken—pamphlets, posters, and people carried the message. The call to revive the MCR echoed with quiet strength.

A key focus of the meeting was the urgent need to establish a community recreational and multipurpose centre. The proposed space would serve Motsoaledi’s youth—the area’s largest demographic—by offering a safe environment for creative expression, learning, and collective engagement.

The proposed centre would be located on an open 100 m² plot at Ingqawane and Ingulube Streets. It will serve as a safe and productive space for learning, recreation, volunteer exchange, and community gatherings.

During the 29 March 2025 meeting, residents proposed the 100+ m² plot at Ingqawane and Ingulube Streets as the future site of a community center. Its central location makes it ideal—but support and donations are needed to turn vision into reality.

Food Security Through Community Gardening

The community also reaffirmed its commitment to food sovereignty. Several residents already maintain food gardens on communal land, and plans were discussed to expand these efforts into a coordinated program. A soup kitchen attached to the community centre was proposed to serve vulnerable residents and support schoolchildren.

“The land for growing food is available,” said local residents. “There’s no need to ask anyone, as long as you’re a member of this community.”

It’s a sentiment rooted in history and shared experience. “We’ve always grown food together—so what could possibly stop us now?” asked one community member, echoing the spirit of unity and resilience that has long defined our neighbourhood.

Comrade Mandla Dlamini, pictured in the early 2000s working in the MCR community garden at Elias Motsoaledi. Now back in Swaziland, he continues grassroots organizing under the iron rule of Africa’s last absolute monarchy.

Reconnecting with MCR’s Grassroots Legacy

MCR was originally launched in 2005 at the height of post-apartheid economic disillusionment, as residents struggled with broken promises around housing, basic services, and youth development.

Inside the MCR community library at Elias Motsoaledi in the 2000s—a vibrant hub for film screenings, meetings, study, a creche, a commune, and a soup kitchen. The library was later removed when residents relocated into RDP houses. 

The movement once managed a local library, crèche, and farming project, all of which served as crucial support systems for the community.

This revival arrives as unemployment remains high and recreational opportunities for young people are scarce. With support from progressive civil society partners, MCR aims to restore and expand its impact.

This mural, painted in the 2000s by MCR members and volunteers, symbolized working-class unity and resistance. Though now faded from the wall behind Chris Hani Hospital, it lives on in spirit—reminding the community of its collective strength and the unfinished fight for dignity, housing, and justice promised in 1994.

A Community Ready to Reclaim Its Future

Motsoaledi, founded in 1993 and named after anti-apartheid stalwart Elias Motsoaledi, has long been a symbol of resilience. Although some RDP housing has been introduced east of the settlement, much of the community still lives in informal dwellings with no access to infrastructure.

Mr. Mbatana, MCR member and community organizer, hands out pamphlets to children on 28 March 2025 to share with their families ahead of the meeting. Many in Elias Motsoaledi still live in shacks after decades on the RDP housing waiting list.

Despite these challenges, residents remain committed to building a stronger, more inclusive future. The meeting concluded with seven volunteers stepping forward to form an interim MCR coordinating committee. Tasked with revitalizing the movement, the group will reach out to activists, progressive NGOs, and sister communities across Gauteng and beyond—to collaborate, exchange knowledge, and scale their collective efforts.