Vilakazi Street

#Vilakazi Street Vilakazi Street in Soweto, South Africa, is the only street in the world that boasts two Nobel peace prize laureates to have lived in the same street.

Former president Mandela was born in the deep rural Xhosa region of the Eastern Cape. He studied at the University of Fort Hare and later at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. He practiced law and became involved in the struggle against apartheid as president of the Youth League of the African National Congress. He and his comrades were tried for treason and incarcerated for 27 years until his release in 1990. In 1994 he became the first president of the new democratic South Africa. He was awarded the Nobel Peace prize jointly with FW de Klerk, the last president of the old South Africa.

Emeritus Archbishop Desmond Tutu was born in Klerksdorp in the western Transvaal. His father was a teacher and his mother was a cleaning lady. He became a teacher and later resigned in protest against the restrictions of the apartheid government on education for black people. He then trained to become a priest in the Anglican Church. He ultimately became the first black archbishop of the Anglican Church in South Africa. He was awarded the Nobel Peace prize in recognition for his role in the struggle for the oppressed.