Regina Mundi is the largest Catholic church in South Africa, and during the apartheid years it served as the most important meeting place for the anti-apartheid movement in Soweto. Mass gatherings that could not safely be held elsewhere were held here; banned organisations used the church as cover; and when police cracked down on protesters in 1976, people ran inside seeking sanctuary — and police followed with their guns.
The bullet holes and damage from those events have been deliberately preserved in the walls and ceiling. The church also contains a notable collection of murals depicting Biblical scenes with African figures, and a large crowd-of-mourners sculpture. It continues as an active parish church while also serving as a memorial site. Regina Mundi is usually included on guided Soweto tours and is accessible on your own by taxi from the Hector Pieterson Museum area.