History of alexandra township pdf

The township of alexandra alex was established in 1912 and is close to the. It is commonly known as gomorrah among local residents. Alexandra settlement case studies the township of alexandra figure 15, located outside of johannesburg, south africa, is a prime example of an informal settlement that suffers from issues caused by stormwater runoff and flooding. This section aims to provide an overview of alexandra township, with a brief discussion of the history and then a description of the township today. Black unemployed township youth in the era of julius. As a former resident of alexandra with a long family history in the township. It was intended for occupation by white persons, but the lots. Townships a township is the land formally allocated to hosting the site of a town.

Alexandra township, johannesburg, south africa mit. Alexandra township in johannesburg in pictures art and. The history of johannesburg as a city is brief by comparison to most world cities, but nevertheless breathtaking. It should have been obliterated years ago, at the height of the apartheid period, when other black spots in the middle of white suburbs met their deaths under the bulldozers. The story of alex goes back to 1904, when papenfus, a wealthy farmer, bought a number of farms, in the alex area, one of which, zandfontein, would become the. Alexandra is bounded by wynberg on the west, marlboro and kelvin on the north, kew, lombardy west and lombardy east on the south.

Alexandra a history is a social history of one of south africas oldest townships. An ordinance regulating the use of golf carts on alexandria township roadways view. It begins with the founding of alexandra as a freehold township in 1912, and traces its growth as a center of black workingclass life in the heart of johannesburg, to the postapartheid era. Most measured parameters in water exiting alexandra were within the acceptable ranges of aquatic ecosystems guidelines. The alexandra renewal programme kickstarted with financial capital of r1, 3 billion spread over seven years to revitalize the township of alexandra. Pdf impact of alexandra township on the water quality of. The book also talks about the famous putco bus boycott, whereby all bus commuters. Kim ludbrook, regional chief photographer of africa for. Due to the nature of the report this cannot be a full and comprehensive history, rather the aim is to set the township today against a historical background in order to provide a deeper. Alexandria township map the map below shows the borders of alexandria township. Alexandra, informally abbreviated to alex, is a township located in the gauteng province of south africa. This research sought to understand the status of gauteng township businesses and entrepreneurship by analysing their demographics, characteristics, opportunities, culture and entrepreneurial cognition. She said ems staff from alexandra had been sent to the areas and no incidents were reported. When gold was discovered in the 1860s, alexandra was known as red.

Until 1866 alexandra and the surrounding district were occupied by squatting runs. The alexandria monroe township historical society was started in 1979 by john and marsha madden, max and nancy draper, curt and rosemary ellis, jim donahue and john noffze. At the 2016 census, the town of alexandra had a population of 2,695. A group of elderly people from the alexandra township have staged a protest outside luthuli house demanding title deeds. Just 12km from johannesburg city centre and neighbour to the wealthy suburb of sandton, alexandra has been a poverty stricken ghetto over 100 years.

At the end of my post about the tournament, i said i was looking forward to spending more time in alex in the near future. The history of alexandra township, johannesburg, gauteng south. The case of alexandra township university of cape town. Declared as a location for natives and coloureds, alexandra became home to a diverse. As one of south africas poorest and most densely populated townships, alexandra is a case study in socioeconomic inequity. It covers an area of over 800 ha including east bank and its infrastructure was designed for a population of about 70,000.

Other articles where alexandra township is discussed. Form submissions are received by the township clerk, you will receive a form submission response in a timely manner. Alexandra township area, johannesburg, south africa. Alexandra, gauteng, south africa monthly weather averages including average high and low temperature, precipitation, pressure, wind charts to assist you in planning your travel, holiday or an outdoor activity at alexandra, south africa. It forms part of the city of johannesburg and is located near the upperclass suburb of sandton. It begins with the founding of alexandra as a freehold township in 1912 and traces its growth as a centre of black workingclass life through the early years before the nationalist government, through the struggles of the apartheid era and into the present day. Under apartheid, the townships were highly controlled bedroom communities, often located at some distance from the white city. Informal sector, local economic development and women 28. Sep 27, 20 the book the memories of my life in alexandra township i know is about my life entwined into three parts.

District areas of acheron and taggerty are included, as is the history of lake eildon. The dark city alexandra township south african history online. Alexandra is a town and until 1994, a shire, 90 km. The following ordinances are available in adobe acrobat pdf format. This book is a vivid history of racism in postapartheid south africa, focusing on how colonialism still haunts black intraracial relationships. In 1905 the portion known as alexandra was transferred to alexandra township ltd. The committee organised alexandra into yard, block, and street committees to take over the day to day running of alexandra township. The alexandra renewal programme arp was born out of the 2000 business plan and is. The road leading to the alex police station is flooded. Escherichia coli in the water upstream and downstream of alexandra. Alexandra and the surrounding villages and hamlets of acheron, molesworth and yarck have a proud and rich history of gold and agriculture still evident today in the many national trust classified buildings, stately homesteads and grand hotels.

The pluralisation of society has come to the townships lammas, 1993. Alexandra flash floods from the jukskei river have left many in alex without a warm bed for the night. Alexandra was laid out as a freehold township for africans and coloureds in 1912. Alexandra historical society is particularly proud of the history book it has produced, now in its second edition. In the history of urban south africa then, alexandra is legendary as it. It was one of a handful of freehold african townships in the pretoria. It targets township development practitioners and tries to. Alexandra a history highlights the social complexities of the township, which at times caused tension between different segments of the population, such as between the bona fides and amagoduka, standowners and tenants, or hosteldwellers and township residents. Once known as the dark city because it had no electricity, alexandra township, as most locals call the informal community that sprawls between the posh suburbs of sandton.

Due to the nature of the report this cannot be a full and comprehensive history, rather the aim is to set the township today against a historical background in order. Turns out my next visit was nearer than i thought two days later i received an invitation to attend a tour of alex, sponsored by joburg tourism and. Alexandra, gauteng, south africa weather averages monthly. Kim ludbrook, regional chief photographer of africa for epa photos, based in johannesburg. On the property a township was laid out, consisting of 388 lots, 2 parks and a square, in addition to streets. The history of gold, farming, agriculture and timber in the area are well covered, as is the establishment of the township of alexandra, with chapters on churches, schools and transportation. Please feel free to contact us by phone, email or through our online form with any questions, comments or concerns that. A history, is a social and political history of one of south africas oldest townships. Alexandra township in johannesburg, is home to over 400 000 residents, and has a long history of suffering under the apartheid government. The timeline sets out to provide a better understanding of townships and how they can be transformed and. Possibly the most famous townships are in south africa and were a creation of the apartheid system and its predecessor regimes of white rule. Xenophobia in south africa a history kenneth tafira. Alexandra wurde daher 1912 als township fur eingeborene errichtet. At the inception of arp the greater alexandra township had roughly 90 000 housing structures including old alexandra and the relatively new areas like the east bank, the far east bank.

The timeline sets out to provide a better understanding of townships and how they can be transformed and integrated into south africas urban areas today. Alexandra township, south african history online, retrieved 12 may 2015. Reading the history of alexandra township a name used by the apartheid government to describe a black settlement, one cannot but realise how easy it is for a human tragedy to occur all it needs is the combination of a mass movement of poor rural families to the city. The memories of my life in alexandra township i know. There is a need to understand the existing dynamics of south africa.

Black unemployed township youth in the era of julius malema. Introduction and background about the alexandra township the township of alexandra is one of the densely populated black communities of south africa reach in township culture embracing cultural diversity. Mere minidissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree magister artium in development and management in the faculty of humanities at the vaal triangle campus of the northwest. In just over 120 years a lawless mining camp has flourished and become africas most prosperous and developed metropolis, full of colour and contrasts.

As a a peek into the history of alexandra reveals that alex has been home to many. At least three times that number live in soweto southwest townships, a sprawling urban complex 10 miles southwest of the city. The estimated budget for the alexandra renewal project arp was r1, 3 billion over a 7year period. Alexandra is a significant regional centre in victoria, australia and kilometres north east of the state capital, melbourne. Townships in the south african geographic landscape. Current population estimates vary widely and have been put at figures ranging from 180,000 to 750,000.

As a a peek into the history of alexandra reveals that alex has been home to many luminaries including. The book the memories of my life in alexandra township i know is about my life entwined into three parts. One of the roads, 15th avenue, which leads to the alexandra police station was flooded in one of the deeps in the street, immersing cars parked in the street and denying residents access into or out of their houses. Alexandra township a history, lessons for urban renewal and some challenges for planers. Alexandra and district documents in considerable detail the history of the alexandra area, with the comprehensive appendix on pioneer families being perhaps the mostthumbed section. The historical society is located at 3 north harrison across from the new horners hometown market formerly coxs supermarket. I recently visited alexandra township for the first time since moving to joburg, to attend a kids baseball tournament. With a population estimate of 180,000 to 750,000 people, it is severely overpopulated. A profile of alexandra article pdf available in south african medical journal suidafrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde 808. Alexandra is one of the main townships on the edges of johannesburg and was built in the early 1900s. Alexandra, informally abbreviated to alex, is a township in the gauteng province of south africa. Welcome to the alexandria township, new jersey official website.

In 2008, sixtyfour people died in a wave of antiimmigrant violence in the alexandra township of johannesburg. Please feel free to contact us by phone, email or through our online form with any questions, comments or concerns that you. Alexandra township, a 20squareblock enclave carved out of johannesburgs white northern suburbs, houses a population of nearly half a million. It is located at the junction of the goulburn valley highway b340 and maroondah highway b360, in the shire of murrindindi local government area. The history of alexandra township, johannesburg, gauteng.

Introduction and background about the alexandra township. Township with close to a million people, tucked inbetween two highways in the middel of johannesburg. Alexandra township is situated close to the wealthy area of sandton in northern johannesburg and orlando township is located in soweto, the south west area of the city of johannesburg, bordering the citys former mining belt in the south. The history of alexandra alexandra is the oldest south african township, having started as a small enclave in 1912 and eventually developing into one of the most vibrant communities in south africa with a population of over 500 000. The township transformation timeline provides an overview of the history of the evolution of townships since 1900 and the lessons that can be learnt for the future.

Factories, townships and popular culture, 1886 1940 on the saho site. Currently it is estimated that alexandra has a population of between 180 000 and 350 000 people, who reside in informal settlements, typical matchbox township houses, hostels and rdptype units. Oct 30, 20 alexandra is one of the main townships on the edges of johannesburg and was built in the early 1900s. The area on west side of the red borders is the city of alexandria and the area on the east side of the red border denotes the city of nelson. Townships in the south african geographic landscape physical and social legacies and challenges welcome introduction the training for township renewal initiative ttri is the first initiative of its kind. Mere minidissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree magister artium in development and management in the faculty of humanities at the vaal triangle campus of the northwest university supervisor. We had a guided tour in a van, visited a orphanage, buthcer, bar, made a walk through the area with the smallest shacks and played football with the kids. Alexandra township had been under threat of demolition many times in its history. The township of alexandra alex was established in 1912 and is close to the center of johannesburg. For a social history of labour and some johannesburg townships, including alexandra, go to 2 sections of luli callinicos book a working life. A history is a social and political history of one of south africas oldest townships.