The area in Cape Town known as District Six was formed in the 1860s and was the sixth municipal district in the city. For many years, it was a racially integrated area. The predominant group were coloured Muslims, known as Cape Malays. They were descendants of southeast Asians (from Malaysia, Indonesia and so forth) brought as slaves by the Dutch East India Company to the Cape Colony. But District Six also included whites, blacks and Indians.
In 1966, under the Group Areas Act, the ruling National Party (which came into power in 1948, and began the apartheid policies) declared District Six a whites-only area. Forced removals were begun in 1968. The government declared that the area was dangerous and crime-ridden, and used “slum clearance” as an excuse to remove people to newly developed townships in the barren areas east of Table Mountain known as the Cape Flats and Mitchell’s Plain. These new townships offered substandard accommodation, and they still exist today. There was, and is, inadequate space, community services, roads, lighting, etc. The rent was higher than in town, the construction was poor, and people now had to budget for commuting costs as well.
In the meantime, the entire District Six area was completely razed. Homes and businesses that had been there for generations were torn down. The few buildings that were allowed to stand were churches and mosques. Much of the land stands empty today. While apartheid was still in effect, a group called Hands Off District Six emerged to protest against new development in District Six, calling the land “salted earth.” The government did, however, build the Cape Technikon (now part of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology) for white students. The District Six Beneficiary Trust, an offshoot of Hands Off District Six, is now helping previous landowners reclaim their land. Proving ownership is sometimes difficult, although the municipality will allow clinic cards and old electricity account bills as proof of residency.
The museum, which features displays about the lives of District Six families, is moving. It also serves as a sort of community center for previous District Six residents.
District Six Museum.
On the floor is a large map showing the layout, streets and landmarks of the former District Six neighborhood, and it includes handwritten notes from former residents.
Some actual street signs from the old District Six.
1 comment:
Katy
Regarding your post on District 6 I note that you repeat many of the old cliche's and omit some very salient facts that the anti-apartheid groups carefully avoid.
There is a very detailed report produced by the Cape Town City Council at the time available for public scrutiny. I believe there is a copy in the School of Architecture library at UCT.
The destruction of the community can never be condoned. However the neighbourhood was up for slum clearance / urban renewal as it was a health hazard. Regrettably the actions taken were concurrent with the Group Areas Act and instead of renewing the accommodation and returning the residents they were re-located to the Cape Flats.
One of the facts to emerge during the demolitions and expropriations was that many of the properties were owned by whites/Jews and rented to the Coloureds.
The new housing and town planning at Mitchells Plain which followed the Cape Flats "projects" is anything but substandard as you call it. I was studying architecture at UCT at the time it was built and recall a letter in the local press from a leader of the Coloured community thanking the authorities for responding to their requests and providing a decent environment and accommodation. Some of Cape Towns most prestigious firms of architects worked on this new town.
Check it out on Google Earth
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