Alexandra

Phil Bonner, Noor Nieftagodien

Description

Alexandra: A History is a social and political history of one of South Africa’s oldest townships. It begins with the founding of Alexandra as a freehold township in 1912 and traces its growth as a centre of black working-class life through the early years before the Nationalist government, through the struggles of the apartheid era and into the present day. Declared as a location for ‘natives and coloureds’, Alexandra became home to a diverse population where stand owners, tenants, squatters, hostel-dwellers, workers and migrants from every corner of the country converged to make a new life for themselves near the economic hub of Johannesburg. The stories of ordinary people are at the core of the township’s history. Based on numerous life-history interviews with residents and previously unexamined archive sources, the book portrays in vivid detail the daily struggles and tribulations of the people of Alexandra. A significant focus is the rich history of political resistance, in which political organisations and civic movements organised bus boycotts, anti-removal and anti-pass campaigns, and mobilised for housing and a better life for the township’s residents. But the book also tells the stories of daily life, of the making of urban cultures and of the infamous Spoilers and Msomi gangs. Over weekends Alexandra came alive as soccer matches, church services and shebeens vie for the attention of residents. Alexandra: A History highlights the social complexities of the township, which at times caused tension between different segments of the population. Above all else, despite a long history of hardship and adversity, the community spirit of the people of Alexandra, expressed in a fiercely loyal love of their township home, has repeatedly triumphed and endured.

Sujets

• Social History
• HISTORY
• Histoire
• África
• General officer
• History of Africa
• General
• Africa

Informations

• Publié par: WITS University Press
• Date de parution: 01 novembre 2008
• Nombre de lectures: 1
• EAN13: 9781776141234
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 4 Mo

Extrait

Alexandra

Wits University Press
1 Jan Smuts Avenue
Johannesburg
2001
South Africa
http://witspress.ac.za
The text © Philip Bonner and Noor Nieftagodien
The illustrations © Sources as named
First published 2008
ISBN 978-1-86814-480-8
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the express permission, in writing, of both the copyright holders and the publisher.
Project management by Andrea Nattrass
Edited by Alison Lockhart and Andrea Nattrass
Indexed by Ethné Clarke
Cover design and layout by RockBottom g&d
Cover image by Sam Nhlengethwa: 17th Avenue, Alexandra , mixed media on paper
(70 x 100 cm, 2006). Courtesy of the artist and The Goodman Gallery.
Every effort has been made to trace copyright holders, but should any infringements have occurred, the authors and publisher apologise and would welcome any information that would enable them to amend any omissions or errors in future editions.
Printed and bound by Creda Communications, Cape Town
Contents
F OREWORD
T HE S OCIAL H ISTORY P ROJECT
A CKNOWLEDGEMENTS
A BBREVIATIONS
M AP OF A LEXANDRA
I NTRODUCTION  
C HAPTER O NE Settling on Alexandra
C HAPTER T WO ‘Nobody’s Baby’
C HAPTER T HREE The Fight for Survival in Alexandra, 1938–45
C HAPTER F OUR The Inner Life of Alexandra, 1938–47
C HAPTER F IVE Reaping the Whirlwind, 1948–58
C HAPTER S IX Political Culture in Alexandra, 1948–60
C HAPTER S EVEN Taking Time off in Alexandra
C HAPTER E IGHT The Perils of Peri-Urban: Permits, Protests and Removals, 1958–75
C HAPTER N INE Student Uprising and Reprieve
C HAPTER T EN From Reprieve to Civic Crisis
C HAPTER E LEVEN Mzabalazo! Struggle for People’s Power
C HAPTER T WELVE Fighting for the Hearts and Minds of Alex
C HAPTER T HIRTEEN From Defiance to Governance
C HAPTER F OURTEEN Civil War
C HAPTER F IFTEEN The Promise of Democracy, 1994–2008
N OTES
S ELECT B IBLIOGRAPHY
I NDEX
Foreword
T his book is one of the products of the Alexandra Tourism Development Project and was partially funded by the Alexandra Renewal Project and the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism. The research thereof was undertaken by a team comprising local residents and researchers from the History Workshop at the University of the Witwatersrand. They have done a noble task in capturing the very colourful history of Alexandra. Posterity will be the richer for it.
Through the passage of time Alexandra has earned itself many names, which have reflected both its vibrancy and the hardships experienced by its people. Some people know it as ‘Dark City’ because for many years it had no electricity and water reticulation; others have called it ‘Ga-mampyana’ (Place of mother of puppies), which not many people can explain but it has been speculated that there were many stray dogs roaming the streets of the township; and finally, a few people have called the place ‘Varkieslaagte’ (because of the proximity of a pig farm in the early years). Alexandra is renowned for the prolonged depressed social conditions that have afflicted its people and have been responsible for the undesirable crime rate, notorious gangs and gangsters, as well as ethnic clashes.
Yet it was not all dark and gloom. Life in Alexandra was vibrant. The township produced Marabi music and was home to music legends such as Ntemi Piliso and Zakes Nkosi. Sports have always been a favourite pastime: Peter Mogoai, Eddie Magerman (tennis), the Hlubi brothers (boxing), Gibson Malantelele, Michael Mokgatle and Saul Buramsotho Nkutha (soccer) are among the many outstanding stars that hail from the area.
Despite neglect from the government, the people of Alexandra strove to educate themselves. Reverend Paul Mabiletsa was an education pioneer who founded a number of schools in the area, while Elijah Noge and Obed Phahle were respected school principals. The township was famous for its spirit of entrepreneurship, as was reflected in the presence among its ranks of one the country’s first successful black bus owners, Richard Granville Baloyi, and land baron, Moropa Mbanjwa.
Above all, Alexandra has always been a political hotbed. Notable bus boycotts and squatter movements were born here. Politicians of great standing and with diverse affiliations have been active here: the Sisulus, Josias Madzunya, Dan Khoza, Moses Kotane and Dan Mokonyane. Some, like Zanele Mbeki and Joe Nhlanhla, were born here. Alexandra, perhaps uniquely, has been home to a number of presidents. Nelson Mandela, Samora Machel and Kgalema Motlanthe have lived here. The stories of some of these personalities shine through from the pages of this book. Moreover, the authors have brought to life the trials and tribulations of generations of ordinary residents who, in their own words, have added depth and colour to the analysis and narrative.
That Alexandra is still here is a consequence of the struggle of its children over several generations, who waged epic battles against the apartheid government’s plans to disestablish it as a residential area. Those struggles reflect the strong affection we share about our home, Alexandra. The authors and community members who assisted them have created an outstanding account of one of the oldest townships in the country.
I commend this book to the people of Alexandra and to all South Africans.
Dr Leepile M. Taunyane
Life President of the Premier Soccer League
The Social History Project
R esearched, written and edited over a period of six years, Alexandra: A History   is a product of the Social History Project, a component of the Alexandra Tourism Development Project (ATDP). The ATDP was initiated by the Gauteng Tourism Authority in 2001, implemented by the Heritage Agency and funded by the Alexandra Renewal Project and the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism. As an integrated heritage tourism development initiative, the ATDP embraced the development of infrastructure and facilities, research, interpretation and presentation, training, capacity building, public awareness programmes, institutional development, the formation of partnerships and the creation of economic development opportunities for local residents.
The first step taken to get the Alex community involved with the preservation of its own history was the establishment of the community-based Alex Heritage Team, comprising young residents who, while lacking formal heritage experience and skills, were committed, enthusiastic and eager to learn. The primary tasks of the Heritage Team were to establish a formal presence in Alexandra, represent the project in the community, draw on their established contacts with existing organisations and develop a network of support for the Social History Project. While some members of the team focused on other ATDP programmes, four people were selected to dedicate all their time to the Social History Project, working as interns with the professional team of project managers, academics, historians and researchers. These interns were incorporated into the Project for three reasons: firstly, they had an intimate understanding and knowledge of the community and could facilitate community participation in the Project; secondly, they would benefit from acquiring new skills; and thirdly, they would help to sustain the project in the long term.
The second step was to establish a Community Reference Group, comprising well-respected and informed senior members of the Alexandra community with a particular knowledge and interest in the history and heritage of the township. The primary tasks of the Reference Group were to act as project champion, to guide and monitor research, and to evaluate and approve the book through the various stages of preparation. The Heritage Team has benefited greatly from the wisdom of the Reference Group and the inter-generational interaction has provided many opportunities for members to share information that might otherwise have been lost.
The third step was to identify and contract a professional team to head the Social History Project. The History Workshop at the University of the Witwatersrand was appointed because of its excellent work on similar projects. It was tasked with undertaking oral history and archival research and with preparing the manuscript. In late 2002 the Social History Team, including academics and postgraduate students from the History Workshop and four interns from the Alex Heritage Team, started work.
By late 2004 almost 130 people had been interviewed, reams of material had been copied from archival sources and the writing of the book was well under way. But it was to take almost three more years of writing, many interesting and difficult discussions, and some negotiation before the manuscript was considered complete.
In order to build the community archive, the call has gone out to anyone who has a story to tell about Alex to step forward. It is a measure of the success of the process that some people who were reluctant to be interviewed in the earlier years are now clamouring for the chance to be interviewed.
The building of the community archive means that the Social History Project will live on into the future. The Project will also live on in the exhibitions that will fill the Alexandra Heritage Centre and in the interpretive signs that will mark over 100 heritage sites identified through the process.
Jo-Anne Duggan
Heritage Agency project manager
June 2008
Acknowledgements
A lexandra: A History was commissioned by the Alexandra Tourism Development Project (ATDP) and partially funded by the Alexandra Renewal Project (ARP), which recognised at the outset the important contribution of a social history research project in its broader heritage and tourism development objectives. Preserving the rich and diverse history of Alexandra w