Salt River, Cape Town
| Salt River | |
|---|---|
| — Suburb — | |
 |
|
| Country |  South Africa |
| Province | Western Cape |
| Municipality | City of Cape Town |
| Wards | 55 |
| Government[1] | |
| • Councillor | Bernadette Le Roux (DA) |
| Population (2001)[2] | |
| • Total | 4,370 |
| Ethnic groups | |
| • Black African | 9.11% |
| • Coloured | 81.14% |
| • Indian or Asian | 6.11% |
| • White | 3.64% |
| Languages | |
| • English | 75.72% |
| • Afrikaans | 18.72% |
| • Xhosa | 2.54% |
| Time zone | SAST (UTC+2) |
| Postal code | 7925 |
 |
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2009) |
Salt River is a suburb of Cape Town located near Table Bay to the east of Cape Town's CBD. Salt River is served by a railway station of the same name has has the postcode 7925. It is noted for its association with the clothing and textiles industry. The name Salt River is a translation of the Dutch "Soutrivier".
[edit] History
Once a booming part of Cape Town because of its close proximity to the CBD, Salt River was the industrial heart of Cape Town.
The steel and locomotive industries were important in the suburbs' early development due to the expansion of the rail network in the early 1900s.
Up until the late 1980s prominent industries also included textile and clothing manufacturing. However, due to the influx of cheaper, imported clothing many of the clothing factories closed and are being redeveloped.[3]
Due to Salt River's proximity to central Cape Town and large manufacturing plants, the suburb became popular with the so-called coloured working class. As a result, during South Africa's prolonged recession many businesses in the area closed while unemployment and crime increased.
A rise in gangs and drug use in the suburb in the mid-1990s led to the formation of the militant group PAGAD. On the evening of 4 August 1996 members of the group marched to the Salt River home of gang leader Rashaad Staggie in London Road where they attacked, shot and burned him alive[4].
The suburb has been pegged for revival as part of a R20bn urban renewal initiative across Cape Town.[5]
[edit] Geography
Salt River is named after a river of the same name. The Salt River is the lower course of the Diep River and flows into Rietvlei and the Milnerton Lagoon. Formerly it entered the sea by two passages, one near the present mouth of the Liesbeek River, the other having become small stagnant vleis between Paarden Eiland and Brooklyn.[6]
[edit] References
- ^ "Cape Town city Councillors by ward". City of Cape Town. http://web1.capetown.gov.za/web1/newcitycouncil/councilsearch.asp. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
- ^ "Salt River". Census 2001. City of Cape Town. http://www.capetown.gov.za/en/stats/2001census/Documents/Salt%20River.htm. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
- ^ "Rex Trueform Reels After Loss of US Deal". AllAfrica.com. 2005-03-07. http://allafrica.com/stories/200503071209.html. Retrieved 2011-12-16.
- ^ How Staggie was murdered
- ^ Cape Town's R20bn facelift
- ^ Standard Encyclopaedia of Southern Africa - vol 9
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