Township (South Africa)

Children in a township near Cape Town in 1989

In South Africa, the term township usually refers to the (often underdeveloped) urban residential areas that, under Apartheid, were reserved for non-whites (Africans, Coloureds and Indians) who lived near or worked in areas that were designated "white-only". Soweto (actually a group of townships) and Alexandra are two of the most well-known of these.

Other townships include Atteridgeville, Azaadville, Bekkersdal, Boipatong, Botleng, Bophelong, Botleng, Chatsworth, Daveyton, Diepmeadow (Diepkloof and Meadowlands), Dobsonville, Duduza, Eersterust, Evaton, Guguletu, Hammanskraal, Impumelelo, Kagiso, Katlehong, Khayelitsha, Khutsong, KwaThema, KwaMashu, Laudium, Lenasia, Langa, Mamelodi, Mdantsane, Mitchell's Plain, Mohlakeng, Munsieville, Orange Farm, Phoenix, Ratanda, Refengkgotso, Refilwe, Reiger Park, Roshnee, Sebokeng, Sharpeville, Soshanguve, Tembisa, Thokoza, Tsakane, Umlazi, Vosloorus, Wattville, Zamdela, Zithobeni and Mpumalanga Township/Hammarsdale, Galeshewe, Pabellelo amongst others.

During the Apartheid Era Non-whites were usually evicted from properties that were in areas designated as "white only" and forced to move into townships. Legislation that enabled the Apartheid government to do this included the Group Areas Act.

Although formal racial segregation ended with Apartheid in 1994, new township-like areas for low-income persons were developed subsequently, including Ekangala, Olievenhoutbosch and Diepsloot in Gauteng. Other townships have seen rapid development since 1994, with wealthy, and middle-income areas growing up in parts of Soweto.

Townships for non-whites were also called locations or lokasie (Afrikaans translation), and are often still referred to by that name in smaller towns. The term "Kasie", a popular short version of "Lokasie" is also used sometimes to refer to townships.

Townships sometimes have large informal settlements nearby.

Legal Meaning

The legal meaning of the term township in South Africa differs from the popular usage. An example of this can be seen at [1] [2], where areas of various kinds, regardless of the racial makeup of their populations are described as townships. The term township can thus also mean a designated area or district. For instance "Industrial Township" has been used in reference to an industrial area, e.g. "Westmead Industrial Township", in Pinetown, South Africa.

See also

• Bantustan
• Ghetto
• Segregation

External link

• Cape Town Magazine on Townships