District
Six was an area in Cape Town at the foot of Table Mountain,
near to the harbour and the City Bowl. It acted as the
gateway to Cape Town. District Six was a cosmopolitan
area. Priests, teachers, school children, prostitutes,
families, politicians, midwives, gangsters, fishermen,
pimps, merchants and artisans lived in the area. They
came from all over the world and different corners of
South Africa and together created a rich mix of different
cultures.
They also introduced in South Africa a strong
political tradition. The area was a seedbed of ideas
and activities. Most of the people who lived in District
Six were working-class. They wanted to live close to
the city, harbour and factories where they worked. Rich
with memory, it was a place which has made a great contribution
to the history and culture of Cape Town, and indeed
to South Africa.
As
a result of apartheid legislation only the memories
of District Six remain.
In
the early part of the 19th century as the population
and city boundaries crew, the city spread to include
the neighbouring farming estate of Zonnebloem. The
area
that developed there was sometimes known as Kanaladorp.
The word "kanala" means to do a favour and has a
Malay origins. In 1867 Cape Town was divided into
six districts
and Kanaladorp officially became known as District
Six.
The
outbreak of the bubonic plague in 1901 saw the first
forced removals from District Six. Thousands of African
people were forced out. Over 2000 houses were demolished
and rebuilt.
As
the City and population of District Six continued to
grow, the municipality did not provide adequate water
and refuse facilities. Roads were left to deteriorate
and landlords took little interest in the maintenance
and upkeep of their houses. The government used this
neglect to refer to District Six as a slum to justify
the removals based on race.
In
1950 the Apartheid government passed a law which forced
people into racial groups. They also passed a law
which
made it illegal for people of different races to live
in the same area. This was called the Group Areas
Act.
In 1966 District Six was declared a "whites only" area.
Between
1966 and 1980 60,000 people who lived in District Six
were forcibly removed and the houses and shops bulldozed
to the ground. The government wanted to remove all evidence
of District Six. They even changed the name back to
Zonnebloem. Only a few churches and mosques are left
to remind us that people once lived there. Family and
friends were split up and moved to the Cape flats. People
could no longer walk to school or work and the sense
of community was lost.
The
government added to the suffering by naming the new
townships, their streets and blocks of flats after old
street names of District Six. The Cape flats are dotted
with names like Hanover Park, Tyne Court and Lavender
Hill.
Many
people fought hard to stop the bulldozers, to halt the
devastating effects of forcibly removing people from
their homes, separating families and dividing the community
according to race. Archaeologists have excavated parts
of District Six. The objects they found tell tales of
ordinary people - the meals they ate, the games they
play it and the buildings they lived in. Evidence has
been found dating back to 1892, 100 years of living!
Although
the streets are buried under the rubble and District
Six can never be recreated, its memory remains as a
symbol of hope for future reconciliation.
Visit
the District 6 Museum
