Ga-Rankuwa
Encyclopedia
Ga-Rankuwa is a township
located about 37 km north of Pretoria
. Provincially it falls under Gauteng
province but it used to be under North West Province, as it once fell under Bophuthatswana
region ruled by Lucas Mangope
under the apartheid regime.
(or Matabele) under Mzilikazi in the early 19th century. When the Boers defeated and drove away the Matebele and claimed ownership of the land of that kingdom, they divided the area into farms and distributed the land among themselves, including the land of many Bakwena-Tswana villages that still existed there. In oral histories gathered among the Bakwena in the early 20th century, elderly Bakwena claimed that the Boers virtually enslaved them. In the mid-19th century, the Bakwena chief, Mamogale, and several German Lutheran missionaries began collecting cattle and money from Tswana in the area who were indentured to Boers in order to buy back land that had been taken away from them. Despite many obstacles, Chief Mamogale and the missionaries bought back several farms, and Ga-Rankuwa was one of these farms, and with these lands, Chief Mamogale was able to establish a chiefdom that came to be called the Bakwena Ba Magopa. Oral testimony and written records suggest that the local Veldkornet, Paul Kruger
, who would become president of the Transvaal Republic or South African Republic, helped chief Mamogale and the missionaries acquire these lands. They also purchased land near Brits, where Chief Mamogale established his "capital" in the village of Bethanie. Chief Mamogale's descendants continued to be recognized as the chiefs of the Bakwena Ba Magopa and having jurisdiction over Ga-Rankuwa. Chief Mamogale's lands were included in the "Scheduled Native Areas", or "Reserves" under the 1913 Natives Land Act that divided South Africa
into white areas and "Native" areas. For several decades of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, these villages engaged in farming and raising livestock, and compared to Africans on white farms they were relatively affluent. In the 1960s, under apartheid, the "Reserves" or "Native Areas" came to be called "homelands," and Ga-Rankuwa was included into the homeland of Bophutatswana.
The area was proclaimed a township by Proclamation 448 of 1965 and was initially established to accommodate people who were displaced mainly from Lady Selborne. In other words, although Ga-Rankuwa had been purchased and the community established by the Bakwena Ba Magopa, because it was part of a "Reserve," the apartheid government proposed to use it to accommodate Black people removed from other areas. Ga-Rankuwa was developed in accordance with the Physical Planning Act of 1967 which hoped to divert industrial development away from the city centres to the border areas of the homelands. This would not only serve the purpose of attracting workers directly from the homelands and providing cheap labour to the factories but would also divert the labour flow away from the city, thereby reducing labour migrancy.
Situated 34 km north-west of Pretoria, Ga-rankuwa formed part of the Tswana homeland, Bophutatswana. The area provided housing for the Black labourers and their families and was meant to service the industrial area of Rosslyn, 10 km away. Apart from the state-built houses, Black people were permitted to buy plots and build their own houses. It was estimated that the township would eventually accommodate a population of 120 000 people.
Another explanation for the name of the town is that it was named after a prominent follower of Chief Mamogale, when these lands were being purchased from the Boers. The man's name was RraNkuwa (Father Nkuwa or Mr. Nkuwa), and his lands were often referred to as Ga-Rankuwa, or "at Mr. Nkuwa's."
Another meaning of the name came from the fact that the previous owner of the land had many sheep, and was known as the father of sheep (Rra-nku) 'Ga-Ranku' refers to the place of the father of sheep. 'We are taken' is not a likely meaning of the word since it derives from a Sotho word, while most Ga-rankuwa residents are Tswana
A mixture of languages such as Afrikaans, Sesotho, English and isiZulu are sometimes fused together to form what is now a unique language-style of the township with a slight inclination to a slang known as Tsotsitaal
. This gives it a unique language together with its neighbouring townships (Mabopane
, Soshanguve, Mamelodi, Atteridgeville
, Temba & Hammanskraal.
Residents from this area provide the bulk of labour for the Rosslyn industrial area and also for the industrial park in Zone 15. Most of the inhabitants of Ga-rankuwa are middle class citizens working for the government.The dominant religion in Ga-Rankuwa is Christianity
followed by other dominant african traditional religions and Islam
. Ga-rankuwa has a promising future as most of its youth are currently in institutions of higher learning.
municipality (Pretoria
), which in fact is in the Gauteng
province.Its municipal offices are based in Zone 5.
campus is located in Ga-Rankuwa, it was formerly known as the Medical University of South Africa. A Tshwane University of Technology
campus is located in Ga-Rankuwa. The campus was formerly known as Setlogelo and was renamed after merging with the then Pretoria Technikon and Technikon Northern Gauteng (TNG).
operates commuter and main line trains, through the Metrorail
commuter service, that connects Ga-Rankuwa to Pretoria
ending at the Pretoria Railway Station
. Their home stadium, Odi Stadium
is situated in the neighboring township of Mabopane
.
Township (South Africa)
In South Africa, the term township and location usually refers to the urban living areas that, from the late 19th century until the end of Apartheid, were reserved for non-whites . Townships were usually built on the periphery of towns and cities...
located about 37 km north of Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
. Provincially it falls under Gauteng
Gauteng
Gauteng is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. It was formed from part of the old Transvaal Province after South Africa's first all-race elections on 27 April 1994...
province but it used to be under North West Province, as it once fell under Bophuthatswana
Bophuthatswana
Bophuthatswana , officially the Republic of Bophuthatswana was a Bantustan – an area set aside for members of a specific ethnicity – and nominal parliamentary democracy in the northwestern region of South Africa...
region ruled by Lucas Mangope
Lucas Mangope
Kgosi Lucas Manyane Mangope is the former leader of the Bantustan of Bophuthatswana and current leader of the United Christian Democratic Party, a minor political party based in the North West province of South Africa....
under the apartheid regime.
History
The area around Ga-Rankuwa had been settled by Tswana people since at least the 17th century. Many of these communities were conquered by the invading NdebeleNdebele
- Ethnic groups :*South Ndebele people, located in the South Africa*Northern Ndebele people, located in Zimbabwe, and Botswana- Languages :*Southern Ndebele language, the language of the South Ndebele...
(or Matabele) under Mzilikazi in the early 19th century. When the Boers defeated and drove away the Matebele and claimed ownership of the land of that kingdom, they divided the area into farms and distributed the land among themselves, including the land of many Bakwena-Tswana villages that still existed there. In oral histories gathered among the Bakwena in the early 20th century, elderly Bakwena claimed that the Boers virtually enslaved them. In the mid-19th century, the Bakwena chief, Mamogale, and several German Lutheran missionaries began collecting cattle and money from Tswana in the area who were indentured to Boers in order to buy back land that had been taken away from them. Despite many obstacles, Chief Mamogale and the missionaries bought back several farms, and Ga-Rankuwa was one of these farms, and with these lands, Chief Mamogale was able to establish a chiefdom that came to be called the Bakwena Ba Magopa. Oral testimony and written records suggest that the local Veldkornet, Paul Kruger
Paul Kruger
Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger , better known as Paul Kruger and affectionately known as Uncle Paul was State President of the South African Republic...
, who would become president of the Transvaal Republic or South African Republic, helped chief Mamogale and the missionaries acquire these lands. They also purchased land near Brits, where Chief Mamogale established his "capital" in the village of Bethanie. Chief Mamogale's descendants continued to be recognized as the chiefs of the Bakwena Ba Magopa and having jurisdiction over Ga-Rankuwa. Chief Mamogale's lands were included in the "Scheduled Native Areas", or "Reserves" under the 1913 Natives Land Act that divided South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
into white areas and "Native" areas. For several decades of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, these villages engaged in farming and raising livestock, and compared to Africans on white farms they were relatively affluent. In the 1960s, under apartheid, the "Reserves" or "Native Areas" came to be called "homelands," and Ga-Rankuwa was included into the homeland of Bophutatswana.
The area was proclaimed a township by Proclamation 448 of 1965 and was initially established to accommodate people who were displaced mainly from Lady Selborne. In other words, although Ga-Rankuwa had been purchased and the community established by the Bakwena Ba Magopa, because it was part of a "Reserve," the apartheid government proposed to use it to accommodate Black people removed from other areas. Ga-Rankuwa was developed in accordance with the Physical Planning Act of 1967 which hoped to divert industrial development away from the city centres to the border areas of the homelands. This would not only serve the purpose of attracting workers directly from the homelands and providing cheap labour to the factories but would also divert the labour flow away from the city, thereby reducing labour migrancy.
Situated 34 km north-west of Pretoria, Ga-rankuwa formed part of the Tswana homeland, Bophutatswana. The area provided housing for the Black labourers and their families and was meant to service the industrial area of Rosslyn, 10 km away. Apart from the state-built houses, Black people were permitted to buy plots and build their own houses. It was estimated that the township would eventually accommodate a population of 120 000 people.
Origins of the name
The early residents of Ga-Rankuwa were forcibly removed from fertile land in neighboring Lady Selborne, Bantule, Marabastad, Rama, Newclare, Eastwood and Sophiatown to mention but a few. The area was named after a Bakgatla headman, Rankuwa Boikhutso. Rankuwa means "we are taken". When they arrived in the area, which was infertile and unsuited for farming, they named it Ga-Rankuwa which means "We are not taken".Another explanation for the name of the town is that it was named after a prominent follower of Chief Mamogale, when these lands were being purchased from the Boers. The man's name was RraNkuwa (Father Nkuwa or Mr. Nkuwa), and his lands were often referred to as Ga-Rankuwa, or "at Mr. Nkuwa's."
Another meaning of the name came from the fact that the previous owner of the land had many sheep, and was known as the father of sheep (Rra-nku) 'Ga-Ranku' refers to the place of the father of sheep. 'We are taken' is not a likely meaning of the word since it derives from a Sotho word, while most Ga-rankuwa residents are Tswana
Geography
It is divided into 14 sections called zones, which are Zone 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,15,16,17,20 & 21.Demographics
Ga-Rankuwa is a diverse township whose residents speak many languages. The most commonly spoken language is Setswana. The other languages spoken in Ga-Rankuwa are:- isiZulu
- isiXhosa
- Sepedi
- Sesotho
- Setswana
- Tshivenda
- Xitsonga
A mixture of languages such as Afrikaans, Sesotho, English and isiZulu are sometimes fused together to form what is now a unique language-style of the township with a slight inclination to a slang known as Tsotsitaal
Tsotsitaal
Tsotsitaals are a variety of mixed languages mainly spoken in the townships of Gauteng province, such as Soweto, but also in other agglomerations all over South Africa...
. This gives it a unique language together with its neighbouring townships (Mabopane
Mabopane
Mabopane is a Township in South Africa. It is situated in the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, in the north of Gauteng.-History:Mabopane was proclaimed in the early 1970s as a black-only residential settlement by the then puppet government of Bophuthatswana under Kgosi Dr. Lucas Mangope...
, Soshanguve, Mamelodi, Atteridgeville
Atteridgeville
Atteridgeville, part of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, is a township located on the west of Pretoria, South Africa. It is bordered to the west by Saulsville, to the east by Proclamation Hill; to the south by Laudium and to the north by Lotus Gardens.-History:Atteridgeville was...
, Temba & Hammanskraal.
Residents from this area provide the bulk of labour for the Rosslyn industrial area and also for the industrial park in Zone 15. Most of the inhabitants of Ga-rankuwa are middle class citizens working for the government.The dominant religion in Ga-Rankuwa is Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
followed by other dominant african traditional religions and Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. Ga-rankuwa has a promising future as most of its youth are currently in institutions of higher learning.
Local government
Ga-Rankuwa falls under the City of TshwaneCity of Tshwane
The City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality is a metropolitan municipality that forms the local government of northern Gauteng Province, South Africa and includes the city of Pretoria.-History:...
municipality (Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
), which in fact is in the Gauteng
Gauteng
Gauteng is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. It was formed from part of the old Transvaal Province after South Africa's first all-race elections on 27 April 1994...
province.Its municipal offices are based in Zone 5.
Primary and High Schools
A number of primary and secondary schools are spread throughout all the zones.Higher education
Two major University Campuses are located in Ga-Rankuwa. A University of LimpopoUniversity of Limpopo
The University of Limpopo is a university in the Limpopo Province, South Africa. It was formed on 1 January 2005, by the merger of the University of the North and the Medical University of South Africa...
campus is located in Ga-Rankuwa, it was formerly known as the Medical University of South Africa. A Tshwane University of Technology
Tshwane University of Technology
Tshwane University of Technology is a higher education institution in South Africa that came into being through a merger of three technikons — Technikon Northern Gauteng, Technikon North-West and Technikon Pretoria....
campus is located in Ga-Rankuwa. The campus was formerly known as Setlogelo and was renamed after merging with the then Pretoria Technikon and Technikon Northern Gauteng (TNG).
Health care
Ga-Rankuwa has the second largest hospital in Africa, Dr George Mukhari hospital (formerly known as Ga-Rankuwa Hospital). The hospital also serves as a teaching hospital as is shares its campus with the University of Limpopo Ga-Rankuwa campus(formerly known as the Medical University of South Africa) which continues to produces the largest number of Doctors in South Africa.Railway
TransnetTransnet
Transnet SOC Ltd is a large South African rail, port and pipeline company, headquartered in the Carlton Centre in Johannesburg. It was formed as a limited company on April 1, 1990. A majority of the company's stock is owned by the Department of Public Enterprises, or DPE, of the South African...
operates commuter and main line trains, through the Metrorail
Metrorail (South Africa)
Metrorail is an operator of commuter rail services in the major urban areas of South Africa. It is a division of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa , a state-owned enterprise which is responsible for most passenger rail services in South Africa...
commuter service, that connects Ga-Rankuwa to Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
ending at the Pretoria Railway Station
Pretoria railway station
Pretoria railway station is the central station in Pretoria, the executive capital of South Africa. It is located between Pretoria's central business district and Salvokop, in a 1910 building designed by Herbert Baker...
Sport
Ga-Rankuwa is home to Ga-Rankuwa United Football club which is part of the Vodacom LeagueVodacom League
Vodacom League, sometimes also referred to as Vodacom Promotional League, was founded in 1998 as the current Second Division and the overall third tier of South African football . The competition is regulated by SAFA, and sponsored by mobile telecommunications company Vodacom...
. Their home stadium, Odi Stadium
Odi Stadium
Odi Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Mabopane, South Africa. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium holds 60,000. It is the home stadium of Garankuwa United football team....
is situated in the neighboring township of Mabopane
Mabopane
Mabopane is a Township in South Africa. It is situated in the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, in the north of Gauteng.-History:Mabopane was proclaimed in the early 1970s as a black-only residential settlement by the then puppet government of Bophuthatswana under Kgosi Dr. Lucas Mangope...
.
Points of interest
There are a number of points of interest in and around the township. Here are some of the most notable ones.Notable residents
- Ben Dikobe
- Mr. SJJ Lesolang
- Dr. C.D. Marivate
- J M Masilo
- Tim ModiseTim ModiseTimothy Molefe Modise is a South African journalist, TV and radio presenter. He has also held a number of senior positions in governmental and non-governmental organisations, including chairing the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee and advising the Department of Environmental Affairs and...
- Dr. Gomolemo Mokae
- Dr. Precious Moloi Motsepe
- Dr Sam Motsuenyane
- Zacharia Tolo
- Prof. Mamokgethi SetatiMamokgethi SetatiRosina Mamokgethi Setati is a South African Mathematics Education Researcher, Academic, Vice Principal Research and Innovation and previous Executive Dean of of the University of South Africa. In South Africa she is well known for her outstanding work in mathematics development...
- Dan Setshedi
See also
- Boputhatswana
- MabopaneMabopaneMabopane is a Township in South Africa. It is situated in the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, in the north of Gauteng.-History:Mabopane was proclaimed in the early 1970s as a black-only residential settlement by the then puppet government of Bophuthatswana under Kgosi Dr. Lucas Mangope...
- Soshanguve
- AtteridgevilleAtteridgevilleAtteridgeville, part of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, is a township located on the west of Pretoria, South Africa. It is bordered to the west by Saulsville, to the east by Proclamation Hill; to the south by Laudium and to the north by Lotus Gardens.-History:Atteridgeville was...