Guguletu
Encyclopedia
Gugulethu or Guguletu is a township
15 km from Cape Town
, South Africa
.
Nowadays many developments take place and have taken place to develop the townships into suburbs where life can flourish. Mzoli's
, S'khomas Butchery, and The Gugulethu Sports Complex are some of the better known hotspots in Gugulethu.
for our pride. Gugulethu, along with Nyanga
, was established in the 1960s due to the overcrowding of Langa
, which was the only black residential area for Cape Town at the time. During the Apartheid era black South Africans were not permitted to live in the city of Cape Town, and many people were removed from areas such as District Six to Guguletu, Nyanga and Langa. The predominant language in Guguletu is Xhosa
.
(SAIRR) over 700 people were murdered in Gugulethu between 2005 and 2010. "This amounts to one murder every two-and-a-half days for five consecutive years."
, Tokyo Sexwale
's Group 5 and local businessman Mzoli Ngcawuzele. The development has been controversial with claims of corruption, nepotism and significant protests against the mall's employment practices. On 29 October 2009, police shot rubber bullets into a crowd of people protesting the mall.
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...
15 km from Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, 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...
.
Nowadays many developments take place and have taken place to develop the townships into suburbs where life can flourish. Mzoli's
Mzoli's
Mzoli's is a butchery in Gugulethu, a township on the outskirts of Cape Town, South Africa. Since Mzoli's opened in early 2003, the restaurant has become a popular gathering spot for Cape Town residents and a tourist attraction...
, S'khomas Butchery, and The Gugulethu Sports Complex are some of the better known hotspots in Gugulethu.
Geography
The main route NY1 runs through the township. The apartheid planners did not give names to any of the roads, all were simply numbered. NY1 stood for NATIVE YARDS 1. There is a strong pressure for many of the apartheid era terms to be named properly.History
The name is a contraction of igugu lethu, which is XhosaXhosa language
Xhosa is one of the official languages of South Africa. Xhosa is spoken by approximately 7.9 million people, or about 18% of the South African population. Like most Bantu languages, Xhosa is a tonal language, that is, the same sequence of consonants and vowels can have different meanings when said...
for our pride. Gugulethu, along with Nyanga
Nyanga, Cape Town
Nyanga is a township in Cape Town, South Africa. Its name in Xhosa means ‘moon’ and it is one of the oldest black townships in Cape Town. It was established as a result of the migrant labor system. In the early fifties black migrants were forced to settle in Nyanga as Langa became too small. ...
, was established in the 1960s due to the overcrowding of Langa
Langa, Cape Town
Langa is a suburb found in Cape Town, South Africa. It was established in 1927 interms of the 1923 Urban Areas Act. Similar to Nyanga, Langa is one of the many areas in South Africa that were designated for Black Africans before the apartheid era. It is the oldest of such suburbs in Cape Town and...
, which was the only black residential area for Cape Town at the time. During the Apartheid era black South Africans were not permitted to live in the city of Cape Town, and many people were removed from areas such as District Six to Guguletu, Nyanga and Langa. The predominant language in Guguletu is Xhosa
Xhosa language
Xhosa is one of the official languages of South Africa. Xhosa is spoken by approximately 7.9 million people, or about 18% of the South African population. Like most Bantu languages, Xhosa is a tonal language, that is, the same sequence of consonants and vowels can have different meanings when said...
.
Crime
According to data collected by the South African Institute of Race RelationsSouth African Institute of Race Relations
Established in 1929 the South African Institute of Race Relations is a leading research and policy organisation in South Africa. The Institute is "one of the oldest liberal institutions in the country," and is independent of government and all political parties; it sees its role as serving its...
(SAIRR) over 700 people were murdered in Gugulethu between 2005 and 2010. "This amounts to one murder every two-and-a-half days for five consecutive years."
Notable Events
The newest development in Gugulethu is the Guguletu Square Mall which was developed by Old MutualOld Mutual
Old Mutual plc is an international long-term savings group. Established in 1845 in South Africa, it is now a FTSE100 listed company operating in 33 countries.-History:...
, Tokyo Sexwale
Tokyo Sexwale
Mosima Gabriel Sexwale , commonly known as Tokyo Sexwale , is the current Minister of Human Settlements of South Africa. A South African businessman, politician, anti-apartheid activist, and former political prisoner. His nickname of "Tokyo" is derived from his involvement with the sport of...
's Group 5 and local businessman Mzoli Ngcawuzele. The development has been controversial with claims of corruption, nepotism and significant protests against the mall's employment practices. On 29 October 2009, police shot rubber bullets into a crowd of people protesting the mall.