Mamelodi, Gauteng
Encyclopedia
Mamelodi, part of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, is a township
set up by the then apartheid government northeast of Pretoria
, Gauteng
, South Africa
. It was established when 16 houses were built on the farm Vlakfontein in June 1953 and later the name changed to Mamelodi, the name given to president Paul Kruger
by the Africans because of his ability to whistle and imitate birds, also meaning Mother of Melodies. The Group Areas Act
designated Mamelodi as a blacks-only area, though this became moot with the fall of apartheid in 1994. In the 1960s black citizens where forcefully removed from the suburb of Lady Selbourne in Pretoria
to Mamelodi, Ga-Rankuwa
and Atteridgeville
. Anti-apartheid activist Reverend Nico Smith
preached in Mamelodi from 1982–1989, and obtained permission to live there himself from 1985–1989. During that period, he and his wife Ellen were the only whites legally allowed to live in Mamelodi. The township still has vastly more blacks than any other group as of 2010.
Since 2001 Mamelodi has had a large AIDS outreach program helping several thousand orphans in the community. Mamelodi is home to the largest AIDS Hospice Center in South Africa with 140 beds available free of charge.
operates a campus in Mamelodi. The campus in Mamelodi was incorporated to the University of Pretoria on 2 January 2004.
There are different organisations and groups that are working towards improving the standard of living and education levels within the township. One of these is the The Mamelodi Trust which operates within five schools in the area.
of the ABSA Premier League
and the Mamelodi Bees of the South African Women's Basketball League.
Mamelodi has produced football stars like Themba Mguni and Joel 'Fire' Masilela who where both sported from Mamelod Publican FC by Sundowns.
The HM Pitje Stadium
is located in Mamelodi.
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...
set up by the then apartheid government northeast 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...
, 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...
, 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...
. It was established when 16 houses were built on the farm Vlakfontein in June 1953 and later the name changed to Mamelodi, the name given to president 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...
by the Africans because of his ability to whistle and imitate birds, also meaning Mother of Melodies. The Group Areas Act
Group Areas Act
The Group Areas Act of 1950 was an act of parliament created under the apartheid government of South Africa on 27th April 1950. The act assigned racial groups to different residential and business sections in urban areas in a system of urban apartheid...
designated Mamelodi as a blacks-only area, though this became moot with the fall of apartheid in 1994. In the 1960s black citizens where forcefully removed from the suburb of Lady Selbourne in 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...
to Mamelodi, Ga-Rankuwa
Ga-Rankuwa
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....
and 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...
. Anti-apartheid activist Reverend Nico Smith
Nico Smith
Nico Smith was a South African Afrikaner minister and prominent opponent of apartheid. Smith was a professor of theology at the University of Stellenbosch, a member of the Afrikaner Broederbond organization, and a minister of the apartheid-supporting Dutch Reformed Church...
preached in Mamelodi from 1982–1989, and obtained permission to live there himself from 1985–1989. During that period, he and his wife Ellen were the only whites legally allowed to live in Mamelodi. The township still has vastly more blacks than any other group as of 2010.
Since 2001 Mamelodi has had a large AIDS outreach program helping several thousand orphans in the community. Mamelodi is home to the largest AIDS Hospice Center in South Africa with 140 beds available free of charge.
Education
The University of PretoriaUniversity of Pretoria
The University of Pretoria is a multi campus public research university located in Pretoria, the administrative and de facto capital of South Africa...
operates a campus in Mamelodi. The campus in Mamelodi was incorporated to the University of Pretoria on 2 January 2004.
There are different organisations and groups that are working towards improving the standard of living and education levels within the township. One of these is the The Mamelodi Trust which operates within five schools in the area.
Sport
The township is home to the Mamelodi SundownsMamelodi Sundowns
Mamelodi Sundowns are a South African football club that plays in the Premier Soccer League.Since 2003, Sundowns are owned by rand billionaire Patrice Motsepe....
of the ABSA Premier League
Premier Soccer League
Premier Soccer League is the trading name of the National Soccer League of South Africa. The top league is the ABSA Premiership, sponsored by ABSA...
and the Mamelodi Bees of the South African Women's Basketball League.
Mamelodi has produced football stars like Themba Mguni and Joel 'Fire' Masilela who where both sported from Mamelod Publican FC by Sundowns.
The HM Pitje Stadium
HM Pitje Stadium
HM Pitje Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Mamelodi, a suburb of City of Tshwane, South Africa. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is set to be utilized as a training field for teams participating in the 2010 FIFA World Cup after being renovated in 2009 and brought up...
is located in Mamelodi.
Life in Mamelodi
There are a lot of informal settlements in Mamelodi. The housing problem is so great in the area, but it is proving impossible to keep up with the demand. There are documentaries about the life in the informal settlements such as the Mamelodi Informal Settlements, Pretoria, South Africa [2010External links
- The Mamelodi Mesh, part of the Wireless Africa programme of the Meraka InstituteWireless Africa programme of the Meraka InstituteThe Wireless Africa programme is a special initiative of the Meraka Institute managed by the CSIR in South Africa.The Wireless Africa group is researching ways and means to develop sustainable information and communications technology in developing countries...