Welcome to Khayelitsha "your New Home"
Welcome to Khayelitsha “your New Home”
By Entle Mcasi
Background (History)
The largest township in Cape Town and the second largest in South Africa after Soweto. Racial segregation in housing had been ordered by the South African government. Only during working hours were Black labourers permitted in Cape Town. Townships were established by the government as housing for the black labour force. Whole families soon began to reside in the townships, particularly Xhosa people from the Eastern Cape Province.
Khayelitsha expanded swiftly after being established in 1983 (Sikhula Sonke, n.d) A large number of people were forced to live in shoddy homes. Khayelitsha is a mixture of formal and informal, well-off and struggling, old and new. To help with the housing crisis, there are ongoing housing projects, but as people from the Eastern Cape continue to arrive, more and more shacks are being built.
Shopping centres, clinics, post offices, schools, police stations, fire stations, and recreation centres are all present. Additionally, shipping containers are used as stores, salons, and educational facilities. Cattle or goats walking around freely is not unusual, and anything goes.
The government is working hard to provide services to every area as quickly as possible, and the roads are in good condition. The majority of people have access to fresh water, electricity, and toilets.
Culture and Society
Despite having a bad reputation and being one of Cape Town's poorest neighbourhoods, Khayelitsha is beginning to become recognized as a thriving hub of innovation, culture, and entrepreneurial spirit.
1.1 Monwabisi
Bringing joy is the meaning of the isiXhosa word "Monwabisi," as many common beachgoers can attest. Residents of nearby communities including Mitchell's Plain, Strandfontein, and Khayelitsha are especially fond of the beach. Every year, tens of thousands of beachgoers swarm Monwabisi on New Year's Day and Boxing Day to take advantage of the sun, sea, and sand.
Strong currents make swimming extremely dangerous, but the beach has the biggest artificial tidal pool in the Southern Hemisphere. In addition, there are wading pools and a pavilion with restrooms and kiosks (WordPress, 2014). For day visitors, Monwabisi offers plenty of picnic and braai spots on the resort's built lawns. If you had so much fun in the sun that you would rather stay overnight, you can rent chalets and camping spaces.
1.2 18 Gangster Museums
The first Living Museum in Cape Town, the 18 Gangster Museum is an initiative in the Khayelitsha Township! The Museum was established to give South African youths a better understanding of gangsterism and the justice system (SAHO, n.d). By giving impressionable youths a first-hand experience of that life, it offers a positive alternative to those who are on the road to gangsterism.
1.3 Khayelitsha Craft Market
The Khayelitsha market is located in the centre of the town at St. Michaels and All Angels Anglican Church.
Even though this township is still regarded as impoverished, tourism is a big draw here. This is where you can get a glimpse into the daily routines of the locals and witness their artistic abilities in action.
A wide variety of handcrafted goods made by the township's residents are available for purchase at the market, including paintings, baskets, curios, pottery, and beadwork (SA Venues, n.d). It's worth visiting the Baboon Man; he creates magnificent statues of baboons out of cement.
1.4 Kwa Ace
One of Khayelitsha's party and entertainment hotspots is Kwa Ace. Weekly events are held at their recently renovated two-story club, where you can see live performances by some of the biggest local and international DJs and artists (Map My Way, n.d). They also serve pizza, sides, and ribs in addition to platters of Shisa Nyama-style meat, which is expertly grilled over a fire.
Since opening its doors in 2007 (then known as Groove Lounge), Kwa Ace, which translates to "at Ace's," has become a local favourite. By day, it serves as a pub and grill, and by night, it transforms into a party hotspot. Late in 2018, they renovated the area, adding a private VVIP lounge with a view of the pool on the top floor.
1.5 Sport
A Football for Hope center was built in Khayelitsha as part of the 2010 FIFA World Cup preparations (Wiki, 2023). Another component of Africa's World Cup hosting legacy is the Football for Hope centres (Pollack, 2009). It has a mini-pitch, classrooms, and medical facilities, giving young people access to health, educational, and counselling services.
The Khayelitsha Football for Hope Center gives Grass root Soccer, a non-profit that uses football to teach youth about HIV and Aids, a venue to carry out its community education program.
Crime Statistics and people’s opinions
Bonga Zamisa, a political educator from the Social Justice Coalition (SJC), who lives in Khayelitsha, said, “As a young person who grew up in Khayelitsha and as someone who still lives in Khayelitsha, you are constantly in survival mode. When you reach 30, you count it as a blessing because lots of people don’t reach it. Each day people die and you never know if you’re next.”
According to Daily Maverick (Mafolo, 2022) in 2022 there were mass killings, five men were gunned down, and the other two men were killed in a separate incident in Harare.
Reagen Allen, the MEC for Community Safety and Police Oversight for the Western Cape, reports that by March of this year, mass shootings in Khayelitsha had claimed the lives of 26 people.
Another resident of Khayelitsha, Lazola Somazembe, claimed that residing in Khayelitsha entailed living in continual fear.
In addition to gender-based violence and drug use, other crimes that the locals already have to deal with include extortion and gangsterism. According to Eye Witness News (Zagagana, 2023), even though the most recent crime statistics indicate that the overall situation in the province is improving, crime has increased in at least five townships that are considered to be hotspots for crime in the Western Cape. Khayelitsha, Mitchells Plain, and Gugulethu are a few of the areas where crime has increased.
Khayelitsha is renowned for its resilient spirit, lively culture, and sense of community despite its difficulties. Numerous gifted people, civic leaders, and artists who add to South Africa's rich cultural tapestry call it home. Positive changes have also occurred in the township recently, including the opening of community centres, schools, and medical facilities as well as programs to encourage entrepreneurship and small businesses.
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References
Mafolo, K., 2022. Daily Maverick. [Online] Available at: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-07-21-living-in-khayelitsha-is-murder-say-residents-of-the-underpoliced-township/ [Accessed 31 October 2023].
Map My Way, n.d. Kwa Ace. [Online] Available at: https://mapmyway.co.za/places/cape-town-1/routes/kwa-ace/ [Accessed 31 October 2023].
Pollack, M., 2009. Football for Hope Centre launched in Khayelitsha. [Online] Available at: https://web.archive.org/web/20090726085734/http://www.capetown.gov.za/en/Pages/FootballforHopeCentrelaunchedinKhayelitsha.aspx [Accessed 31 October 2023].
SA Venues, n.d. KHAYELITSHA CRAFT MARKET. [Online] Available at: https://www.sa-venues.com/things-to-do/westerncape/khayelitsha-craft-market/ [Accessed 31 October 2023].
SAHO, n.d. 18 Gangster Museum, Khayelitsha. [Online] Available at: https://www.sahistory.org.za/place/18-gangster-museum-khayelitsha [Accessed 31 October 2023].
Sikhula Sonke, n.d. Sikhula Sonke. [Online] Available at: https://www.sikhulasonke.org.za/about-khayelitsha.html#:~:text=Officially%20established%20in%201983%2C%20Khayelitsha,of%201500%20residents%20per%20village. [Accessed 31 October 2023].
Wiki, 2023. Khayelitsha. [Online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khayelitsha#Society_and_culture [Accessed 31 October 2023].
WordPress, 2014. HELLO SUMMER. [Online] Available at: https://capetownincolour.wordpress.com/tag/monwabisi-beach/ [Accessed 31 October 2023].
Zagagana, M., 2023. Eye Witness News. [Online] Available at: https://ewn.co.za/2023/08/20/stats-show-crime-spike-in-some-western-cape-hotspots [Accessed 31 October 2023].
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