Nyanga, Western Cape
Nyanga | |
|---|---|
 Top: Zolani Recreational Centre. Middle: Nyanga taxi rank. Bottom left: Nyanga Community Health Centre. Bottom right: government built RDP houses that are common in the area. | |
  Nyanga Location within Western Cape  Nyanga Location within South Africa  Nyanga Location within Africa | |
| Coordinates: 33°59′S 18°35′E / 33.983°S 18.583°E | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Western Cape |
| Municipality | City of Cape Town |
| Main Place | Cape Town |
| Area | |
• Total | 3.09 km2 (1.19 sq mi) |
| Population (2011)[1] | |
• Total | 57,996 |
| • Density | 18,800/km2 (48,600/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2011) | |
| • Black African | 98.8% |
| • Coloured | 0.3% |
| • Indian/Asian | 0.1% |
| • White | 0.2% |
| • Other | 0.7% |
| First languages (2011) | |
| • Xhosa | 90.2% |
| • English | 3.0% |
| • Sotho | 1.6% |
| • Other | 5.1% |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
| Postal code (street) | 7755 |
| PO box | 7750 |
Nyanga is a township in the Western Cape, South Africa. Its name in Xhosa means "moon" and it is one of the oldest black townships in Cape Town. In 1948,[2] Athlone was declared a coloured-area, resulting in the forced removal of black residents, who were forced to settle in Nyanga near Langa.
Nyanga is situated 20 km (12 mi) from Cape Town along the N2 highway, close to the Cape Town International Airport and next to the townships of Gugulethu and Crossroads.
History
[edit]The neighbourhood was established in 1946 and was built for the black residents of Elsie's River, Athlone and Simon's Town who were forcibly removed as a result of the 1948 Group Areas Act. Between 1956 and 1959, an estimate of about 21 000 residents from Goodwood, Parow, and Bellville were forcibly relocated to Nyanga.[3] Later on, the government built hostels and for contract workers working in the docks in Cape Town.
Politics
[edit]Residents of Nyanga were active in joining a national call to protest against the apartheid laws passed in 1960. Later they were active in the 1976 student uprisings, which had begun on the other side of the country on 16 June 1976 in Soweto against the use of Afrikaans as the primary medium of instruction in schools.