Atteridgeville Explained

Atteridgeville
Other Name:Phelindaba
Pushpin Map:South Africa Gauteng#South Africa#Africa
Coordinates:-25.7733°N 28.0714°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:South Africa
Subdivision Type1:Province
Subdivision Name1:Gauteng
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Type3:Municipality
Subdivision Name3:City of Tshwane
Subdivision Type4:Main Place
Established Title:Established
Established Date:1939
Leader Party:DA
Leader Title:Councillor
Area Footnotes:[1]
Area Total Km2:9.84
Population Total:64425
Population As Of:2011
Population Density Km2:auto
Demographics Type1:Racial makeup (2011)
Demographics1 Title1:Black African
Demographics1 Info1:99.1%
Demographics1 Title2:Coloured
Demographics1 Info2:0.3%
Demographics1 Title3:Indian/Asian
Demographics1 Info3:0.1%
Demographics1 Title4:White
Demographics1 Info4:0.2%
Demographics1 Title5:Other
Demographics1 Info5:0.3%
Demographics Type2:First languages (2011)
Demographics2 Title1:Northern Sotho
Demographics2 Info1:28.4%
Demographics2 Title2:Tsonga
Demographics2 Info2:16.7%
Demographics2 Title3:Tswana
Demographics2 Info3:12.3%
Demographics2 Title4:Zulu
Demographics2 Info4:20.2%
Demographics2 Info5:22.4%
Timezone1:SAST
Utc Offset1:+2
Postal Code Type:Postal code (street)
Postal Code:0008
Postal2 Code Type:PO box
Postal2 Code:0006
Area Code Type:Area code
Area Code:012

Atteridgeville is a township located to the west of Pretoria, South Africa. It is located to the east of Saulsville, to the west of West Park; to the north of Laudium and to the south of Lotus Gardens. The settlement was established in 1939, and is named after Mrs MP Atteridge, chairwoman of the Committee for Non-European Affairs on the Pretoria City Council at the time. The Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium is located in Atteridgeville.[2]

History

Early years

Atteridgeville was established by the government in 1939[3] as a settlement for black people, after much lobbying by Mrs Myrtle Patricia Atteridge, the chairwoman of the Committee for Non-European Affairs on the City Council at that time. Atteridgeville was established nine years prior to the election of the apartheid government in 1948. The first occupants were moved to Atteridgeville from Marabastad on 26 May 1940.[3] It was officially opened on 5 August 1940.[4] Mrs Atteridge, who was also a philanthropist, Black Sash activist and the deputy mayoress of Pretoria, endeavoured to improve living conditions of black people who were previously living in squalid conditions in Marabastad. Atteridgeville provided amenities such as brick housing, lighting and toilets, and later, so as to further enhance living standards, the township was connected by train to Pretoria CBD. Schools, creches and clinics were established thereafter. The naming of the township was in fact suggested by the black people themselves who also requested Mrs Atteridge to represent them in parliament which she refused as she was disinclined to participate in an exclusionary regime. Between 1940 and 1949, more than 1500 houses were built for people relocated from Marabastad, Bantule, Lady Selbourne, Newclare, Mooiplaas and other areas around Pretoria.[5]

Apartheid era

Development was frozen between 1968 and 1978 in accordance with the government's policy that housing provided for black people be limited to the homelands. In 1984, Atteridgeville was granted municipal status.

1984 saw school boycotts and general unrest when demands by the Congress of South African Students to implement democratic students' representative councils in schools were rejected by the Department of Education and Training. The first victim of the school boycotts was Emma Sathekge from David Helen Peta High School.[6] The schools were suspended for the better part of 1984 and exams were not written by all High school learners.[7] [8]

On 15 April 1988, a bomb explosion caused damage to the Atteridgeville Municipal buildings; no-one was injured during the attack. The attack was planned by Umkhonto we Sizwe and executed by one of their members, Johannes Maleka. In November 2000, Johannes Maleka was granted amnesty for his part in the attack by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.[9] [10]

Demographics

Atteridgeville is a diverse township, the residents of which speak many languages. According to the 2011 census, the most commonly spoken language is Northern Sotho, Zulu, followed by Tswana and Sesotho. A mixture of languages such as Afrikaans, Setswana, English, and Sesotho are sometimes fused together to form what is now a unique language style of the township with a slight inclination to slang known as Tsotsitaal or siPitori.

Neighborhoods

Saulsville Neighborhoods

Healthcare

Kalafong Hospital is the only hospital in Atteridgeville. The hospital was founded in 1973. The hospital has partnership with University of Pretoria faculty of Health. Atteridgeville clinic is at the border of Oudstad and Coldberg neighborhood. Saulsville residents they are served by Saulsville Clinic in Blackrock Neighborhood. Selbourne Side is served by Bophelong Clinic. Saulsville informal settlement Mshongoville is served by Gazankulu Clinic and Phomolong Clinic.

Transport

Taxi is the most common and convenient transport service for the township . Residents of Atteridgeville are served by Atteridgeville Saulsville Taxi Owners' Association. Phomolong Taxi Rank serve as the sole taxi rank for Atteridgeville and Saulsville. The Association has taxis traveling to Menlyn, Centurion, Pretoria CBD, Hartbeespoort, Midrand, and Sunderland Ridge.

Atteridgeville Bus Service, is the township bus operator with its bus terminus located in Saulsville. The bus terminus is located between Blackrock neighborhood and Selbourne Side.

Education

Atteridgeville has many primary and high schools. List of Primary schools

Economy

Atteridgeville biggest investor is Safari Investments. The company own 3 Malls in Atteridgeville. The company operates Atlyn Mall, Mnandi Mall, formerly known as Maunde Mall and Nkomo Village. Mccormick Property Development operates Atteridge Stadium Center.

War memorial

The Mendi Memorial is a war memorial dedicated to over 600 black South African soldiers who died when the British vessel SS Mendi sank after a tragic collision in 1917, during the First World War.[11] The memorial was unveiled on 24 March 1996. The memorial consists of the upper half of a soldier holding onto a ship's railing with the other hand extended towards the sky.

The memorial is located at the Ga-mothakga Resort 'on the corner of Pitse and Tlou Streets.

Notable people

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Main Place Atteridgeville . Census 2011.
  2. Web site: Lucas 'Masterpieces' Moripe. 29 July 2015.
  3. Web site: Atteridgeville. South African History Online. 12 August 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20071122233328/http://www.sahistory.org.za/pages/places/villages/gauteng/pretoria/atteridgeville.htm. 22 November 2007.
  4. Official opening of Atteridgeville, 1940. UPspace Institutional Depository. 1940. 2263/64049. 16 November 2019 . Lawrence . Hon H. G. .
  5. Web site: ATTERIDGEVILLE / SAULSVILLE . SAWEB . 12 August 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100313144511/http://www.saweb.co.za/townships/township/tshwane/atteridge.html . 13 March 2010 .
  6. Web site: ATTERIDGEVILLE/SAULSVILLE. historicalpapers.wits.ac.za. 29 July 2015 .
  7. Web site: Youth celebrate two decades of militant struggle . . 12 August 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20071006170508/http://www.anc.org.za/show.php?doc=ancdocs%2Fpubs%2Fmayibuye%2Fmayi9606.html . 6 October 2007 .
  8. Web site: Pretoria the Segregated city. South African History Online. 29 July 2015.
  9. Web site: Proclamation Under Section 20 of the Promotion of National Unity and Reconciliation Act, 1995 (Act No. 34 of 1995) . Government Gazette, Vol. 444, No. 23328, 14 June 2002 . South African Government . 12 August 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110923164146/http://www.polity.org.za/polity/govdocs/proclamations/2002/proc45.html . 23 September 2011 .
  10. Web site: AC/2000/199 – Application in Terms of Section 18 of the Promotion of National Unity and Reconciliation Act, No. 34 of 1995.. Truth and Reconciliation Commission. 12 August 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081201135008/http://www.doj.gov.za/trc/decisions/2000/ac200199.htm . Dec 1, 2008.
  11. Web site: The Mendi Memorial in Atteridgeville. – Blogging while allatsea . 24 March 2017 . 25 April 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170425080309/http://allatsea.co.za/blog/the-mendi-memorial-in-atteridgeville/ . dead .