| Mitchells Plain | |
| Pushpin Map: | South Africa Western Cape#South Africa#Africa |
| Coordinates: | -34.0506°N 18.6181°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | South Africa |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | Western Cape |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Type3: | Municipality |
| Subdivision Name3: | City of Cape Town |
| Subdivision Type4: | Main Place |
| Established Title: | Established |
| Leader Title: | Councillor |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 43.76 |
| Population Total: | 310485 |
| Population As Of: | 2011 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Demographics Type1: | Racial makeup (2011) |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Black African |
| Demographics1 Info1: | 7.3% |
| Demographics1 Title2: | Coloured |
| Demographics1 Info2: | 90.8% |
| Demographics1 Title3: | Indian/Asian |
| Demographics1 Info3: | 0.6% |
| Demographics1 Title4: | White |
| Demographics1 Info4: | 0.2% |
| Demographics1 Title5: | Other |
| Demographics1 Info5: | 1.1% |
| Demographics Type2: | First languages (2011) |
| Demographics2 Title1: | English |
| Demographics2 Info1: | 47.4% |
| Demographics2 Title2: | Afrikaans |
| Demographics2 Info2: | 46.9% |
| Demographics2 Title3: | Xhosa |
| Demographics2 Info3: | 3.3% |
| Demographics2 Title5: | Other |
| Demographics2 Info5: | 2.4% |
| Timezone1: | SAST |
| Utc Offset1: | +2 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code (street) |
| Postal Code: | 7785 |
| Postal2 Code Type: | PO box |
| Postal2 Code: | 7789 |
| Area Code Type: | Area code |
Mitchells Plain is a large census designated sub-place[2] located within the City of Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa and situated about 28km (17miles) from the Cape Town city centre. It is one of South Africa's largest residential areas and contains multiple smaller suburbs. It is located on the Cape Flats on the False Bay coast between Muizenberg and Khayelitsha. Conceived of as a "model suburb" by the apartheid government, it was built during the 1970s to provide housing for Coloured victims of forced removal due to the implementation of the Group Areas Act.
At an estimated population of 290,000–305,000[3] people, it comprises a number of sub-sections which reflect the diverse class backgrounds of the population. It was once a major stronghold of the United Democratic Front, the broad-based ANC-sponsored anti-apartheid body. It also has one of greater Cape Town's biggest shopping centres, known as the Liberty Promenade.
Mitchells Plain was created by the apartheid government in the early 1970s as a Coloured township for middle-income families and coloured people who were forcefully removed from their homes.[4] The township was laid out in terms of the neighbourhood unit concept with large open spaces, localised public facilities and wide arterial routes. Various forms of housing were provided including, freestanding, semi-detached and duplex housing. However, by the late 80s and 90s, major areas of Mitchells Plain (mostly in the suburb's eastern half) deteriorated into urban ghettos. Gangsterism and drug abuse has increased and a number of informal settlements has sprung up in several areas, most notably in Eastridge and Taflesig.[5]
In May 2018, violent protests around service delivery broke out in the Siqalo informal settlement. Residents blockaded entrance roads in and out of Mitchells Plain, resulting in conflict with Mitchells Plain residents.[6]
The residential area was reportedly named after Mitchell Baker but this is unconfirmed, and is one of a number of possible explanations. Another theory is that the area was named after Major Charles Cornwallis Michell, the Cape's first surveyor-general.[7] Yet another theory is that the area was named after a farmer that previous owned a farm that the neighborhood was built on.
Mitchells Plain is split into a number of sub-sections or suburbs. The western half of the township is home to a wealthier middle class population, while the eastern half comprises poorer working class communities.
According to 2011 census data compiled by Statistics South Africa, Mitchells Plain comprises the following in terms of demographics:[8]
| Group | Male | Percentage | Female | Percentage | Total | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black African | 12,692 | 4.48 | 14,021 | 4.95 | 22,723 | 7.32 |
| Coloured | 122,360 | 43.17 | 131,485 | 46.43 | 281,829 | 90.77 |
| Indian/Asian | 902 | 0.32 | 861 | 0.30 | 1,926 | 0.62 |
| White | 274 | 0.09 | 307 | 0.10 | 581 | 0.19 |
| Total | 151,033 | 48.64 | 159,453 | 51.36 | 310,486 | 100 |
Today Mitchells Plain is one of Cape Town's and South Africa's largest townships[9] with a population of about 310,000 people in 2020.[10]
In terms of economic activity, investment is primarily in retail development with Mitchell's Plain being considered as having the strongest level of investment on the Cape Flats. It has a central business district (CBD), locally called the "Town Centre" and three large shopping centres; Promenade Shopping Centre on AZ Berman Drive, Westgate Mall on the corner of Morgenster and Vanguard Drive and Watergate Shopping Centre, completed in 2017, on the corner of the Cape Flats Freeway (R300) and AZ Berman Drive. The Promenade Shopping Centre is the largest with more than 120 stores comprising major clothing, furniture, banks and restaurant chains.[11] Informal economic activity is a significant part of the local economy. Such activity reflects a dominance of retail functions with informal trading responding to market and thus concentrated around the main public transport interchanges and along heavily utilised pedestrian routes.
The area has or is bordered by a number of notable parks and nature reserves. The Mnandi Beach is a blue flag rated beach located to the south of the area.[12] The Westridge Gardens are located in the community of Westridge features many Cape Flats Sand Fynbos species in an urban garden setting.[13] Two nature reserves border Mitchells Plain that are also notable for their Cape Flats Sand Fynbos ecosystems are the Wolfgat Nature Reserve and the Vesuvius Way Conservation Area.
Mitchells Plain is reasonably well served by public transport services comprising commuter rail, bus and mini-bus taxi services. There are three Cape Metrorail commuter rail stations within the area at Kapteinsklip, Mitchell's Plain and Lentegeur. The rail line extends northwards towards Philippi, Cape Town's CBD and the industrial areas at Epping. The commuter rail service is commonly characterised by overcrowding during morning and afternoon peak periods as well as being unsafe during off-peak periods.
The Mitchell's Plain Public Transport Interchange at the Mitchell's Plain Station includes a major bus terminus and taxi rank which provide public transport services to every major employment area within the City of Cape Town during the morning peak period. There is regular scheduled bus and unscheduled mini-bus taxi services to Cape Town CBD, Claremont, Bellville, Wynberg, and other areas. At more than 30,000 passenger trips per weekday and more than 90,000 passengers daily, it is one of the busiest transport interchanges in the city.[14] Recent years have seen significant investment by the local authority in improving and upgrading public transport infrastructure and facilities at the Mitchell's Plain Interchange.[15]
The Mitchells Plain Commercial Business District is commonly referred to as the Town Center by residents. It is a shopping district that includes a 58000m2 retail plaza, a shopping centre over and around in the train station, a public library, two major transport interchanges and informal markets. Informal traders in the Town Center sell fruit, vegetables, stationary, spices and cosmetics.
Mitchells Plain is home to 85 schools,[16] Some of these schools include Meadowridge Primary School, Aloe, Lentegeur, Beacon Hill, Oval North, Cedar, Glendale, Rocklands and Westville Primary Spine Road, Mondale, Portland, Princeton, Woodlands, Tafelsig, Westridge, Seaview Primary, West End Primary and Westport Primary
In the latter years of apartheid, Mitchells Plain became the seat of the launch of the United Democratic Front, a mass democratic movement of community organisations and trade unions fighting against apartheid. It was launched in August 1983 with such leaders of the people as Dr Allan Boesak, Albertina Sisulu, Helen Joseph, Joe Marks, Trevor Manuel, Mosiuoa "Terror" Lekota and many others present.
The most active social movements and activist organisations in Mitchells Plain after apartheid have been the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign, the Treatment Action Campaign and the Mitchells Plain Concerned Hawkers and Traders Association. the Mitchell's Plain Backyarders Association, which had strong links to the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign, organised a massive land occupation - The Mitchell's Plain Land Occupation in 2011.[17]