Khayelitsha

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Khayelitsha Township in the Cape Flats

Khayelitsha (IPA: [ˌkaɪ.əˈlit̚.ʃə]) is a partially informal township in South Africa, on the outskirts of Cape Town in the Cape Flats. The name is Xhosa for Our New Home.

The Group Areas Act, passed in the 1950s, prohibited Blacks from living in the cities. The Western Cape was a preference area for the local coloured population and a system called influx control was in place preventing Xhosas from traveling from the Transkei without the required permit. After the historic 1994 elections hundreds of thousands moved to urban areas in search of work, putting up shacks made of tin, wood and cardboard - this is one of them.

Apartheid is over, but its legacy - and the shacks, remain. Today Khayelitsha is home to between 500,000 and 1 million people, and runs for a number of kilometres along the N2. The ethnic makeup of Khayelitsha is approximately 90% Black African and 10% Coloured, with Xhosa being the predominant language of the residents.

Khayelitsha Township

Khayelitsha is today the third largest^{[citation needed]} township in South Africa, after the townships of Soweto and Sharpeville, both near Johannesburg. Since the ANC came to power in the country in 1994, living conditions in the township have improved markedly, with new brick housing being built for residents, new schools being built, clean water taps on every street and electricity being provided to every shack.

The neutrality of this section is disputed.
Please see the discussion on the talk page.

Education has led to new opportunities and chances. Technology has been introduced to many schools and has brought learners into contact with students from around the world. UK partnerships have been brokered through the work of the Specialists Schools Trust SSAT. A successful initiative at Ikhwezi Lesizwe Primary School has brought company support for Technology. UK based Ramesys have donated software and kit to allow good web communications. Smart Technology from Canada have donated an interactive whiteboard. Another such group based in Zion, Illinois, USA is Partners Across the Ocean which has brought Khayelitsha high school learners to the USA and built a computer lab in Khayelitsha [1].

Recently a tourist centre opened in the township on Look Out Point, or Lookout Hill [2] one of the highest hills in the area on the corner of Mew Way & Spine Road.

There are three Provicinal Governemnt clinics in Khayelitsha. Khayelitsha CHC (Community Health Centre) is the principal clinic, and is the only 24 hour trauma and emergency unit in the township. Michael Maphongwana CHC and Nolungile CHC are the other pProvicinal Governemnt clinics. There are also numerous small municipal clinics throughout the township.