Why do people move to Khayelitsha?
Khayelitsha was built under the principle of racial segregation executed by the government. Due to the immense influx of people, it is the second biggest Black township in South Africa after Soweto in Johannesburg. These fights caused more people to move to Khayelitsha.
How do people live in Khayelitsha?
In 2005 Khayelitsha had an estimated population of 406,779, in 2020 the number is estimated to be over 2,400,000.
Why was Khayelitsha built?
Khayelitsha Township was established in the same year to accommodate informal settlement dwellers on the Cape Flats, the majority coming from Old Crossroads to escape the violence by the ‘Witdoeke’ (a notorious vigilante group) under the control of Johnson Ngxobongwana. The settlement began with a tented town.
Why is Khayelitsha named?
The name is of Xhosa origin and means ‘new home’. Then Prime Minister, P.W. Botha promised fair treatment for Black people who resided in urban areas, though he persisted with influx control.
Who are the people of Khayelitsha, South Africa?
The ethnic makeup of Khayelitsha is approximately 90.5% Black African, 8.5% Coloured and 0.5% White, with Xhosa being the predominant language of the residents. Khayelitsha has a very young population with fewer than 7% of its residents being over 50 years old and over 40% of its residents being under 19 years of age.
Why was Khayelitsha built on the Cape Peninsula?
The government envisaged Khayelitsha as a relocation point to accommodate all ‘legal’ residents of the Cape Peninsula, whether they were in informal settlements or in existing townships, in one new purposely built and easily controlled township. The government classified people as legal if they had already lived in the area for ten years.
What was the original plan for Khayelitsha township?
The initial plan was to create four towns, each with 30,000 residents in brick houses, a proportion of which were to be privately owned. The government further planned to move all ‘illegal’ people to Transkei, a homeland created in the eastern part of the country.