Cape Town - A newly-formed organisation called the Salt River Heritage Society is calling on current and former residents to participate in a Heritage Day event next Monday.
“We are calling on residents (to) talk about Salt River. This area is very rich in heritage and has flourished significantly over the years,” chairperson Shabodien Roomanay said.
He said he wanted residents to contribute to their heritage and that they would be provided a platform where they could speak about their lives in Salt River. But the crux of this will be the ongoing gentrification in the area, he said.
“We feel bad about the gentrification in our area, but we want to call on all these residents to please come and participate in this event.”
Salt River, along with Woodstock used to be the home of many of Cape Town’s clothing factories and was a hive of activity when factories closed for lunch breaks and on Fridays when workers were paid. Most of the factories have since closed down or moved to areas like Epping and Lansdowne.
The suburb became popular due to its rich Cape Malay culture.
Most residents moved to the area from District Six in the late 1950s when they were forcibly removed under apartheid’s Group Areas Act.
@TheCapeArgus