Cape Town - Today marks 54 years ago when more than 60000 residents were forcibly removed from District Six under the apartheid government’s Group Areas Act of 1950. To celebrate the anniversary, a number of events are expected to take place.
Today the District Six Museum will celebrate the official renaming of Zonnebloem to District Six by the Western Cape provincial geographical names committee, a campaign that was spearheaded by the museum last year.
In a statement, the museum said: “Renaming is a powerful act of restitution, and in the wake of this celebration we are also turning with renewed focus to the campaign to declare District Six a National Heritage Site. Dogged by delays, the museum launched a campaign in 2016 to show public support for this declaration.
“The museum has since collected 8 000 signed tags, which will be delivered to the offices of the South African Heritage Resources Agency, accompanied by a People’s Declaration for District Six as a National Heritage Site.”
The programme will include a procession to the memorial cairn at the last remaining piece of Hanover Street; and the delivery of a People’s Declaration for District Six as a National Heritage Site at the South African Heritage Resources Agency in Harrington Street.
On Saturday, the District Six Working Committee will be celebrating at the Castle of Good Hope. A number of special guests and dignitaries such as Public Works Minister Patricia de Lille, mayor Dan Plato and the Deputy Minister for Rural Development and Land Reform, Mcebisi Skwatsha, will be attending the event.
District Six Working Committee chairperson, Shahied Ajam, said: “This is a celebration and high-level public discussion about the importance of 2020, which will be seen as the year that ground will finally be broken for a new District Six.
“Several public participation processes will happen between this month and mid-year, and once the spatial plan for the area is finalised, the City plans to start building bulk infrastructure like new roads and sewerage systems.”
On February 11, 1966, the apartheid government declared District Six a “whites only” area under the Group Areas Act of 1950. For the past two years, the area has been frequently in the news, most recently for hauling the government to court for its failure to provide restitution to District Six claimants since 1998.
But there seems to be new hope for residents longing to return to their homes. After a valiant court battle, the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform said it would be breaking ground in November this year.
District Six Beneficiary Trust chairperson Anwar Nagiah said: “We commemorate the memory of those who were forcibly removed from District Six. We condemn any attempts to delay this restitution process.”
District Six Advocacy group chairperson Tanya Kleinhans said: “Where is the Human Rights Commission? What happened to the multitude of people who were forced to live on the Cape Flats? They have no healing.”
@MarvinCharles17