Masiphumelele

Masiphumelele
—  Neighborhood  —
Country	South Africa
Province	Western Cape
Municipality	City of Cape Town
Wards
Time zone	SAST (UTC+2)
Postal code

Masiphumelele is a township in Cape Town, South Africa, situated between Kommetjie, Capri Village and Noordhoek.

Initially known as Site 5, the township was renamed Masiphumelele by its residents, which is a Xhosa word meaning "We will succeed".

About 400-500 people first settled in the area in the 1980s. During apartheid residents were continually removed to the suburb of Khayelitsha, over 30 km away, but the numbers began to grow as apartheid began to unravel from 1990.

In 1990, about 8000 residents lived in the area, mostly in shacks, but by 2005, over 26000 people live there, many in brick homes. Many are from the old Ciskei bantustan in the Eastern Cape.

Amenities are scarce, with an overcrowded school, no police station, and an understaffed day clinic, while it's estimated that 30-40% of the community are infected with HIV and/or TB.^{[citation needed]}. SHAWCO, the University of Cape Town Student's Health And Welfare Centres Organisation, runs weekly supplementary clinics from the Masiphumelele clinic.

Protests

Masiphumelele has been the site of numerous protests over the years. Most of the protests have been connected to service delivery and anger over corruption in government housing projects.^[1][2]

Xenophobic Attacks, May 2008

On May 12, 2008 a series of riots started in the township of Alexandra (in the north-eastern part of Johannesburg) when locals attacked migrants from Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe.^[3] Many African nationals were threatened, assaulted and displaced in the wave of Xenophobic violence that swept through South Africa, and in the following weeks the violence spread to Cape Town.^[4] Thousands of foreigners were displaced from Masiphumelele in the attacks of May 2008, most landing up at Soetwater refugee camp. Several days after immigrant-owned shops were looted and foreigners attacked, Masiphumelele residents publicly apologised and asked them to return.^[5]

Masi Fire

On May 2, 2011 a fire that started around 1 am engulfed and burned down an estimated 1500 informal and formal residences. The fire killed 1 and displaced an estimated 5000 people.

See also

Masiphumelele High School

Coordinates: 34°7′45″S 18°22′30″E / 34.12917°S 18.375°E / -34.12917; 18.375

References

1. ^ "Fears of more service delivery protests". Cape Times. http://www.abahlali.org/node/5567. 
2. ^ "Burning message to the state in the fire of poor’s rebellion". BusinessDay. http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/Content.aspx?id=76611. 
3. ^ "South African mob kills migrants". BBC. 2008-05-12. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7396868.stm. Retrieved 14 March 2010. 
4. ^ "SA leader orders army to deploy". BBC. 2008-05-21. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7412128.stm. Retrieved 14 March 2010. 
5. ^ "Tutu applauds Masiphumelele". Independent Online. http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=3069&art_id=vn20080702055557256C238131. Retrieved 14 March 2010. 

External links

• Pictures of Masiphumelele made by Alan Aubry, a french photographer.