District Six: A Symbol of South Africa’s Growth

“We enter into a covenant that we shall build the society in which all South Africans, both black and white, will be able to walk tall, without any fear in their hearts, assured of their inalienable right to human dignity–a rainbow nation at peace with itself and the world.” – Nelson Mandela, Inaugural Address; May 10th, 1994

The historical significance of the area of Cape Town known as District Six paints a picture of the hardships endured by South Africans during the apartheid era, as well as shows the task of regrowth that the country is currently undertaking. Before the Group Areas Act was enforced in the 1960s, District Six was one of the few areas of the country where people of different races were living peacefully together. The residents enjoyed a vibrant, unsegregated culture that vastly differed from the other areas of Cape Town at the time. Because apartheid policies were built on the premise that people of different races were not able to live their lives side-by-side District Six was seen as a threatening environment, and the apartheid government began forcefully removing people from the area in 1968.
Though the district was primarily a colored community at the time, the land was in close proximity to most Cape Town businesses, and was therefore deemed a white area under the Group Areas Act. The former residents of District Six were relocated to the bland, newly constructed Cape Town Flats, which were situated a long way from where most of the residents worked. Furthermore, rather than using the area for their own use, the government destroyed the homes and businesses in District Six, and the area remained mostly undeveloped throughout the apartheid era.

Today, the residents of Cape Town regard District Six as an icon of their suffering during the apartheid era. The neighborhood is being slowly rebuilt and returned to its former residents, but this continues to be a long process due to lack of funding and the difficulty of locating former residents and their family members. During our stay in Cape Town, the class had the opportunity to visit the District Six Museum. The exhibits in this museum are all mementos (photographs, artwork, maps, poetry, etc.) donated and compiled mostly by those who witnessed the devastation of the removals.

In the center of the bottom floor of the museum, a large map of what District Six once looked like covers the floor of the room. Throughout the streets, former residents have signed their families’ names in the spaces where they once lived. To me, this was the most moving exhibit in the museum. It was unbelievable to me how many people had returned to the area in order to remember the good and bad times that they had in what was once their home. Also, the makes the reality of apartheid apparent to those of us who feel as though we are so far removed from what these people went through. Simply seeing the residents’ signatures on that map showed us that apartheid is not just something that we read about in books; rather, it is something that these real people endured, lived through, and are still around to tell us about. Apartheid is one of the largest things that has happened during our lifetime, and being somewhere that we can see the realities and effects of it first-hand has been so important and moving to all of us.

Though District Six is still far from the cultural hub that it once was, the area stands as a symbol that shows both the history of the country and the potential that the country must now build upon. During our stay in Cape Town, we have all witnessed the promise that the people of South Africa have made to becoming the “rainbow nation”. They see the past as just that—history. They believe that they must leave the past in the past and that they only way that they can grow from here is to learn from their history and forgive those around them who have done wrong. Much like District Six, South Africa will continue to remember the culture that it once had and work towards becoming “a rainbow nation at peace with itself and the world.”
I am curious to see if and how District Six will continue to be a symbol of the struggles of the apartheid era. How much of the historical significance of the area will be kept in the forefront of the regrowth of the area itself? How many people will return to their former homes, or the homes of their families? I am also curious to see if there are any areas that mirror the story of District Six in other parts of the country. Obviously District Six is very important and symbolic to the people of Cape Town, but is it regarded in the rest of the country with as much prestige? All of these things will be interesting to learn about in the coming weeks in South Africa and beyond.