Today in Kimberley's History
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46 days since beginning of the Siege of Kimberley, 1899
Extract from "The Diary of a Doctor's Wife – During the Siege of Kimberley October 1899 to February 1900" by Winifred Heberden.
I went in this morning to see the graves - not having had the courage to go to the funerals. It gave me rather a shock to see Colonel Scott-Turner's coffin still uncovered, or rather, merely covered by an old door. The explanation was, however, that a shell or case was being made to enclose it in order to remove the coffin later on to Cape Town. Still, it had a lonely look, and seemed so unworthy of the body it contained Major Peakman is now gazetted O.C. Mounted Troops, with the local rank of Lieut.-Colonel.
Extract from "The Diary of a Doctor's Wife – During the Siege of Kimberley October 1899 to February 1900" by Winifred Heberden.
I went in this morning to see the graves - not having had the courage to go to the funerals. It gave me rather a shock to see Colonel Scott-Turner's coffin still uncovered, or rather, merely covered by an old door. The explanation was, however, that a shell or case was being made to enclose it in order to remove the coffin later on to Cape Town. Still, it had a lonely look, and seemed so unworthy of the body it contained Major Peakman is now gazetted O.C. Mounted Troops, with the local rank of Lieut.-Colonel.
Galeshewe Town inaugurated as the first black controlled municipality in South Africa, 1983
Control of Galeshewe Township was taken over by the Bantu Administration Board of the Diamond Fields from the Kimberley Council on August 1 1973.
The Diamond Fields Advertiser of May 5 1976 reported that “slums” in the township were a problem with at least 9 or 10 people living in a four-roomed house. This problem was only because of the lack of suitable housing and the ongoing problem of unemployment. Apartheid was in full force and the residents of townships such as Galeshewe had to put up with not only inferior housing, but poor road infrastructure, second rate education, low wages when employed, second rate transport system, and the infamous pass system. The bucket latrine system was being phased out.
On November 30 1983 the Municipality of Galeshewe was inaugurated as the first black controlled town in South Africa, albeit under the rule of apartheid. TW Nyati was the mayor and Sholo Samuel Phakedi his deputy. In fact, since January 2 1978, the Community Board had governed the township for Galeshewe.
The population of the township in 1985, according to a report by the Galeshewe town council, was 81202, and made up of 10110 families. There were 10327 residential sites, of which 9525 were still being developed. This means that only about 1000 sites were developed at the time, so the balance of the families were indeed living in squalor.
There were 10 creche sites (5 developed), 68 parks (4 developed), 71 business sites (64 developed), 54 church sites (12 developed), and 30 school sites. Of the schools there were 22 primary and 8 secondary, plus one college.
In 1988 there were several new suburbs making up Greater Galeshewe. No 2 was still there, but there was also Ikageng (Redirile, and referred to as Stocks and Stocks), Ikageleng, Retswele, KwaNobantu, Zone Six (Extension Six), Ipeleng, and Vergenoeg.
This new Galeshewe Council drafted a master plan to provide for all needs of the town up until 2000, but the implementation of democracy in 1994 saw the end of the council as such.
However, the township was high on the priority of the new council for Kimberley – Galeshewe came back into the mainstream of the Kimberley municipality – and work began virtually immediately on upgrading. Galeshewe would become part of the greater municipality renamed the Sol Plaatje Municipality.
[Text by Steve Lunderstedt. Facebook page - Kimberley Calls... and Recalls]
Control of Galeshewe Township was taken over by the Bantu Administration Board of the Diamond Fields from the Kimberley Council on August 1 1973.
The Diamond Fields Advertiser of May 5 1976 reported that “slums” in the township were a problem with at least 9 or 10 people living in a four-roomed house. This problem was only because of the lack of suitable housing and the ongoing problem of unemployment. Apartheid was in full force and the residents of townships such as Galeshewe had to put up with not only inferior housing, but poor road infrastructure, second rate education, low wages when employed, second rate transport system, and the infamous pass system. The bucket latrine system was being phased out.
On November 30 1983 the Municipality of Galeshewe was inaugurated as the first black controlled town in South Africa, albeit under the rule of apartheid. TW Nyati was the mayor and Sholo Samuel Phakedi his deputy. In fact, since January 2 1978, the Community Board had governed the township for Galeshewe.
The population of the township in 1985, according to a report by the Galeshewe town council, was 81202, and made up of 10110 families. There were 10327 residential sites, of which 9525 were still being developed. This means that only about 1000 sites were developed at the time, so the balance of the families were indeed living in squalor.
There were 10 creche sites (5 developed), 68 parks (4 developed), 71 business sites (64 developed), 54 church sites (12 developed), and 30 school sites. Of the schools there were 22 primary and 8 secondary, plus one college.
In 1988 there were several new suburbs making up Greater Galeshewe. No 2 was still there, but there was also Ikageng (Redirile, and referred to as Stocks and Stocks), Ikageleng, Retswele, KwaNobantu, Zone Six (Extension Six), Ipeleng, and Vergenoeg.
This new Galeshewe Council drafted a master plan to provide for all needs of the town up until 2000, but the implementation of democracy in 1994 saw the end of the council as such.
However, the township was high on the priority of the new council for Kimberley – Galeshewe came back into the mainstream of the Kimberley municipality – and work began virtually immediately on upgrading. Galeshewe would become part of the greater municipality renamed the Sol Plaatje Municipality.
[Text by Steve Lunderstedt. Facebook page - Kimberley Calls... and Recalls]