The bustling township of Gugulethu, South Africa, is well known around the world for its importance during the struggle against apartheid. However, there are many things you may not know about the “Gugs” community. Located just 15 kilometers from Cape Town, Gugulethu has a culture and history all its own.
Sources: CapeTown.Travel, Gugulethu-CapeTown.co.za, SA-Venues.com, SAHistory.org.za, GugsTenors.co.za, TheGuardian.com, Facts.TheFullWiki.org
This is an updated version of an article originally published on Oct. 9, 2014.
Though Gugulethu was originally named Nyanga West, it was renamed as a contraction of the Xhosa phrase, “Igugu Lethu,” meaning “Our Pride.”
Migrant workers moving from the rural Transkei region or the homelands in the Eastern Cape Province came to the Cape Town area looking for work, but South African blacks were not allowed to live within the city during apartheid. Gugulethu, then known as Nyanga West, also absorbed inhabitants from nearby townships in Langa and Windermere as overcrowding and redistricting forced more people out.
Up to three men could be found sharing tiny rooms within these hostels, and poverty and overcrowding were rampant. Now, although the former hostels still exist, more people live in tin shacks that were built to allow for greater privacy, as well as some brick and mortar houses for the region’s wealthier residents. The former designated zones have become numbered “hoods,” representing the different neighborhoods of Gugs.
Gugulethu has no shortage of restaurants, bed and breakfasts, shebeens and more in an attempt to take advantage of the Western Cape’s vibrant tourism industry. It is also home to Mzoli’s Place, one of the best known braai joints in the country.
Founded by Mzoli Ngcawuzele, Mzoli’s opened in 2003 and has been extremely popular with both South Africans and visitors alike. Some Gugulethu residents, however, resent Mzoli’s, as it has garnered a reputation for loud tourists getting drunk and disrespecting the community.
When the filmmakers discovered that Lwazi Primary’s girls’ and boys’ football teams had both won nearly every trophy in the Western Cape, they were featured in “Invictus.” The teams, along with their coach, math teacher Xolile Madikane, are a source of pride in the Gugulethu community.
Data collected by the South African Institute of Race Relations shows that over 700 people were murdered in Gugulethu between 2005 and 2010, amounting to one murder every two-and-a-half days for five consecutive years. The numbers are disturbingly high, especially given that Gugs only occupies 2.5 square miles of land (6.5 square kilometers).
Steve Biko Drive was originally known as NY1, standing for “Native Yard 1.” Pressure to change the NY terminology mounted in recent years, and for main streets to be renamed. Authorities eventually renamed Gugulethu’s main route to honor apartheid activist Steve Biko. Other streets in Gugulethu are being renamed after Albert Luthuli, Amy Biehl, Ray Alexander, and the Gugulethu Seven.
While Gugulethu’s Square Mall represents the increasing economic power of the community, it has also been a source of controversy, as many local businesses have been evicted to make room for the development. Other allegations of corruption, nepotism, and controversy over employment practices, namely a disclusion of the local community, have also been associated with the project.
The Gugulethu Seven Memorial is located on a busy street corner in Gugulethu near the spot where seven youths were murdered by police on March 3, 1986. It commemorates the death of the young men, but also the community’s commitment to nation building and freedom. The granite statues feature seven figures cut from concrete slabs, and are suggestive of play, dance, and resistance.