District Six

After our stroll through the brightly painted Bo-Kaap, Arlene treated us to koesisters, or Cape Malay "doughnuts". They were delightful! I will definitely recreate those at home. On our way to the District Six Museum, we passed by The Castle of Good Hope, which is a star fort built by the Dutch East India Company between 1666 and 1679.  It is the oldest colonial building in South Africa. Originally located on the coastline of Table Bay, following land reclamation the fort is now located inland.

One arm of the "star" fort with moat

Buitenkant Street Methodist Church (as it was known) served the people of District Six and was a thriving congregation until District Six was declared a White Group Area in 1966. Thousands of people were forcibly removed from their homes, including most members of the Buitenkant Street congregation. During this time of upheaval the congregation participated in the growing resistance to apartheid and in particular to the destruction of District Six.

Buitenkant Street

A Plaque of Shame was mounted on the church building to remind passers-by of the injustice that had taken place (the plaque is still in place). Despite attempts to break the spirit of the people through forced removals, detention and harassment, the congregation continued to commute from the suburbs to Buitenkant Street on Sundays and a lively congregation of more than 100 people still worshiped regularly in the late 1980s. The building now functions as the District Six Museum.

Plaque of Shame

I especially enjoyed the timeline boards they had around the museum. It made me ask questions that I'm still pondering and have created more questions. If you know me, you know I like history and I like asking questions. Questions like "In 1656, a slave was freed in order to marry a Dutchman; Who was she? Was that common? Was it necessary? What are their children classified as? Who are their descendants?" Did the government realize what a cluster**** they started when they allowed this only to step back and separate people based on race later on?" You know the everyday sort of thing people ponder on their commute home.

Up until the 1970s, District Six was home to almost a tenth of the city of Cape Town’s population. In 1966, the apartheid government, as it had done in Sophiatown in 1957, declared District Six “white”. More than 60,000 people were forcibly uprooted and relocated onto the barren plains of the Cape Flats. Over a century of history, of community life, of solidarity amongst the poor and of achievement against great odds, was imperiled.

The most important feature of this exhibition is the 75 authentic street signs which hang in three ladder columns as a backdrop to the map - a tangible reminder of "home", signposting nothing but our memories and treasured experiences of a past District Six.

A large and unique floor map depicting the streets and landscape of the old District Six covers the central area of the Museum. Ex-residents have inscribed their family names and spaces where they once lived on the map. One of those residents is Stan Abrahams, who lived at 7 De Villiers Street until the 1970's when his family home was bulldozed. Take a walk with Stan to understand the history of the community that once lived in District Six.

The old layout of District Six

The Moravian Chapel in the shadow of Table Mountain

Some parts of District Six remain, like churches and mosques. The Moravian Chapel on the Hill, just behind the Cape University of Technology, is  located in the last remnant portion of the old Hanover Street which is well-known to ex-residents. The buildings and the streets may be gone, but the memories there are still strong.