East of Cape Town’s northern and southern suburbs, separated from them by the M5, are the Cape Flats. The region is the city’s largest residential area and takes in the black townships, the coloured districts, and the shantytown squatter camps. The Cape Flats are indeed flat and windswept, and they have a tumultuous history. They are also testimony to endurance and hope in the midst of despair.

The Flats started out as men-only hostels for black labourers who worked in white Cape Town. No blacks were allowed to live in Cape Town, and no black women were allowed to work there. The men who lived in the hostels on the flats were forbidden to bring their wives with them. The townships grew as men desperate for work poured intro the Flats. In the township of Langa, there were ten men for every woman.

No Facilities and No Hubs

The black townships were set up like dormitories and lacked facilities and central hubs. Because the apartheid system failed to prevent people from swarming into them, the Cape Flats became a blight on the doorstep of Cape Town. When people could not find legal accommodation, they set up squatter camps and lived in makeshift shelters constructed from iron, cardboard and plastic sheeting. There was no electricity, no plumbing, and no sanitation. The government made several attempts in the 1970s and 1980s to destroy these shanty towns. But each time, after the police and the bulldozers had left, the camps reappeared.

Trouble in Crossroads

One of the best known of the squatter camps outside Cape Town is called Crossroads. The inhabitants suffered continuous harassment by police and apartheid collaborators. There were repeated attempts to bulldoze it out of existence and it was only through sheer determination and desperation that the inhabitants were able to hang on. Eventually, they won the right to stay and today the new South African government is trying to improve conditions in Crossroads with running water and sanitation as more families move in.

Langa

Langa is the oldest and most central of the black townships and is an area where you can see elements of present day poverty but also the possibilities of a better future. Inside recycled cargo containers, enterprising local businessmen have established state-of-the-art telephone bureaus. Some families now live in tidy suburban houses, but nearby in the former men-only hostels, three families can share a single room.

Touring the Flats

For any visitor to Cape Town a tour of the Cape Flats is certainly an eye-opener. Tour organizers encourage visitors to see the Flats, but not on their own. Several township tours are available, all of which are operated by residents of the Flats, or with the cooperation of local communities. The tours give you an opportunity to see the other side of Cape Town and you will meet ordinary people who have had extraordinary experiences. You can have a drink in a shebeen or a township restaurant and you’ll even get to meet traditional healers whose age old ways are still part of community life. Musicians, local artists and craftsmen provide more than entertainment and terrific souvenirs; they are a reminder that even out on the Cape Flats there is joy in life, and potential for the future.

Author Bio: Rachel Hill is a Southern Africa Travel specialist, a company specialising in luxury, tailor-made Cape Town holidays, as well as holidays to other destinations in Southern Africa. Our experienced consultants will help you design your very own luxury holiday, and will be happy to provide you with a free quote.

Category: Travel
Keywords: Cape Town