Lenasia, Gauteng
Encyclopedia
Lenasia is a large formerly exclusively Indian township
south of Soweto
in Gauteng Province, South Africa
. It is part of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality
. Lenasia is approximately 35 kilometers south of the Johannesburg
central business district and 45 kilometers south of the Sandton central business district.
Apartheid-era planners situated the group area for Johannesburg's Indians near the Lenz Military Base. The name "Lenasia" is thought to be a combination of the words "Lenz" and "Asia". The Lenz in question was one Captain Lenz who owned the original plot on which Lenasia is situated. Many of its early residents were forcibly removed under the Group Areas Act
from Pageview
(aka.Fietas) and Fordsburg
, non-racial areas close to the Johannesburg city centre, to Lenasia.
As segregation grew it became the largest place where people of Indian extraction could legally live in the then Transvaal Province
.
Lenasia is now a vibrant and thriving community. With the advent of the new Trade Route Mall, Lenasia continues to expand. The community of Lenasia played a prominent role in opposing the national tri-cameral elections held in 1984 and 1989 under the apartheid era National Party government. This was an attempt to create separate legislative assemblies in South Africa for whites, Indians and coloureds in order to entrench racial segregation and perpetuate the disenfranchisement of the African majority in South Africa. Lenasia also played a role in the creation and activities of the United Democratic Front
(UDF), the mass democratic movement that opposed apartheid in the 1980s and early 1990s before the unbanning of the African National Congress. Many of Lenasia's residents played a prominent role in the UDF structures and the broader anti-apartheid movement. Some of these activists became senior political figures after the first national democratic elections in 1994. It is a testament to the way that the people of Lenasia have embraced democracy that that the official opposition party, the Democratic Alliance took Lenasia in the last local council elections
Lenasia is now a rapidly-growing suburb with shopping malls, churches, mandhirs, mosques, banks and various commercial and industrial sectors. Three satellite radio stations, Radio Islam, Eastwave FM and Channel Islam International broadcast from Lenasia. The township is large, and divided into extensions including a major suburb produced from Lenasia, which is called Lenasia South and referred to as Daxina by the locals. There is also the newest addition, Extension 13
The younger generation tend to travel out of Lenasia to work for the big corporates. The growing population of Lenasia is a huge concern, as no additional land is being zoned for suburban development. Hence properties soar to exorbitant prices, making it more and more difficult for entry level income earners to afford to live there. This is repercussion of apartheid era land policies.
Many of the younger generation are now beginning to move out of the suburb because of increasing home prices, major traffic congestion en route to the city, as well as wanting to live in a more multicultural environment.
Although still a predominantly Indian area, Lenasia today is a more cosmopolitan and diverse suburb, providing a place to live for local coloured and African people, as well as recent immigrants and refugees.
Township (South Africa)
In South Africa, the term township and location usually refers to the urban living areas that, from the late 19th century until the end of Apartheid, were reserved for non-whites . Townships were usually built on the periphery of towns and cities...
south of Soweto
Soweto
Soweto is a lower-class-populated urban area of the city of Johannesburg in Gauteng, South Africa, bordering the city's mining belt in the south. Its name is an English syllabic abbreviation for South Western Townships...
in Gauteng Province, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. It is part of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality
City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality
The City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality is a metropolitan municipality that manages the local governance of Johannesburg, South Africa...
. Lenasia is approximately 35 kilometers south of the Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
central business district and 45 kilometers south of the Sandton central business district.
Apartheid-era planners situated the group area for Johannesburg's Indians near the Lenz Military Base. The name "Lenasia" is thought to be a combination of the words "Lenz" and "Asia". The Lenz in question was one Captain Lenz who owned the original plot on which Lenasia is situated. Many of its early residents were forcibly removed under the Group Areas Act
Group Areas Act
The Group Areas Act of 1950 was an act of parliament created under the apartheid government of South Africa on 27th April 1950. The act assigned racial groups to different residential and business sections in urban areas in a system of urban apartheid...
from Pageview
Pageview, Gauteng
Pageview is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located in Region 8.Originally populated by non-whites including Cape Malays and Indians, it was commonly known as Fietas....
(aka.Fietas) and Fordsburg
Fordsburg, Gauteng
Fordsburg is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located in Region 8.Today, Fordsburg is a major centre of Indian and Pakistani South African culture, with large number of halal restaurants...
, non-racial areas close to the Johannesburg city centre, to Lenasia.
As segregation grew it became the largest place where people of Indian extraction could legally live in the then Transvaal Province
Transvaal Province
Transvaal Province was a province of the Union of South Africa from 1910 to 1961, and of its successor, the Republic of South Africa, from 1961 until the end of apartheid in 1994 when a new constitution subdivided it.-History:...
.
Lenasia is now a vibrant and thriving community. With the advent of the new Trade Route Mall, Lenasia continues to expand. The community of Lenasia played a prominent role in opposing the national tri-cameral elections held in 1984 and 1989 under the apartheid era National Party government. This was an attempt to create separate legislative assemblies in South Africa for whites, Indians and coloureds in order to entrench racial segregation and perpetuate the disenfranchisement of the African majority in South Africa. Lenasia also played a role in the creation and activities of the United Democratic Front
United Democratic Front (South Africa)
The United Democratic Front was one of the most important anti-apartheid organisations of the 1980s. The non-racial coalition of about 400 civic, church, students', workers' and other organisations was formed in 1983, initially to fight the just-introduced idea of the Tricameral Parliament The...
(UDF), the mass democratic movement that opposed apartheid in the 1980s and early 1990s before the unbanning of the African National Congress. Many of Lenasia's residents played a prominent role in the UDF structures and the broader anti-apartheid movement. Some of these activists became senior political figures after the first national democratic elections in 1994. It is a testament to the way that the people of Lenasia have embraced democracy that that the official opposition party, the Democratic Alliance took Lenasia in the last local council elections
Lenasia is now a rapidly-growing suburb with shopping malls, churches, mandhirs, mosques, banks and various commercial and industrial sectors. Three satellite radio stations, Radio Islam, Eastwave FM and Channel Islam International broadcast from Lenasia. The township is large, and divided into extensions including a major suburb produced from Lenasia, which is called Lenasia South and referred to as Daxina by the locals. There is also the newest addition, Extension 13
The younger generation tend to travel out of Lenasia to work for the big corporates. The growing population of Lenasia is a huge concern, as no additional land is being zoned for suburban development. Hence properties soar to exorbitant prices, making it more and more difficult for entry level income earners to afford to live there. This is repercussion of apartheid era land policies.
Many of the younger generation are now beginning to move out of the suburb because of increasing home prices, major traffic congestion en route to the city, as well as wanting to live in a more multicultural environment.
Although still a predominantly Indian area, Lenasia today is a more cosmopolitan and diverse suburb, providing a place to live for local coloured and African people, as well as recent immigrants and refugees.