Tembisa
Encyclopedia
Tembisa is a large township
situated to the north of Kempton Park
on the East Rand, Gauteng
, South Africa
. It was established in 1957
when Africans were resettled from Alexandra
and other areas in Edenvale
, Kempton Park, Midrand and Germiston
.
word "Thembisa" meaning "There is Hope". It came about when black settlers of Johannesburg were being evicted. When the township was created it was a beacon of hope for those who were suddenly homeless.
-dominated National Party
gained power in 1948 and began to implement apartheid, the pace of forced removals and the creation of townships outside legally-designated white areas. The Johannesburg council established new townships for black Africans evicted from the city's freehold areas.
In 1956 townships were laid out for particular ethnic groups as part of the state's strategy to sift black Africans into groupings that would later form the building blocks of the so-called "independent homelands. It is the second largest township in Gauteng following Soweto.
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...
situated to the north of Kempton Park
Kempton Park, Gauteng
Kempton Park is a city on the East Rand in the Gauteng province, South Africa. Formerly an independent municipality in the Transvaal, Kempton Park no longer has its own municipal government, and has been part of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality since 2000...
on the East Rand, Gauteng
Gauteng
Gauteng is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. It was formed from part of the old Transvaal Province after South Africa's first all-race elections on 27 April 1994...
, 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 was established in 1957
1957 in South Africa
-Events:* 30 January - The General Assembly of the United Nations calls on South Africa to reconsider its apartheid policy* 16 December - The 45th Annual Conference of the African National Congress is held in Orlando, Johannesburg...
when Africans were resettled from Alexandra
Alexandra, Gauteng
Alexandra or Alex for short, nicknamed Gomora is a township located in Gauteng province, South Africa. It is part of Johannesburg, close to the wealthy suburb of Sandton and is bounded by Wynberg on the west, Marlboro and Kelvin on the north, Kew, Lombardy West and Lombardy East on the south...
and other areas in Edenvale
Edenvale, Gauteng
Edenvale is a town on the East Rand in Gauteng, South Africa. It started out in 1903, after the Anglo Boer War as a small settlement named Rietfontein which sprung up around the Rietfontein Gold Mine. It was made a municipality in 1942. It was initially populated by Cornish mineworkers. Modern...
, Kempton Park, Midrand and Germiston
Germiston, Gauteng
Germiston is a city in the East Rand of Gauteng in South Africa. Germiston is now the seat of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality which includes much of the East Rand, and is also considered part of Greater Johannesburg.-History:...
.
Etymology
The name Tembisa comes from the ZuluZulu language
Zulu is the language of the Zulu people with about 10 million speakers, the vast majority of whom live in South Africa. Zulu is the most widely spoken home language in South Africa as well as being understood by over 50% of the population...
word "Thembisa" meaning "There is Hope". It came about when black settlers of Johannesburg were being evicted. When the township was created it was a beacon of hope for those who were suddenly homeless.
History
The township was founded in 1957. After the AfrikanerAfrikaner
Afrikaners are an ethnic group in Southern Africa descended from almost equal numbers of Dutch, French and German settlers whose native tongue is Afrikaans: a Germanic language which derives primarily from 17th century Dutch, and a variety of other languages.-Related ethno-linguistic groups:The...
-dominated National Party
National Party (South Africa)
The National Party is a former political party in South Africa. Founded in 1914, it was the governing party of the country from 4 June 1948 until 9 May 1994. Members of the National Party were sometimes known as Nationalists or Nats. Its policies included apartheid, the establishment of a...
gained power in 1948 and began to implement apartheid, the pace of forced removals and the creation of townships outside legally-designated white areas. The Johannesburg council established new townships for black Africans evicted from the city's freehold areas.
In 1956 townships were laid out for particular ethnic groups as part of the state's strategy to sift black Africans into groupings that would later form the building blocks of the so-called "independent homelands. It is the second largest township in Gauteng following Soweto.