Ezibeleni is a township in the

Eastern Cape Province The Eastern Cape is one of the provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are East London and Gqeberha. The second largest province in the country (at 168,966 km2) after Northern Cape, it was formed in 199 ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

. It was established in the 1960s and officially recognised in 1974, when black South Africans were not allowed to live, but only to work, in the white-dominated Queenstown. In order to pursue the policy of separate development, the apartheid-era government of the time dictated that, due to its location on the map and the predominant Xhosa ethnicity of its people, Ezibeleni would belong to

Transkei Transkei (, meaning ''the area beyond he riverKei''), officially the Republic of Transkei ( xh, iRiphabliki yeTranskei), was an unrecognised state in the southeastern region of South Africa from 1976 to 1994. It was, along with Ciskei, a Ban ...

, one of ten fragmented batustans, or homelands, scattered across South Africa. Ezibeleni is the largest township in the Queenstown area. Its original name was Queensdale, named after Queenstown. It is divided into zones (1,2,3,Chancele & Themba), with the new units; known as Kwamabuyaze (RDP houses) which is still expanding. The majority of people resident in Ezibeleni live below the living

wage A wage is payment made by an employer to an employee for work done in a specific period of time. Some examples of wage payments include compensatory payments such as ''minimum wage'', ''prevailing wage'', and ''yearly bonuses,'' and remuner ...

according to government economic classifications. There are about 12 schools in the area, 4 lower primary, 3 senior primary, 3 lower high and 2 senior high schools. The township is known for being a home to some of the best local and school music choirs in the country, Siyaphakama Adult Choir an
Bulelani Senior Secondary School
to name but a few

has represented

Eastern Cape The Eastern Cape is one of the provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are East London and Gqeberha. The second largest province in the country (at 168,966 km2) after Northern Cape, it was formed in ...

in the school's music competitions many times in the last 2 decades and has won many of th
South African National School's Choir Competitions.
ref> There is a vibrant social life with many church denominations and other social activities. However, according to

Statistics South Africa Statistics South Africa (frequently shortened to Stats SA) is the national statistical service of South Africa with the goal of producing timely, accurate and official statistics, in order to advance economic growth, development and democracy. ...

, the area still has a very high unemployment rate.

Notes

References

History of Queenstown and Surrounds

SA Education Department
{{Chris Hani District Municipality Populated places in the Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality Townships in the Eastern Cape 1974 establishments in South Africa