Mamelodi, part of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, is a

township A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, C ...

set up by the then

apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...

government northeast of

Pretoria, Gauteng Pretoria () is South Africa's administrative capital, serving as the seat of the executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to South Africa. Pretoria straddles the Apies River and extends eastward into the foothi ...

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 ...

Etymology

"Mamelodi" is the name derived from the Sepedi word with the prefix being "ma" meaning mother, and the suffix "melodi" meaning melodies. Its meaning can be translated to mean ''Mother of Melodies''.

History

The township was established when 16 houses were built on the farm Vlakfontein in June 1953 and later the name changed to Mamelodi. The

Group Areas Act Group Areas Act was the title of three acts of the Parliament of South Africa enacted under the apartheid government of South Africa. The acts assigned racial groups to different residential and business sections in urban areas in a system o ...

designated Mamelodi as a blacks-only area, though this became moot with the fall of

Apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...

in 1994. In the 1960s black citizens were forcefully removed from the suburb of

Lady Selbourne The word ''lady'' is a term for a girl or woman, with various connotations. Once used to describe only women of a high social class or status, the equivalent of lord, now it may refer to any adult woman, as gentleman can be used for men. Infor ...

Pretoria Pretoria () is South Africa's administrative capital, serving as the seat of the executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to South Africa. Pretoria straddles the Apies River and extends eastward into the foot ...

to Mamelodi,

Ga-Rankuwa Ga-Rankuwa is a large settlement located about 37 km north-west of Pretoria. Provincially it is in Gauteng province, but it used to fall in Bophuthatswana during the apartheid years, and under the North West province until the early 2000s. ...

and

Atteridgeville Atteridgeville is a township located to the west of Pretoria, South Africa. It is located to the east of Saulsville, to the west of West Park; to the north of Laudium and to the south of Lotus Gardens. The settlement was established in 1939, a ...

. Anti-apartheid activist Reverend

Nico Smith Nico Smith (''Nicolaas Johannes Smith''; 1929 – 19 June 2010) was a South African Afrikaner minister and prominent opponent of apartheid. Smith was a professor of theology at the University of Stellenbosch, a member of the Afrikaner Broede ...

preached in Mamelodi from 1982–1989, and obtained permission to live there himself from 1985–1989. During that period, he and his wife Ellen were the only whites legally allowed to live in Mamelodi. The township still has vastly more blacks than any other group as of 2010. Since 2001 Mamelodi has had a large AIDS outreach program helping several thousand orphans in the community. Mamelodi is home to the largest AIDS Hospice Center in

with 140 beds available free of charge.

Education

Primary schools

* Moretele Primary School * Agnes Chidi Primary School * Dr Monare Primary School * Mveledzo Primary School * Sikhanyisele Primary School * Meetse A Bophelo Primary School * Mogale Primary School * Bula-Dikgoro School * Ramahlale Primary School * Bajabulile Primary School * Pula-difate Primary School * Tlakukani Primary School * F.F. Ribeiro Primary School * N'wavangani Primary School * Mahlasedi Masana Primary School * Boikganthso Primary School * Motheo Primary School * Zakhele Primary school * Botlhabatsatsi Primary School * Zamintuthuko Primary School * Umthombo Primary School * Ezazi Primary School * Tshimollo Primary School * Ndima Primary School * Sindawonye Primary School * Pheladi Nakene Primary School * Agnes Chidi Primary School * Koos Matli Primary School * Dr I.M Monare Primary School Uaone Primary school * Mahube Valley Primary School * Shirinda Primary School *Emthunzini Primary School *legora primary school

Secondary and High Schools

* Mamelodi Secondary School * Tsako-Thabo Secondary School * Stanza Bopape Secondary School * Vukani Mawethu Secondary School * Vlakfontein Secondary School * Bona Lesedi Secondary School * Gatang Secondary School * Jafta Mahlangu Secondary School * Solomon Mahlangu Secondary School * Rephafukgile Secondary School * Mahube Valley Secondary School * Ribane Laka High School * Modiri Technical High School * Lehlabile High School * J.Kekana High School * Phateng Comprehensive School

Tertiary Education

Tshwane North TVET College has 6 campuses, one of which is based in the east of Mamelodi in the section called BufferZone, next to Mamelodi Day Hospital. It used to be called Thuto Matlhale, then changed to Mamelodi College and now known after the merge as TNC Mamelodi Campus. The

University of Pretoria The University of Pretoria ( af, Universiteit van Pretoria, nso, Yunibesithi ya Pretoria) is a multi-campus public research university in Pretoria, the administrative and de facto capital of South Africa. The university was established in 1908 ...

operates a campus in Mamelodi. The campus in Mamelodi was incorporated from

Vista University Vista University, South Africa was established in 1981 by the apartheid government to ensure that urban black South Africans seeking tertiary education would be accommodated within the townships rather than on campuses reserved for other populatio ...

into the University of Pretoria on 2 January 2004 as part of a government reshuffle of smaller institutions into larger ones. The U.S. Embassy operates th
Mae Jemison Science Reading Room
in Mamelodi. This stand-alone building on the University of Pretoria campus has a small library, computers, and an auditorium. It is used for after-school reading, tutoring, and other activities by students in Mamelodi.

Society and Culture

Social Organisations

There are different organisations and groups that are working towards improving the standard of living and education levels within the township. One of them i
Tateni Community Care Services
funded in 1995, that operates 10 Drop-in Centres, mostly in primary schools, to support young children. Furthermore, they have a youth development program to support youth in-and-out-of-school to work towards their "Breaking the Cycle of Poverty" approach. Another organizatio
The Mamelodi Trust
operates within five schools in the area
The Mamelodi Initiative
was founded in 2007 by Richard Kelly and Seikanelo Sedibane and it was launched in 2010, it focuses on providing after school and out-of-school time programming to Mamelodi residents through winter and summer holiday programmes, year-round computer courses, youth mentoring, and other opportunities for youth. The Itsoseng Clinic was established in 1995 and continues to deliver a comprehensive psychological service to the local residents ww.psyssa.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/CaSP-Itsoseng-Clinic-article.pdf.

Sport

The township is home to the

Mamelodi Sundowns Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club (simply known as Sundowns) is a South African professional football club based in Mamelodi, Pretoria in the Gauteng province that plays in the Premier Soccer League, the first tier of South African football ...

of the ABSA Premier League and the

Mamelodi Bees Basketball Mamelodi, part of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, is a township (South Africa), township set up by the then apartheid government northeast of Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa. Etymology "Mamelodi" is the name derived from the Sepedi ...

of the South African Women's Basketball League. The

HM Pitje Stadium HM Pitje Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Mamelodi, Gauteng, Mamelodi, a suburb of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, City of Tshwane, South Africa. It is currently used mostly for Association football, football matches a ...

is located in Mamelodi. Mamelodi is also home to

star

George Lebese George Lebese (born 3 February 1989) is a South African international footballer who plays as a left winger. Club career Born in Mamelodi, Lebese spent his early career with Jusben, Khona Lapho and Arcadia Shepherds. Lebese joined Kaizer Chie ...

and Lucky Mohomi of

. Mamelodi is also home to the 2003 Miss South Africa Joan Ramagoshi.

Life in Mamelodi

There are a lot of informal settlements in Mamelodi. The housing problem is so great in the area, but it is proving impossible to keep up with the demand. The Rates of youth unemployment and drug use are high.

Crime in Mamelodi

Crime is also a major problem facing the community with poverty, unemployment and social issues being the major contributors. The community has been in the news for all the wrong reasons, like looting during strikes and destruction of public properties with the aim to get the attention of the government to speed up service delivery.

Outreach

One major outreach program in Mamelodi is th
Viva Foundation
Viva works to support orphans and vulnerable children, as well as giving community members business and skills training. Viva's Mamelodi compound is host to a preschool, small store, kitchen, and safe house for orphans. Viva has also worked to produce a "living art gallery" by painting several homes surrounding the compound. Another major outreach project situated on the University of Pretoria Mamelodi Campus is the Itsoseng Clinic, a psychological clinic providing free psychological services to the community of Pretoria. The Clinic is a project of the University of Pretoria's Department of Psychology and is in operation since 1994. The clinic collaborates with other helping services, i.e. policing services, hospitals, crisis centra, orphanages, hospices, etc. in the community to address issues related to poverty, crime, unemployment, such as substance and alcohol abuse, domestic violence, HIV/Aids related issues and learning and other difficulties. This is the only psychological facility in the community offering free services to the community. Services are provided by volunteers, students, interns and professional university staff.

Monuments

Solomon Mahlangu Solomon Kalushi Mahlangu (10 July 1956 – 6 April 1979) was a South African freedom fighter, struggle activist and operative of the African National Congress (ANC) militant wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK). He was convicted of murder and hanged in ...

is commemorated in the Solomon Mahlangu Freedom Square in his hometown of Mamelodi, Pretoria. The square is focused on a bronze statue of Mahlangu. It is located in well maintained parklands on the corner of Maphalla Drive and Tsamaya Avenue.

Notable residents

* Philip Tabane *

(19561979) *

Don Laka Donald Mahwetša Laka (born 15 December 1958 in Mamelodi, Pretoria), professionally known as Don Laka, is a South African jazz musician, songwriter and music producer, as well as the founder of "kwaai-jazz". Laka finished studying at the Royal ...

Naledi Chirwa Naledi Nokukhanya Chirwa-Mpungose (born 22 July 1993) is a South African feminist, legislator and former student activist serving as a Member of the National Assembly of South Africa. A member of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), she was swo ...

References

External links

Meanwhile in Mamelodi (2011)
Documentary film about the daily life of a family in the Mamelodi township
The Mamelodi Mesh
part of the

Wireless Africa programme of the Meraka Institute The Wireless Africa programme is a special initiative of the Meraka Institute managed by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, CSIR in South Africa. The Wireless Africa group is researching ways and means to develop sustainable info ...

{{Authority control Townships in Gauteng University of Pretoria campus Populated places in the City of Tshwane Populated places established in 1945