Rondebosch Common is an open

common Common may refer to: As an Irish surname, it is anglicised from Irish Gaelic surname Ó Comáin. Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Com ...

of about in

Rondebosch Rondebosch is one of the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town, South Africa. It is primarily a residential suburb, with shopping and business districts as well as the main campus of the University of Cape Town. History Four years after the first Dutch ...

Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

. A common is defined as "a piece of open land for public use, esp. in a village or town". It contains one of the few surviving pockets of the

critically endangered An IUCN Red List critically endangered (CR or sometimes CE) species is one that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. As of December 2023, of t ...

“ Cape Flats Sand Fynbos” vegetation type, which exists nowhere else in the world.

Biodiversity

Rondebosch Common is a

National Monument A national monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of importance to national heritage, such as a country's founding, independence, war, or the life and death of a historical figure. The term may also refer to a sp ...

and an important conservation area for the critically endangered Cape Flats Sand Fynbos vegetation. This type of

fynbos Fynbos (; , ) is a small belt of natural shrubland or heathland vegetation located in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. The area is predominantly coastal and mountainous, with a Mediterranean climate. The fynbos ...

exists only in

, and has become

due to the urban development which has covered most of the

Cape Flats The Cape Flats () is an expansive, low-lying, flat area situated to the southeast of the central business district of Cape Town. The Cape Flats is also the name of an administrative region of the City of Cape Town, which lies within the larger geo ...

. The common also conserves a few patches of

Renosterveld Renosterveld is a term used for one of the major plant communities and vegetation types of the Cape Floristic Region (Cape Floral Kingdom) which is located in southwestern and southeastern South Africa, in southernmost Africa. It is an ecoregion ...

and a seasonal wetland, giving it a hugely varied biodiversity for such a small area. Of the hundreds of plant species that occur here, at least nine are on the Red Data List. This stretch of land also protects 110 species of birds, as well as small mammals, reptiles and amphibians. The local biodiversity is threatened by invasive plants such as Kikuyu grass. A portion of the common is also covered by introduced stone pines ('' Pinus pinea'').

History

In the past, Rondebosch Common was used as a military camp (hence the name of ''Camp Ground Road'', which borders the common on the west). In 1805, the local Dutch farmers rallied here before the decisive

Battle of Blaauwberg The Battle of Blaauwberg (also known as the Battle of Cape Town) was a successful British amphibious operation during the War of the Third Coalition which lasted from 8–18 January 1806 and resulted in the capture of the Dutch Cape Colony. Af ...

, and troops were regularly stationed here, even up until the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. The open area has steadily decreased over time, as piece after piece was taken for housing, so that today only 40 hectares remain. The remaining land was proclaimed a

in 1961, and today it is used as a recreational area for the surrounding communities.

"Take back the Commons"

On January 27, 2012, 42 members of a group called "Take back the Commons" were arrested by the

South African Police Service The South African Police Service (SAPS) is the national police force of the Republic of South Africa. Its 1,154 police stations in South Africa are divided according to the Provinces of South Africa, provincial borders, and a Provincial Commis ...

for holding what the

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

labelled as an illegal gathering on and near the common. Supporters of the protest said the city was manipulating the Regulation of Gatherings Act and blamed Mayor

Patricia de Lille Patricia de Lille (née Lindt; born 17 February 1951) is a South African politician who is the current Minister of Tourism and leader of the political party Good. She served as Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure from 2019 to 2023. S ...

for illegally authorising the use of excessive force.

References

{{Cape Town, natural Rondebosch Nature reserves in Cape Town Protected areas of the Western Cape Parks in Cape Town

Biodiversity

History

"Take back the Commons"

See also

References