Sebokeng () locally called Zweni by residents, is a middle-class
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, Ca ...
in the
Emfuleni Local Municipality
The Emfuleni Local Municipality, founded in 1999, is one of three local municipalities comprising the Sedibeng District in Gauteng, South Africa. It is the westernmost local municipality in the District, and covers an area of 987 km² at the ...
in southern
Gauteng
Gauteng ( ) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. The name in Sotho-Tswana languages means 'place of gold'.
Situated on the Highveld, Gauteng is the smallest province by land area in South Africa. Although Gauteng accounts for only ...
,
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 ...
near the industrial cities of
Vanderbijlpark
Vanderbijlpark is an industrial town with approximately 95 000 inhabitants, situated on the Vaal River in the south of Gauteng province, South Africa. The city is named after Hendrik van der Bijl, an electrical engineer and industrialist.
Vand ...
and
Vereeniging
Vereeniging () is a town located in the south of Gauteng province, South Africa, situated where the Klip River empties into the northern loop of the Vaal River. It is also one of the constituent parts of the Vaal Triangle region and was formerly si ...
. Other neighboring townships include
Evaton
Evaton is a township (South Africa), township north of Sebokeng, thats divided into three; Evaton Central, Evaton West (popularily known as "Mkhelele") and Evaton North, in the Emfuleni Local Municipality of Gauteng, South Africa. It was establis ...
to the north and
Sharpville to the south.
History
Sebokeng, which literally means "gathering place" in
Sesotho
Sotho () or Sesotho () or Southern Sotho is a Southern Bantu language of the Sotho–Tswana ("S.30") group, spoken primarily by the Basotho in Lesotho, where it is the national and official language; South Africa (particularly the Free Sta ...
, was established 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 in
1965
Events January–February
* January 14 – The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years.
* January 20
** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lyndo ...
when 18,772 houses were erected. In September 1984 there were violent clashes between the South African security forces and the residents of Sebokeng, who were boycotting rent and service tariffs. The cessation of fighting in 1994 allowed citizens to begin forming a stable community.
Demographics
The township is divided into a number of zones ranging from Zone 3 to Zone 24, not forgetting the hostel residence towards the outskirts of the townships when entering from the South coming from
Vanderbijl. After
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 ...
's democratic elections in 1994, the number of middle-class black South Africans or 'black diamonds' in this township has risen dramatically, with Zones such as Zone 6, 10, and 14 consisting of the largest number of black middle-class citizens and homes with a higher property value than traditional Apartheid 'matchbox houses' (four-roomed houses erected during the township's establishment).
The township is predominantly black, but there has been an influx of people of other racial groups seeking to live there.
Economy
Many of the residents of Sebokeng have opted to using entrepreneurship as a means of earning an income since 1994; before then entrepreneurship was strongly discouraged by the Apartheid government and black men were preferred to work in the neighboring suburbs of
Vereeniging
Vereeniging () is a town located in the south of Gauteng province, South Africa, situated where the Klip River empties into the northern loop of the Vaal River. It is also one of the constituent parts of the Vaal Triangle region and was formerly si ...
,
Vanderbijlpark
Vanderbijlpark is an industrial town with approximately 95 000 inhabitants, situated on the Vaal River in the south of Gauteng province, South Africa. The city is named after Hendrik van der Bijl, an electrical engineer and industrialist.
Vand ...
and
Meyerton as cleaners, garden workers, delivery boys, etc. The types of businesses run by residents range from formal businesses such as beauty shops, pubs, petrol garages and night clubs to informal, usually home-based businesses such as spaza shops, hair salons and shebeens.
In 2002, Sebokeng's first Plaza, Sebokeng Plaza was opened to serve and employ the residents of Sebokeng and neighbouring townships and in 2009 they built another plaza which is Thabong, which was later upgraded to a Mall, not forgetting Mandela Square towards the North, which also created jobs for local residents.
Infrastructure
Developments to upgrade the railway station near Zone 10 began in 2010 and are still underway. Many roads in Sebokeng have deteriorated and remained untarred for more than 30 years. Developments to re-tar many of these road began in 2009, but have been stalled due to
tender disputes. Many of the roads of Sebokeng were left unnamed by the Apartheid-era municipality and thus 7-digit house numbers are depended on for navigation through residential areas. The longest main roads of Sebokeng are Moshoeshoe Rd (named after the Sotho king,
Moshoeshoe) and Adams Rd in
Evaton
Evaton is a township (South Africa), township north of Sebokeng, thats divided into three; Evaton Central, Evaton West (popularily known as "Mkhelele") and Evaton North, in the Emfuleni Local Municipality of Gauteng, South Africa. It was establis ...
.
Education
The township has two tertiary institutions, a
FET College, Sedibeng, and
Vaal University of Technology
Vaal University of Technology (VUT) is a tertiary institution in South Africa. It attracts students from all over the country. It is one of the largest residential Universities of Technology, with about 25,000 students, 300 programs, all primari ...
's Sebokeng campus, which is regarded a privilege as townships hardly have access to tertiary institutions in the Vaal, in actual fact Sebokeng is the only township that is exposed to tertiary education. The Vaal Triangle's D8 education district offices are in Zone 18 next to Residentia High.
Primary and Secondary schools in Sebokeng teach in
Sesotho
Sotho () or Sesotho () or Southern Sotho is a Southern Bantu language of the Sotho–Tswana ("S.30") group, spoken primarily by the Basotho in Lesotho, where it is the national and official language; South Africa (particularly the Free Sta ...
and
Zulu home language and
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
FAL (First Additional Language) and are all over the townships ensuring that the younger population of Sebokeng have access to education.
Neighbouring townships
Neighbouring townships include Boiketlong,
Evaton
Evaton is a township (South Africa), township north of Sebokeng, thats divided into three; Evaton Central, Evaton West (popularily known as "Mkhelele") and Evaton North, in the Emfuleni Local Municipality of Gauteng, South Africa. It was establis ...
,
Sharpeville
Sharpeville (also spelled Sharpville) is a township situated between two large industrial cities, Vanderbijlpark and Vereeniging, in southern Gauteng, South Africa. Sharpeville is one of the oldest of six townships in the Vaal Triangle. It was na ...
, Tshepiso, Beverley Hills,
Orange Farm
Orange Farm ("Farma") is a township located approximately from Johannesburg in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. It is the southernmost township of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality. Its name, a misnomer given that oranges ...
,
Bophelong
Bophelong meaning 'a place of life' is a township near Vanderbijlpark, Gauteng, South Africa. It was established in 1955 to house black residents who worked in Vanderbijlpark and Vereeniging.
The location has now been extended by another locatio ...
, Tshirela, Muvango, Kanana, Seroepe Sa Benya, Mkhelele, Small Farms, Boitumelo, Polokong, Golden Gardens, and Lakeside.
References
External links
Emfuleni Local MunicipalitySedibeng District MunicipalityVaal Triangle Info
{{Sedibeng District Municipality
Townships in Gauteng
Populated places in the Emfuleni Local Municipality