Kagiso is a

township A township is a form of human settlement or administrative subdivision. Its exact definition varies among countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, this tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Canad ...

situated at the southern end of the

Mogale City Local Municipality Mogale City Local Municipality (; ; ) is a local municipality within the West Rand District Municipality, in the Gauteng province of South Africa. Main places The 2001 census divided the municipality into the following main places: Politic ...

, just south of

Krugersdorp Krugersdorp (Afrikaans for ''Kruger's Town'') is a mining city in the West Rand, Gauteng Province, South Africa founded in 1887 by Marthinus Pretorius and Abner Cohen. Following the discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand, a need arose for a ...

Gauteng Province Gauteng ( , ; Sotho-Tswana for 'place of gold'; or ) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. Situated on the Highveld, Gauteng is the smallest province by land area in South Africa. Although Gauteng accounts for only 1.5% of the coun ...

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 ...

. The word ''kagiso'' means peace in

Tswana Tswana may refer to: * Tswana people, the Bantu languages, Bantu speaking people in Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and other Southern Africa regions * Tswana language, the language spoken by the (Ba)Tswana people * Tswanaland, ...

. Kagiso's administration comprises five wards, each headed by a councillor.

History

Kagiso was established in 1920 by ex-miners and squatters from nearby Luipaardsvlei. By 1950, there were about 3 436 people in the Luipaardsvlei Township, an area of only 47

morgen A Morgen (Mg) is a historical, but still occasionally used, German unit of area used in agriculture. Officially, it is no longer in use, having been supplanted by the hectare. While today it is approximately equivalent to the Prussian ''morgen' ...

, until another new township - Lewisham - was laid out to the south-east of Krugersdorp.

Demographics

Setswana Tswana, also known by its native name Setswana, is a Bantu language indigenous to Southern Africa and spoken by about 8.2 million people. It is closely related to the Northern Sotho and Southern Sotho languages, as well as the Kgalaga ...

is the most spoken language in Kagiso. There is considerable migration into the area from the rural areas, with people seeking work in nearby Krugersdorp and Chamdor. Some people who live in Kagiso travel to

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...

for work. Kagiso has produced many notable men and women, one of them being the Reverend Dr

Frank Chikane Frank Chikane (born 3 January 1951 in Bushbuckridge, Transvaal) is a South African civil servant, writer and cleric. He is a member of the African National Congress and moderator of the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs for t ...

, the former secretary general of the

South African Council of Churches The South African Council of Churches (SACC) is an interdenominational forum in South Africa. It was a prominent anti-apartheid organisation during the years of apartheid in South Africa. Its leaders have included Desmond Tutu, Beyers Naudé ...

and a former director-general in the President's Office. Kagiso is the hometown of former Gauteng premier

Nomvula Mokonyane Nomvula Paula Mokonyane (born 28 June 1963) is a South African politician who is currently the First Deputy Secretary-General of the African National Congress (ANC). She was the first female Premier of Gauteng from 2009 to 2014 and subsequently ...

. Notable celebrities that have been strongly associated with Kagiso at some point include the musicians

Mafikizolo Mafikizolo is a South African Afro-pop music group formed in 1996, consisting of composer Theo Kgosinkwe, lead singer Nhlanhla Mafu and Composer Tebogo Madingoane, who was shot and killed 14 February 2004. The group rose to fame after they relea ...

and former Orlando Pirates soccer player Meshack Wonder Mjanqeka.

Sport

Recreational facilities in the area include a multipurpose sports center, which has a cricket pitch, soccer fields, tennis courts and a swimming pool.

Infrastructure

Health

The public health needs of people in the area are catered for by the

Leratong Hospital Leratong Hospital is a hospital in Mogale City, Krugersdorp, 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 a ...

. There are two clinics in the area and a mobile clinic operates in the township as well. Private healthcare needs are provided by private doctors with private surgeries equipped with medical facilities.

Police & Judiciary Services

Policing services are provided by a recently built Kagiso Police Station located alongside the Kagiso Magistrate Court, also recently built. The two facilities cater to Kagiso Central and various Extensions' residents, including other sprawling areas around the township which include Tshepisong, Reitvalley, and Extensions 2 & 3.

Bulk Services

Potable water is provided by the local municipality by utilizing reservoir facilities located within the township. Sewage treatment facilities are located on the outskirts of the township.

Retail Shopping Facilities

The township shopping needs are provided by various shopping malls around the township, including Kagiso Shopping Mall, Chamdor Shopping Center as well as supermarkets and convenient spaza shops located in convenient areas within the township.

Education

There are 15 primary schools and seven secondary schools (Mosupatsela Secondary School, Madiba Comprehensive School, Mandisa Shiceka High School, Boipelo Secondary School, S.G Mafaesa, Kagiso Secondary School, and Thuto-Pele High School.) in the area. Mosupatsela and Kagiso secondary schools, are the oldest high schools in the township, with the former being the oldest of the two schools. There is also an adult center, which aids adults wanting to improve their education. Kagiso has an Old library, which has a reference section and embodies a children's library. The township is also home to the recently launched, Kagiso (Gauteng) Archives Center, next to which a recently built modern library, is located. The facility is meant to harbor important heritage and historical records as well as information. There are several formal creches including three big ones, and about 50 informal ones. The township also has schools for both the physically and mentally handicapped.

Notable people

Pitso Mosimane Pitso John Hamilton Mosimane (born 26 July 1964) is a South African former professional football player and current coach. Club career Mosimane started his senior career at Jomo Cosmos, then he played for Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pira ...

Zenande Mfenyana Zenande Mfenyana (born 11 October 1985) is a South African model and actress. She is known for portraying Noluntu Memela on SABC 1's '' Generations''. Early life and education Mfenyana was born in 1985 in Johannesburg, then moved to the Easte ...

References

{{West Rand District Municipality Townships in Gauteng Populated places in the Mogale City Local Municipality