KwaMandlenkosi Route
The KwaMandlenkosi Township is situated just off the N1 highway approximately 1km south of Beaufort West, the home of the late pioneering heart surgeon, Professor Christiaan Barnard.
This has become the focal point of one of the shortest Afrikatourism routes in the Open Africa project, and the first in the Great Karoo – in a designated Presidential Nodal development area named after Mandlenkosi 'Tsaka' Kratchi, a promising boxer as a young man, who came to an untimely death as a hero of the struggle against apartheid. The members of this community are determined to follow his lead by improving their lot despite their poverty and deprivation.
A township visit includes a pilgrimage to Kratchi’s home and grave, a shopping trip to the many talented crafters to buy traditional Xhosa items and beadwork, a taste of local cooking and African beer at the local shebeens, or a visit to the local school for an impromptu performance of traditional Xhosa choral singing.
In contrast to Beaufort West, which features some fine Victorian buildings, some of the township houses are built in a unique construction style incorporating clay/shale stones and hessian. Whilst Beaufort West is well known for being the only town in Africa where pear trees grace the sidewalks, a tree-planting and greening initiative will see many hundreds of trees planted in the Kwa-Mandlenkosi township over the next few years – in memory of noteworthy freedom fighters, sportsmen and women and community leaders.
The Establishment of the KwaMandlenkosi Route:
The seed for this route was sown in 2000 when educational co-ordinator, Mr Msi Nxele of the Western Cape Tourism Board visited Beaufort West to address students at Mandlenkosi High School about the value of tourism. He found the school, but not the entrance gate. This had the students in peals of laughter, but Mr Nxele was serious: they had to find a way to put their school on a map and make it much easier to find.
The students took his message to heart and approached the Beaufort West municipality for permission to erect signboards pointing the way to their school. They then stopped and asked themselves. “Why would people who had no connection with the school want to visit it? Would they not rather prefer to visit our township?”
The students discussed this with their teachers and one of them, Mrs Lungi Ngondo, felt that a township route was a brilliant idea. She discussed this with Mrs Rose Willis, the regional tourism co-ordinator, and with numerous artists, crafters and organisations in the township, such as the ANC Women’s League.
When this potential route had been brought to the attention of Noel de Villiers, founder and director of Open Africa, he was so impressed by the enthusiasm and initiative of those involved that he offered to assist with funding. A delighted Mrs Ngondo returned to school and asked Grade Nine learners to volunteer for a community service project. “It was not a must, it was just a simple request. We opted for Grade Nines because the children would have a few years to grow with the project,” said Mrs Ngondo. Twelve children volunteered.
The project came to the attention of Mr Siphiwe Piti, a former Mandlenkosi student and one of the first to matriculate from the school. He is now a Beaufort West municipal councillor, serves on the Central Karoo District Municipality Council and is also chairman of the Regional Tourism Committee.
He visited the school and presented each volunteer with a T-shirt and brochures of the region and town, so that they had all the local information at their fingertips. The students also enjoyed the full support of the principal, Mr Tamsanqa Pandle and his staff.
Community Involvement:
The idea of a tourist route in KwaMandlenkosi was enthusiastically received by the community and the route forum consists of all major role-players in the township. Since inception they have initiated various projects – including a clean-up campaign and the township greening exercise.
Clean-up Campaign:
The community wishes to make Kwa-Mandlenkosi one of the cleanest townships in South Africa. Two schools – HM Dlikidla Primary and Mandlenkosi Senior Secondary – have embarked on a monthly clean-up campaign, with assistance from the Beaufort West municipality in supplying black bags, cleaning materials, spades, wheelbarrows, rakes and any tools necessary.
Greening of the Township through Tree Planting:
As part of an Arbor Week project, the Department of Water Affairs donated 20 trees towards a greening and environmental upliftment of the Kwa-Mandlenkosi Township Route and the KwaMandlenkosi Route Forum and Department of Water Affairs plan to continue this project by planting many more trees over time.
“All too often throughout South Africa trees planted along public roads in a spirit of goodwill end up dying from neglect,” said Mrs Lungi Ngondo, chairperson of the Kwa-Mandlenkosi Township Tourist Route Planning Forum. For this reason the forum decided that each tree should be planted in a private garden in honour of someone who served the community. The trees are cared for by individuals, schools and churches, who will benefit from their shade. Each tree is a permanent tribute to memorable freedom fighters, sportsmen and women and community leaders.
Honouring of Kwa-Mandlenkosi Heroes:
Mandlenkosi, fondly called 'Tsaka' by his friends, was again honoured in September, 2001, when two trees were planted to commemorate his life, during Arbor Week. One is at the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, where he was buried, and the other is at his parents’ home.
A tree planted at the Solomon Mahlangu Park honour three other freedom fighters and victims of conflict. They were Amos Claassen, killed in October, 1986, Nono Kellem, killed during a student protest the same year, and Msindisi Ndwanyana, killed in December, 1986.
Two trees at Mandlenkosi Secondary School honour Reverend Eddie Vass and Zolile Vass. Eddie, chairman of the school’s first Parent Teachers’ Association, played a vital role in focussing the ideals of the school, parents and pupils, resulting in a high level of achievement. Zolile, first chairman of the Board of Governors, also had a lasting influence on staff and parents, and his guidance ensured that pupils at the school became top achievers.
Kwa-Mandlenkosi Women Honoured:
Trees were planted to honour several Kwa-Mandlenkosi women, including Mrs ;Mamqwathi; Kilani, Mrs 'Tititi' Tamana and Mrs Maggie Dyasi, who all devoted much time and energy to organising and empowering women.
Also recognised this way is Ms Nomatyala Hangana, the first woman from Beaufort West to serve in the South African Parliament. Elected in 1994, she currently serves as the portfolio chairperson for housing. Ms Hangana has been the provincial chairperson of the ANC Womens’ League for the past ten years.
History of KwaMandlenkosi Township:
In 1879, Beaufort West’s town engineer, Avon Bruce-Brand, a former bodyguard of Queen Victoria’s and the man responsible for building the Springfontein Dam north of the town 10 years earlier, was asked to identify a suitable area for a Black location. He chose the southern side of the village and the western bank of the Gamka River. In little over a century this area was successively to become known as 'the location', Sakkiesbaai, Sidesaviwa and finally as KwaMandlenkosi township.
Bruce-Brand tabled a proposal for the location at a council meeting on December 1, 1879. This was accepted on January 16, 1880, and he was instructed to divide the area into stands. People who could afford to pay a municipal tax of 2/6d a month were allowed to build their own houses on these stands.
Jonas Masimona was appointed supervisor of this first location on December 14, 1880. A kia (small dwelling made from raw stone) was erected for him and he was given a salary of £3/10/- a month. Jonas held this position until August 21, 1883, when F Potgieter succeeded him.
By April 1900, 466 adults and 514 children lived in the township, which, for many years, was home to both Black and Coloured people. Rustdene, Newtown and other Coloured townships eventually grew out of this one. Expansion started gradually after 1925, when the government proclaimed the old location a Bantu area.
Most residents at the time were Coloured. Expansion into Rustdene began in 1942 with the erection of 385 houses and continued well into the 1960s. The Black township, which mushroomed along the banks of the Gamka, was for years referred to as 'The Location‘. It had a colourful collection of mud, stone, iron and hessian-covered huts and because the hessian huts looked as if they were covered with sacking is how the area became known as Sakkiesbaai.
Over the years many representations were made to the local authorities about the improvement of conditions in the township. Eventually the community felt its demands were being heard and they then changed the name to Sidesaviwa (“at last we have been heard”).
The township retained this name until clouds of conflict throughout South Africa gave rise to the Comrades or freedom fighters. That is when Mandlenkosi 'Tsaka' Kratchi, a promising young boxer, was shot and killed in a police raid on January 22, 1985. His death so shook the community that they opted to change the township’s name to KwaMandlenkosi ('the place of Mandlenkosi') to honour his memory. In time the main road and high school were also named in memory of this young leadear.
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