Page 7 - Digital Magazine.cdr

Discover Pheli People , Places and Culture History

ATTERIDGEVILLE

A eridgeville was established in
1939 as a model township—the
pride of Pretoria. It is said to be one
of few of the older townships in the Environment
country that was named a er a
person, and that while the person The desert-like aridity of a typical
was s ll alive: Mrs Myrtle Patricia township like A eridgeville
A eridge (1900-1979), a City contrasts sharply with the garden
Councillor (Deputy Mayor in 1939— environment which whites
the first woman to hold that permi ed themselves but denied to developed in the halls and
posi on in Pretoria) and shebeens of A eridgeville, for
blacks in the past.
chairperson of the Na ve and which the township is s ll known.
Asia c Affairs of the City Council
Before the 1980s townships in
and a variety of women's Some of the venues where ar sts
South Africa were officially
organisa ons. like Hugh Masekela and Miriam
regarded as convenient temporary
labour reservoirs, therefore black Makeba performed were the
communi es, being transient, did Polyclinic Hall at the old circle (now
not qualify for municipal services Ramohoebo Square) and the Old
common to white areas. Only Beer Hall. Music has played a
minimal facili es, such as mayor role in the cultural life of
rudimentary roads and water, were townships. It was o en combined
with reading of poetry, dance and
provided. Electricity and sewerage
Born in Queenstown and trained as ac ng. During the apartheid days
were installed later. This was
a teacher, she was a staunch fighter this integrated art form served as a
A eridgeville's condi on for more
for women's issues and a supporter medium of pu ng across messages
than forty years a er its
of equity in the 1930s society of for resistance and mobilisa on.
establishment in 1939.
Pretoria. Her fight for equal rights Tree plan ng in Pretoria streets
for all people (living wages for
began as early as 1905; the city's
blacks, feeding schemes, jacaranda splendour is known
compulsory primary educa on, free world-wide. The city was awarded
medical service, free entrance to the status of Garden City of the
universi es, freehold tenure in World in 1996. Twenty years ago
townships and the removal of the this would have been unthinkable,
infamous 'colour bar') earned her the suburbs had trees, the
the respect of the city's black `loca ons', apart from individual
residents. One of her achievements effort, had none. Only a few of the The Polyclinic itself dates from
was si ng A eridgeville on main roads in the townships were about 1947 and was well designed
Townlands, which was closer to the tarred or planted with trees. Water for its purpose. During the 70s a
Pretoria employment and shops, was scarce, obtained from a new hospital, Kalofong, was built
and not, as originally intended, on common standpipe in the street, a just outside of the boundaries of
the farm Elandsfontein 352 JR, number of houses sharing one. The A eridgeville.
which was further out of town. watering of own gardens was not
Nearby is the Old Hofmeyr High
Mrs A eridge was far ahead of her practical and trees in most streets School, the first high school in the
me in apprecia ng the inefficiency did not exist. In addi on, inefficient township. It was later used as
and waste of the migrant labour and inadequate transport for blacks Mathabathe Primary School, and
system. Many of her ideals are forced workers to leave before light therea er as
being realised since the end of and arrive home a er dark. This Teachers' Centre. The current
apartheid in 1994. created an austere, uncreative Hofmeyr High School is in Mafole
township environment. What Street, more to the west.
In the winter of 1939 Mrs A eridge greenery there existed was due to
organised a soup kitchen for black the personal exer ons of residents.
children, the first, it is said, of its
kind in South Africa. In the same Local culture
year the provisional name The people who se led in
‘Motse Mogolo' was replaced by A eridgeville brought a rich culture
`A eridgeville' in recogni on of her with them from the squa er
efforts when the township was se lements around Pretoria. Living METHODIST CHURCH Dramatic
officially opened on 5 August 1940. under stressful condi ons brought expression in red bnck and a landmark next to
Seeiso Street Park. Comer stones laid on 30 June
She was always known in the the best out of them, also in the 1946. The church was built mostly with bricks
townships as 'Mma Batho' (The cultural field. A lively jazz culture brought stone for stone from the demolished
Mother of the People). church building in Marabastad.

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Heritage & History Foundation Page 7 March 2023 Issue 1
153 - 815 NPO