Polokwane the Segregated city

Forced removals in the apartheid era

By 1966, the construction of housing in all South African townships had been frozen, except to advance forced removals and resituating populations. Influx controls were deployed in a brutal and rigorous manner. The so-called “black spots” – land acquired before 1936 outside of scheduled areas and often owned by proxy – were destroyed; its inhabitants moved into homelands or segregated townships.

In the Pietersburg area, the Department of Bantu Administration began moving blacks into a new township, Moletsi, in 1966.  Others were moved to Seshego. Indians and Coloureds were moved out of the city centre and into Group Areas, the former to Nirvana and the latter to Westernburg.

The Coloured population was moved to Westernburg in 1965, west of Sterkloop. Land was set aside for 424 houses, 16 industrial units, two churches, one school and six business premises. It was proclaimed in 1977.

Cosmas Desmond writes that according to the Minister of Bantu Adminstration, there were four black townships in the Pietersburg area: Mankweng, Moletsi, Nanedi, and Sebayang (Solomondale). “Mankweng appears to be simply an extension of the existing township of Turfloop, Moletse is a proper township five miles outside Pietersburg and is planned for 9000 houses; Solomondale is half a ‘closer settlement’ and half a quasi-township, Nanedi is just a ‘closer settlement’.

According to Desmond, people began settling in Moletse in May 1967 and by May 1969 there were 3000 houses. Most of the people came from New Pietersburg and Pietersburg’s old location.

New Pietersburg, situated 6km outside the city centre along today’s Mandela Street, was considered the “Sophiatown of the Northern Transvaal”. The suburb was a mixed suburb where blacks and Coloureds lived side by side.  Residents attended the Assemblies of God Church of Kanana, with the school children attending the St Joseph Catholic School, which was demolished when the residents were forcefully removed after the implementation of the Group Areas Act.

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