Sophiatown - History

History

Apartheid in South Africa
Events and projects
1948 general election
Coloured vote constitutional crisis
Treason Trial
Sharpeville massacre
Rivonia Trial
Soweto uprising
Church Street bombing
Khotso House bombing
Cape Town peace march
CODESA
St James Church massacre
Shell House massacre
Organisations
ANC · IFP · AWB · Black Sash
CCB · Conservative Party · ECC · PP
RP · PFP · HNP · MK · PAC ·
UDF · Broederbond · National Party
COSATU · SACC · SADF · SAIC
· SAP · SACP · Umkhonto we Sizwe · State Security Council
People
P. W. Botha · Mangosuthu Buthelezi
· Steve Biko · Yusuf Dadoo
· Sheena Duncan · F. W. de Klerk
· Eugene de Kock · Ruth First · Bram Fischer
· Chris Hani · John Frederick Harris
· Barbara Hogan
· Trevor Huddleston · Helen Joseph
· Ronnie Kasrils · Ahmed Kathrada
· Jimmy Kruger · Moses Mabhida
· Winnie Madikizela-Mandela
· Mac Maharaj · D. F. Malan
· Nelson Mandela
· Kaiser Matanzima · Govan Mbeki
· Thabo Mbeki · Robert McBride
· Billy Nair · Hastings Ndlovu
· Alan Paton
· Hector Pieterson · Harry Schwarz
· Walter Sisulu JG Strijdom
· Joe Slovo · Helen Suzman
· Oliver Tambo · Eugène Terre'Blanche
· Andries Treurnicht · Desmond Tutu
· H. F. Verwoerd · B. J. Vorster
Places
Bantustan · District Six
Robben Island · Sophiatown
South-West Africa · Soweto
Sun City · Vlakplaas
Related topics
Cape Qualified Franchise
Afrikaner nationalism
Apartheid legislation · Freedom Charter
Sullivan Principles · Kairos Document
Disinvestment campaign
South African Police
Apartheid in popular culture

Sophiatown was originally part of the Waterfall farm. Over time it included the neighbouring areas of Martindale and Newclare. It was purchased by a speculator, Hermann Tobiansky, in 1897. He acquired 237 acres four miles or so west of the centre of Johannesburg. The private leasehold township was surveyed in 1903 and divided into almost 1700 small stands. The township was named after Tobiansky's wife, Sophia, and some of the streets were named after his children Toby, Gerty, Bertha and Victoria. Before the enactment of the Natives Land Act, 1913, black South Africans had freehold rights, and they bought properties in the suburb. The distance from the city centre was seen as disadvantageous and after the City of Johannesburg built a sewage plant nearby, the area seemed even less attractive. Because of these and other reasons most of the whites had moved out by 1920, leaving behind a vibrant multi-racial community. By the late 1940s Sophiatown had a population of nearly 54 000 Black Africans, 3 000 Coloureds, 1 500 Indians and 686 Chinese.

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