Book Extract
The rise of Joburg’s Dark City
Solam Mkhabela’s graphic novel ‘Alexandra: A Backstory’ vividly and insightfully addresses the complex and layered history of one of the country's most iconic townships, writes Noor Nieftagodien in this edited extract of the foreword
Alexandra has a rich and distinctive history of continuous settlement that made it a mecca of black urban culture and politics for more than a century. Declared a township for “Natives and Coloureds” in 1912, Alexandra was one of a number of freehold locations where black people could own property. But successive white governments systematically undermined this right through the promulgation of segregationist laws, such as the 1913 Natives Land Act and the 1923 Natives (Urban Areas) Act. The residents of Alexandra for decades resisted these official efforts to eliminate their property rights and to remove the township, with varying degrees of success. ..
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
There’s never been a more important time to support independent media.
From World War 1 to present-day cosmopolitan South Africa and beyond, the Sunday Times has been a pillar in covering the stories that matter to you.
For just R80 you can become a premium member (digital access) and support a publication that has played an important political and social role in South Africa for over a century of Sundays. You can cancel anytime.
Already subscribed? Sign in below.
Questions or problems? Email helpdesk@timeslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00.