There have been books written, songs played and musicals acted out about the tragedy of District Six. District Six lies to the eastern end of Cape Town. The apartheid government, in the 1960s, forcibly removed about 55000 mostly coloured people from the area and demolished everything except the places of worship.
District Six had been one of the more popular places in all of Cape Town. A handy tip when visiting here is to employ the services of a knowledgeable local guide. It's a relatively inexpensive way to see the sights in comfort and without the worry of straying off course.
District Six is rich in history, and people who want to learn more about what transpired in this famous place can go to the District Six museum. Here, people can learn about the various events that occurred during those time. This museum bears the pieces of history that serve as a remembrance of the history and culture of this place.
As most of us know, residents have already come back to District Six and buildings have been rebuilt. Life has came back to its normal state but the memories of the past still remains. These memories help its people to start anew and rebuild. Truly, you haven't really seen Cape Town until you've been here.
To fly to Cape Town to see District 6, navigate to www.dealchecker.co.uk/cheap-flights/cape-town.html and book flights to Cape Town.
Visiting is an emotional reminder of South Africa's troubled recent past. To fully appreciate the beauty of District Six we must first understand its history.
On 1867 a decree was signed to name District six as the Sixth Municipal District of Cape Town. It was established as a community housing people from different walk of lives (freed slaves, merchants, artisans, labourers and immigrants), District Six was a center full of life and energy helped by its easy access to the city and the ports. However, as the twentieth century began thousands of these residents and inhabitants were forcibly removed by the government and declared the district as a whites-only area. This horrible page in the history of the district inspired South African director Neill Blomkamp to create the blockbuster film District 9. A Sci-Fi movie loosely based on the real South African disaster on District Six during the said period.
The black south Africans were the first to suffer from the resettlement, they were displaced from the district in 1901. As the more prosperous moved away to the suburbs, the area became a neglected ward of Cape Town. With 60,000 people forcibly removed and houses destroyed it was declared as a white-area in 1966 under the Group Areas Act of 1950, and by 1982. These experiences were chronicled in novels like the "Buckingham Palace, District Six" and "A Walk in the Night".
In 1989 the District Six Museum Foundation was founded, and in 1994 The District Six Museum came into being. It serves a reminder of these experiences from the apartheid era and help preserve the culture and history of the area before the removals.
As most of us know, residents have already come back to District Six and buildings have been rebuilt. Life has came back to its normal state but the memories of the past still remains. These memories help its people to start anew and rebuild. Truly, you haven't really seen Cape Town until you've been here.
District 6 was featured in a 1985 hit musical about love and life in of the same name, District Six. A play, by DAVID Kramer and Taliep Peterson, which tackles an unfortunate love story set against the apartheid regime's 1960s forced removals of District Six.