South End, as a suburb, was once a cosmopolitan community. Men,
women, children and families lived harmonious lives in the
epicentre of cultural diversity. Blacks, whites, coloureds,
Indians, Chinese, Jews, Greeks and many more were united in their
attitude towards family values, faith and morals, despite the
diversity of religion, language and race.
The suburb of South End itself was steeped in history, with
beautiful buildings dating back to the 19th and 20th centuries.
Such structures boasted high ceilings, wooden doors and stunning
gables. Photographs of this period remind one of rural South
America in its quaint antiquity and old world charm.
This vibrant, harmonious spirit was all but crushed when, in
1948, the National Party was elected to power and the Apartheid
ideals were implemented. This way of ruling held the principle of
“equal but separate development”, and one of the laws
that came into being was that of the Group Areas Act. This required
that all non-whites be ousted from “white” suburbs.
This removal was carried out by force, if necessary. Coloureds,
blacks and Indians of all ages were assigned to areas far away from
the city centre of Port Elizabeth and certainly far away from South
End.
The whole of the South End district, being a prime real estate
location, was forcibly depopulated and flattened in 1965.
Information obtained from the website of the South End Museum
and Wikipedia.
Congrats to
Wikkelgat on the FTF.
