Warwick Avenue area forced removals | Amandla!
Spanning Old Dutch Road, the main traffic artery from the west, was a residential neighbourhood on the lower slope of the Berea, known as the “Duchene” or “Dutchies”. Settled by former indentured Indians and bordered by the Western Vlei, it was on the outskirts of town yet close to markets and transport routes. After the Vlei was drained and social institutions were established in the area during the 1930s, it flourished. New residents from other groups moved into the network of narrow lanes and the mixture of semi-detached houses, outbuildings, blocks of flats and businesses created a new social character. This racially diverse community of largely working class families was identified as a Slum Zone in the late 1930s, and was subjected to commissions of enquiry regarding so-called Indian “penetration” into White areas. The area west of Warwick Avenue (renamed Julius Nyerere Ave) was declared a White Group Area in 1963, resulting in the displacement of a thriving racially diverse community. The area on the north side of the freeway was zoned for educational purposes in order to make way for the construction of Technikon Natal (now Durban University of Technology) in the 1970s, and the remaining triangular residential portion on the south side of the freeway became known as the “Warwick Avenue Triangle”. Residents of this area resisted relocation for over 20 years and many still lived in the area in the 1980s when the idea of relocation was finally abandoned. It is one of the few inner-city “black spots” in the country that survived apartheid forced removals.
Abasuswa ngenkani ku-Warwick Avenue [Warwick Ave forced removals]
Ngaphesheya kuka-Old Dutch Road, umgwaqo owumngcele ongasentshonalanga, kwakunezindawo zokuhlala ezansi neBerea, ayayaziwa ngokuthi yi-“Duchene” noma “Dutchies”. Le ndawo eyayihlala abomdabu waseNdiya kanti ixhumene ne-Western Vlei, yayisemaphethelweni edolobha kodwa iseduzane nezimakethe kanye nemizila yokuthutha. Ngemuva kokuphela kwendawo eVlein kwakhiwa izinkungo zomphakathi kuleya ndawo ngeminyaka yawo-1930, yaba nempumelelo enkulu le ndawo.
Kwatheleka izakhamizi eziyizinhlobonhlobo zizohlala kule ndawo eyayinemigwaqo emincane nezindlu ezisondelene, imijondolo, amafulethi namabhizinisi okwakuyishintsha le ndawo. Lo mphakathi owawuxube ubuhlanga babantu abasemazingeni aphansi kanti wawubizwa nge-Slum Zone ngasekupheleni kweminyaka yawo-1930, kwenziwa uphenyo ngokuthi abomdabu waseNdiya sebengene ezindaweni zabeLungu.
Indawo engasentshonalanga ka-Warwick Avenue (osuqanjwe ngo-Julius Nyerere Ave) wabe usuwethiwa njengendawo yabeLungu ngo-1963, okwaholela ekususweni komphakathi wezinhlanga ezahlukahlukene ezabe zihlala kuleya ndawo. Indawo engasenyakatho yasikelwa ukwakha izikhungo zemfundo ukuze kwakhiwe izikole zamabanga aphezulu i-Technikon Natal (manje osekuyi-Durban University of Technology) ngasekupheleni kweminyaka yama-1970, kwathi indawo esalayo engunxantathu ngaseningizimu yomgwaqo onguthelawayeka yabizwa ngokuthi yi-“Warwick Avenue Triangle”.
Izakhamizi zakule ndawo bezilokhu zithuthwa iminyaka engaphezu kuka 20 kanti beziseningi ebezisahlala kule ndawo ngeminyaka yawo-1980 ngezikhathi sekuyekwa ukususwa kwazo. Ngenye yezindawo ezimbalwa ezisenkabeni yedolobha “zabantu bebala” ezakwazi ukusinda ekususweni ngenkani yobandlululo.
Address: ‘Duchene’: Winterton Walk