Katlehong is a township located in the Gauteng province of South Africa, situated to the east of Johannesburg. It is part of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality and is one of the larger townships in the region.
Johannesburg, near Katlehong. Source: Wikipedia
Historical Context
Katlehong was established in the 1950s during the apartheid era as part of the government's policy of segregating communities based on race.
Kathorus: Fusion of Townships
Today Katlehong is fused with two other townships, Vosloorus and Thokoza, and hence named Kathorus. Kathorus is, therefore, an ideal and fascinating place to experience African culture in a modern society.
Socio-Political Role
During the 1980s and early 1990s, Katlehong was a hotspot for political activism and resistance against apartheid.
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It consists of a number of informal settlements with a history of involvement in the anti-apartheid struggle in the early 1990s.
“Thokoza had the highest death toll of any township during the four years of war that began in 1990, shortly before Mandela’s release….”
Thokoza is a small, nondescript township. The main road, Khumalo Street, runs north-south for four kilometres through an elongated triangle from one set of migrant workers’ hostels to another. At its southern end, Khumalo Street turns east for a further two kilometres until it reaches three more hostels…, grouped together and neighbouring the Katlehong township….
The conflict in Thokoza pitted the hostel-dwellers against local householders, migrants against residents….
Most residents owed allegiance to the ANC and relied for protection on volunteers who grouped themselves into self-defence units made up of militant youths and the occasional trained guerrillas who were given weapons by the armed wings of the liberation movements. Inside the hostels, the Zulu inhabitants were almost all combatants linked to other hostels by a controlling web of indunas or headmen, taking orders from the Inkatha leadership.
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Economic and Social Development
Post-apartheid, Katlehong has seen efforts to improve infrastructure, housing, and social services.
Cultural Significance
Katlehong is known for its vibrant culture, including music, dance, and art. The home of an esteemed inyanga (herbalist) houses a recording studio where young people learn about modern communication systems.
The South African dance company Via Katlehong is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a French tour this fall. Guest choreographers have also contributed to the creative development of the company, to supplement its strong local roots.
After Maqoma, Via Katlehong invited the French-Senegalese choreographer Amala Dianor and Portugal’s Marco da Silva Ferreira to create Via Injabulo, a double bill that is currently on tour, and the company is now working on potential projects with Brazilian artists.
These collaborations are largely responsible for the international development of the company. Even Via Katlehong’s financial stability must be put in perspective, with fewer than twenty permanent company members (who do not have exclusive contracts) and production teams that need to be re-hired for each show.
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Via Injabulo, for example, was co-produced by nine European institutions, eight of them French, like Lyon’s Maison de la Danse, the Théâtre National de Chaillot and the Avignon Festival.
“France is our second home,” Mohlabane says with a smile. It has been since their Paris debut, in 2003 at La Villette.
“Via Katlehong doesn’t get government subsidies or funding from private sources in South Africa. Our city contributes by giving us access to rehearsal spaces, but in terms of actual financial support, it mostly comes from France, where institutions do recognize our dances as professional performances.”
Via Katlehong teaches pantsula to new generations in South Africa and abroad, “but there are no academies in our country where you can actually get a related degree,” says Buru Mohlabane.
The first LDS meetinghouse constructed here was dedicated April 16 by Elder Dennis E. Simmons of the Seventy and president of the Africa Southeast Area. Previously, the 400 members of the Katlehong Branch, an all-African unit, met in a rented school house.
During the dedication service, Elder Simmons emphasized that the family is ordained of God and that the new meetinghouse will aid families in their progress toward perfection. He noted that the building will become a beacon in the community.
Steps2020: Trailer Gregory Maqoma / Via Katlehong
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