Mayor Celebrates New Gugulethu Monument Ahead of Heritage Day

By Staff Reporter

Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis joined the people of Gugulethu in a moving celebration on 18 September, as the community unveiled a new monument honouring three pivotal moments in the township’s struggle history.

The event, held just days before Heritage Day, brought together residents, civic leaders, and members of the Gugulethu Memorial Monument Steering Committee. Deputy Mayor Alderman Eddie Andrews, who chairs the City’s Naming Committee, also attended the ceremony.

“We are glad to celebrate a special part of local heritage together with the Gugulethu Memorial Monument Steering Committee, who drove the proposal for this monument to commemorate pivotal moments in this community’s struggle history,” said Mayor Hill-Lewis. “The memorial is a symbol of the history and pride of this place called Gugs, whose name, Gugulethu, literally means ‘our pride.’

“While the memorial showcases tangible symbols of local history, it also represents a future of hope, and a people committed to building while honouring the past. May this site become a thriving tourist attraction and community asset,” he added.

The monument, located prominently at the intersection of Steve Biko Drive and Klipfontein Road, memorialises three defining events:

• The establishment of a Permit Gate in 1960, which restricted movement under the apartheid-era Group Areas Act.
• The gathering of 700 Gugulethu men who joined Phillip Kgosana’s seminal protest march from Langa to Cape Town.
• The story of a mother who lost her child in an accidental shooting by soldiers, immortalised in Ingrid Jonker’s famous poem “The Child is Not Dead.”

Deputy Mayor Andrews said the project was the result of strong community leadership and participation.
“The City’s Naming Committee was proud to support this monument proposal by the community steering committee led by Dr Mzwandile Plaatjies. We thank everyone who took part in the public participation process for this meaningful memorial site, which will forever remind future generations of this community’s proud history and spirit in the face of adversity,” Andrews said.

Isishwankathelo ngesiXhosa

Usodolophu waseKapa, uGeordin Hill-Lewis, ube seGugulethu ngo-18 Septemba kuluvuyo lokutyhilwa kwesikhumbuzo esitsha esiqaqambisa imbali yokulwela inkululeko kweli lali.

Esi sikhumbuzo, esime kwisiphambano sikaSteve Biko Drive neKlipfontein Road, sibalisa ngeziganeko ezintathu ezibalulekileyo:

• Ukusungulwa kwe Permit Gate ngo-1960 phantsi koMthetho weeNdawo zamaQela,
• Amadoda angama-700 aseGugulethu awajoyina uPhillip Kgosana kuhambo lwemibhikisho ukusuka eLanga ukuya eKapa,
• Ibali lomama owalahlekelwa ngumntwana ngexesha lokudutyulwa ngamasotsha, njengoko kuchazwe kumbongo kaIngrid Jonker “Umntwana Akafanga.”

USodolophu uthe esi sikhumbuzo asiphelelanga nje ekubaleni imbali, kodwa simele ithemba kunye nekamva eliqaqambileyo. UNobhala kaMasipala, u-Alderman Eddie Andrews, wongezelela esithi esi siza siya kuba sisikhumbuzo esiza kukhuthaza izizukulwana ezizayo ngobuqaqawuli nenkani yalapha eGugulethu.