{"id":1153,"date":"2024-12-07T15:26:34","date_gmt":"2024-12-07T15:26:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aegir-ran.com\/?page_id=1153"},"modified":"2024-12-07T15:26:36","modified_gmt":"2024-12-07T15:26:36","slug":"gqeberha","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/aegir-ran.com\/index.php\/gqeberha\/","title":{"rendered":"Gqeberha"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Gqeberha<\/strong> (English: \/k\u025b\u02c8b\u025b\u0259rx\u0259\/<\/a> keb-AIR-kh\u0259<\/em><\/a>,[3]<\/sup> Xhosa: [\u1da2\u01c3\u02b1\u025b\u0300\u0253\u00e9\u02d0x\u00e0]<\/a>), formerly known as Port Elizabeth<\/strong> and colloquially referred to as P.E.<\/strong>,[a]<\/sup> is a major seaport and the most populous city in the Eastern Cape<\/a> province of South Africa<\/a>. It is the seat of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality<\/a>, South Africa’s second-smallest metropolitan municipality by area.[6]<\/sup> It is the sixth-most populous city in South Africa[7]<\/sup>[8]<\/sup>[9]<\/sup> and is the cultural, economic and financial hub of the Eastern Cape.[6]<\/sup>[10]<\/sup>[11]<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gqeberha was founded in 1820 as Port Elizabeth by Sir Rufane Donkin<\/a>, who was the governor of the Cape at the time. He named it after his wife, Elizabeth, who had died in India. The Donkin Memorial<\/a> in the CBD<\/a> of the city bears testament to this. It was established by the government of the Cape Colony<\/a> when 4,000 British colonists settled in Algoa Bay<\/a> to strengthen the border region between the Cape Colony<\/a> and the Xhosa<\/a>. It is nicknamed “The Friendly City” or “The Windy City”.[6]<\/sup>[12]<\/sup>[13]<\/sup> In 2019, the Eastern Cape Geographical Names Committee recommended that Port Elizabeth be renamed Gqeberha, after the Xhosa and Southern Khoe<\/a> name for the Baakens River<\/a> that flows through the city. The city’s name change was officially gazetted on 23 February 2021.[14]<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Located on the western portion of Algoa Bay<\/a> along the southeastern coast of South Africa, the city lies 770 km east of Cape Town. It is east of the Garden Route<\/a> and faces the Indian Ocean<\/a>. It covers 251 square kilometers of the Nelson Mandela Bay metropolitan area, and is administered by South Africa’s sixth-largest metropolitan municipality.[15]<\/sup> The city’s warm oceanic climate<\/a> ranks it among the top cities in the world for pleasant year-round weather.[16]<\/sup>[17]<\/sup>[18]<\/sup> The city is known for many blue-flag beaches<\/a> along the city’s urban coastline; its popularity as an international and local holiday destination; and its rich and diverse cultural heritage. It is a gateway city for the Eastern Cape’s adventure, outdoor and African big five game<\/a> safari tourism.[19]<\/sup>[20]<\/sup>[21]<\/sup>[22]<\/sup>[23]<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Etymology<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Gqeberha, the city’s official name since 23 February 2021, is a Xhosa<\/a> word for the Baakens river<\/a>, which flows through the city.[24]<\/sup>[25]<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1820, the rising seaport of Algoa Bay<\/a> was named “Port Elizabeth” in memory of Elizabeth Frances (n\u00e9e<\/a> Markham), the wife of Sir Rufane Shaw Donkin<\/a>, acting Governor of the Cape Colony<\/a>.[26]<\/sup> The settlement is also known by Xhosa<\/a>speakers as iBhayi<\/em> or eBhayi<\/em>, a Xhosa adaptation of the Afrikaans<\/a> name die Baai<\/em>, meaning “the Bay”,[4]<\/sup> which was also translated and adopted by English-speaking colonists.[5]<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

History<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

See also: Timeline of Port Elizabeth<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prehistory<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Cave sites in the area, such as Albany, Wilton and Howieson’s Poort<\/a>, have given their names to various archaeological cultures. The Howieson’s Poort site has been of particular interest to interpretations about the origins of fully modern human behaviour. Dating to 65,000 to 62,000 years ago, it has yielded extremely old evidence for bow-and-arrow hunting and shell-bead jewellery. Earlier and Middle Stone Age lithic material has been found in the Sundays River Valley, while at the important site of Amanzi Springs<\/a>, 40 km north of Gqeberha near Addo, Earlier Stone Age artefacts are found in situ<\/em> with well-preserved plant and faunal remains within spring sediments (Deacon, 1970). There is Later Stone Age archaeological material preserved in caves and rock shelters, such as Melkhoutboom Cave<\/a>, in the Cape Fold Mountain Belt surrounding Gqeberha (see Deacon and Deacon, 1963; Deacon, 1976; Binneman, 1997) and large numbers of coastal shell middens have been reported at Humewood, St Georges Strand<\/a>and the Coega River Mouth (Rudner, 1968). Most recently, Binneman and Webley (1997) reported thirteen shell middens and stone tool scatters about 500 m east of the Coega River mouth in the archaeological assessment carried out for the development of maritime infrastructure for the Port of Ngqura<\/a>. Importantly, some of this archaeological material was recorded in secondary context in the gravels from older river terraces along the banks of the Coega River.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Early history<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Hunters and gatherers ancestral to the San<\/a> first settled the area around what is now called Algoa Bay at least 10,000 years ago. Around 2,000 years ago, they were gradually assimilated by agriculturalist populations ancestral to the Xhosa people<\/a>.[27]<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

British settlement<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The first Europeans to visit the area sailed with the Portuguese explorers Bartholomeu Dias<\/a>, who landed on St Croix Island in Algoa Bay in 1488,[28]<\/sup> and Vasco da Gama<\/a>, who noted the nearby Bird Island<\/a> in 1497. For centuries, the area appeared on European navigation charts marked simply as “a landing place with fresh water”.[29]<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The area later became part of the Cape Colony<\/a>. This area had a turbulent history<\/a>between the settlement by the Dutch East India Company<\/a> in 1652 and the formation of the Union of South Africa<\/a> in 1910.[30]<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1799, at the time of the first British occupation of the Colony<\/a> during the Napoleonic Wars<\/a>, British troops built a stone fort named Fort Frederick<\/a> after the Duke of York<\/a>. This fort, aiming to deter a possible landing of French troops, was constructed to oversee the site of what later became Port Elizabeth. The fort is now preserved as a monument.[31]<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From 1814 to 1821, the Strandfontein farm to the south of the Gqeberha River was owned by Piet Retief<\/a>.[32]<\/sup> He later became a Voortrekker<\/a> leader and was killed in 1837 by Zulu king Dingane<\/a> during negotiations about land. An estimated 500 men, woman and children of his party were killed. Frederik Korsten, after whom the suburb of Korsten is named, owned the Strandfontein farm after Retief. This area was later developed as Summerstrand, a beachfront suburb.[33]<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1820, a party of 4,000 British settlers<\/a> arrived by sea, encouraged by the government of the Cape Colony to form a settlement to strengthen the border region between the Cape Colony and the Xhosa people. At this time the seaport town was founded by Sir Rufane Shaw Donkin<\/a>, the Acting Governor of the Cape Colony<\/a> (in office from 1820 to 1821). Diplomat Edmund Roberts<\/a> visited Gqeberha in the early 1830s. Roberts noted that Gqeberha in the 1820s had “contained four houses, and now it has upward of one hundred houses, and its residents are rated at above twelve hundred persons”.[34]<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The British garrison of Gqeberha saw the arrival of a further 500 settlers in 1825, one of whom was Rev Francis McClelland, who in the same year was appointed Colonial Chaplain. The Roman Catholic Church established the Apostolic Vicariate of the Cape of Good Hope, Eastern District<\/a> in the city in 1847.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gqeberha, then named Port Elizabeth, was granted the status of an autonomous municipality in 1861.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cape Colony Prime Minister John Molteno<\/a> had formed the Cape Government Railways<\/a> in 1872. Completion of the railway to Kimberley<\/a> in 1873 was a major stimulus to trade and a rapid increase in population in the town. With the massive expansion of the Cape Colony’s railway network to the interior over the following years, the harbour of Gqeberha became the focus for serving import and export needs of a large area of the Cape’s hinterland. The rapid economic development around the port, which followed the railway construction, caused Gqeberha to be nicknamed “the Liverpool<\/a> of South Africa”, after the major British port. The town expanded as a diverse community, comprising Xhosa as well as European, Cape Malay<\/a>, and other immigrants.[35]<\/sup>[36]<\/sup>[37]<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the Second Boer War<\/a> of 1899\u20131902, the port served as an important transit-point for British soldiers, horses, and materials headed by railway to the front. No armed conflict took place within the city, but it felt the effects of the war with the arrival of many refugees<\/a> who moved into the city. These included Boer women and children, whom the British interned<\/a> in a concentration camp<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the war, the British erected a monument to military horses that died during the war. “The unveiling of the monument commemorating the services of the horses<\/a> which perished during the Anglo Boer War, 1899\u20131902, took place on Saturday afternoon, 11 February 1905, with the Mayor, Mr A Fettes, performing the ceremony.”[38]<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apartheid era<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Under apartheid<\/a>, the South African government established legal racial segregation<\/a> and started programs to separate communities physically as well as by classification and custom. The forced relocation under the auspices of the Group Areas Act<\/a> of the non-white population from mixed areas began in 1962, causing various townships<\/a> to be built for their use. Classification was sometimes arbitrary, and as in many other localities throughout the country, many citizens appearing to have mixed ancestry were at times subject to re-classification, which often had intrusive sociopolitical results. The non-white tenants of South End, and land owners in Fairview were forcibly relocated from 1965 through to 1975, as these areas were valued as prime real estate.[39]<\/sup> The city-planning was viewed as the prototypical apartheid city.[citation needed<\/a><\/em>]<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As black South Africans<\/a> organized to try to achieve civil rights and social justice, government repression increased. In 1977 Steve Biko<\/a>, the black anti-apartheid activist, was interrogated and tortured by the security police in Gqeberha before being taken to Pretoria<\/a>, where he died.[40]<\/sup> Other notable deaths in the city during this time included those of The Cradock Four<\/a>,[41]<\/sup> and of George Botha,[42]<\/sup> a high-school teacher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1952 Defiance Campaign<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In 1952 the African National Congress<\/a> and the South African Indian Congress<\/a>(SAIC) called all South Africans to stand up against the apartheid government’s unjust laws directed at the black African, Indian and coloured<\/a> population. On 6 April, while most white South Africans<\/a> celebrated the tercentenary of Jan van Riebeeck<\/a>‘s arrival at the Cape in 1652, the ANC<\/a> and SAIC<\/a> called on black South Africans<\/a> to observe the day as “A National Day of Pledge and Prayer”. 15 000 people attended in Johannesburg<\/a>, 10 000 in Cape Town<\/a>, 10 000 in Durban<\/a> and 20 000 in Gqeberha. The meeting in Gqeberha was led by Professor Z. K. Matthews<\/a> and by Raymond Mhlaba<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 25 July 1952, a day before the official start of the Defiance Campaign<\/a>, 30 volunteers led by Raymond Mhlaba gathered at the New Brighton Civic Centre and prayed throughout the night. At 5 am on 26 July, they left the Civic Centre and walked towards the New Brighton<\/a> Railway Station. In Raymond Mhlaba’s Personal Memoirs: Reminiscing from Rwanda and Uganda<\/em>, Mhlaba recalled:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

“I led the very first group and we entered the ‘Europeans<\/a> Only’ section of the New Brighton<\/a> station. By half past six we were already in police vans on our way to jail. It turned out that my party (group) was the very first to defy unjust laws in the whole of South Africa<\/a>. Little did we know that we were making history.”[43]<\/sup><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Mhlaba became the first man to be arrested during the campaign, while Florence Matomela<\/a> was the first woman.[citation needed<\/a><\/em>]<\/sup> 2 007 people were arrested in Gqeberha during the Defiance Campaign<\/a> included Oom Gov<\/a> (Govan Mbeki) and Vuyisile Mini<\/a>. Other volunteers who emerged as key role players during the campaign included Nosipho Dastile<\/a>, Nontuthuzelo Mabala, Lilian Diedricks<\/a> and Veronica Sobukwe<\/a>.[44]<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1985 Consumer Boycotts<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

After the formation of the ANC<\/a>-affiliated United Democratic Front<\/a> in 1983, political consciousness in black townships grew.[citation needed<\/a><\/em>]<\/sup> With numerous protests across the country and the massacre in Langa<\/a> township near Uitenhage<\/a>, police presence had increased in South African townships. In the townships, black South Africans<\/a> demanded the integration of public institutions, the removal of troops from black townships, and the end of workplace discrimination<\/a>. To launch an effective campaign to cripple the white-owned institutions of Gqeberha and to undermine the legitimacy of apartheid, several women suggested the idea of a consumer boycott to the Port Elizabeth Black Civic Organisation<\/a> (PEBCO) in May 1985. The economic boycott began on 15 July 1985, and received massive support in townships around Gqeberha. By September 1985, white business-owners became desperate and called on the government to meet the demands of black South Africans<\/a>. In November the boycott was still hurting white businesses in Gqeberha greatly. The white South African<\/a> government reached an agreement with PEBCO which stated that the boycott would halt until March 1986 if business owners arranged for the release of black leaders<\/a>.[45]<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1986, as the deal was approaching its end, the boycotters imposed a deadline of 31 March, stating that the boycott would resume if the initial demands were not met. On 11 March the government unexpectedly banned two leaders, one of whom was Mkuseli Jack<\/a>. However, on 22 March the ban was lifted by the decision of a Supreme Court Justice on the grounds that the government had given insufficient reasons. Jack ripped up the ban papers, and used the celebration as a way to represent the solidarity that the campaign required. As the demands of the boycotters were not met by 31 March, the boycott was renewed on 1 April. The boycott continued for nine weeks, but on 12 June 1986 another state of emergency was imposed by the National Party<\/a> government. Security forces searched through the townships, arresting thousands and raiding the offices of black civics, trade unions, the UDF<\/a>, the South African Council, and churches and also confiscating documents.[46]<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Modern history<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

With the establishment of the Coega Industrial Development Zone<\/a> (CIDZ), foreign direct and also national-level investment has improved in the greater region of Nelson Mandela Bay. The IDZ, under the stewardship of the Coega Development Corporation (CDC), since inception has managed to attract to investment account in excess of R140-billion into the economy of the Eastern Cape and has enabled the creation<\/a> of over 45,000 jobs.[citation needed<\/a><\/em>]<\/sup> This is significant for the area and the economy of the Eastern Cape.[clarification needed<\/a><\/em>]<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2001, the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality<\/a> was formed as an administrative area covering Gqeberha, the neighbouring towns of Uitenhage<\/a>and Despatch and the surrounding agricultural areas. The name honours former President<\/a> Nelson Mandela<\/a>. The combined metropolitan area had a population estimated at around 1.3 million in 2006.[citation needed<\/a><\/em>]<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2010 FIFA World Cup<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Overtaking its next door neighbouring city East London<\/a>, it became a host city for the 2010 FIFA World Cup<\/a>. The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium<\/a> hosted eight World Cup games: South Korea<\/a> vs Greece<\/a>, Ivory Coast<\/a> vs Portugal<\/a>, Germany<\/a> vs Serbia<\/a>; Chile<\/a> vs Switzerland<\/a>, and Slovenia<\/a> vs England<\/a> in the Group Stage, then Uruguay<\/a>, South Korea in the Round of 16. A quarter-final between Netherlands<\/a>, Brazil<\/a> was hosted, then for the Third Place playoff, Uruguay and Germany were hosted at the stadium. The World Cup was played between 11 June 2010 and 11 July 2010. Spain<\/a> were the eventual champions.[47]<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2013 Africa Cup of Nations<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The city was also one of the five that hosted the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. The same stadium that was used in the 2010 World Cup hosted eight games: five matches in Group B\u2014Ghana<\/a> vs DR Congo<\/a>, Mali<\/a> vs Niger<\/a>, Ghana vs Mali; DR Congo vs Niger, and Ghana vs Niger; one match in Group A\u2014Cape Verde<\/a> vs Angola<\/a>, the quarterfinal\u2014Ghana vs Cape Verde, and the third place playoff\u2014Ghana vs Mali. The Africa Cup of Nations took place between 19 January and 10 February 2013. Nigeria<\/a> were eventual champions.[48]<\/sup>[49]<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Geography<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Topography<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Climate<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Under the K\u00f6ppen climate classification<\/a>, the city has an oceanic climate<\/a> (Cfb<\/em>), and under the Trewartha climate classification<\/a>, the city has a subtropical climate<\/a>(Cfbl<\/em>). The area lies between the winter rainfall, Mediterranean climate zones of the Western Cape and the summer rainfall regions of eastern South Africa. Winters are cool but mild and summers are warm but considerably less humid and hot than more northerly parts of South Africa’s east coast.[51]<\/sup> The climate is very even throughout the year with extreme heat<\/a> or moderate cold rare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biodiversity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The city represents a large percentage of South Africa’s biological diversity is a confluence point five of the seven South African biomes, namely the Thicket, Grassland, Nama-Karoo, Fynbos and Forest Biomes.[55]<\/sup> A number of municipal nature reserves have been included in, and can be visited along the “Outward Bound Route” of the city. A mosaic of these 5 Biomes could be experienced in these reserves. The outward bound route is an eco-outdoor adventure and sports route incorporating walking and wildlife experiences. The aim of this route is to spread tourism to similar attractions along the route, leading to increased foot traffic and related benefits to these sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Architecture<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As a British colonial town, it had a strongly British character, and the central area retains that to this day.[57]<\/sup> The colonial City Hall is a national monument. The main public library is an excellent example of Victorian Gothic architecture<\/a>. Various memorials are situated throughout the city environs, and there are many tours available to familiarise visitors with especially the apartheid era. The city could be considered to be the country’s leading centre of Art Deco<\/a> style architecture due to its European heritage. Many buildings display the intricate stonework, wrought iron and stained glass of that era which are prominently visible in the Central Historical areas of the city. Combinations of Art Nouveau and Colonial styles are seen in residences along Cape Road. The area also boasts a collection of Cape Dutch<\/a> style architecture as well as the Victorian and Edwardian<\/a> styles, resulting from the arrival of the 1820 British settlers. Although influenced by Dutch architecture, the Cape Dutch style is unique to South Africa and examples can be seen all over the Eastern and Western Cape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hydrology<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The city has a long marine coastline on its outskirts, particularly southwards. Beaches like Kings Beach, Hobie Beach, Bluewater Bay<\/a>, Sardinia Bay (just outside the city near Schoenmakerskop<\/a>), and the beaches along Marine Drive are abundant. Kings Beach is adjacent to the harbour, and the longshore drift<\/a>from Cape Recife provides a plentiful supply of sea sand. On the north westerly coastline, the contours tends to be rockier than the area between Cape Recife, and the Port of Ngqura<\/a>. There are a few rivers, of which the Baakens River is the most prominent. This river usually floods when a reasonable amount precipitation is observed, especially at low level crossings. North End Lake in North End<\/a> is the largest natural freshwater<\/a>[58]<\/sup> body in the city, but has experienced a form of contamination<\/a>[59]<\/sup> from industry. (It is not recommended to ingest<\/a> anything from this lake) Also, numerous smaller “lakes” are in the surrounding area, namely Lake Farm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Eastern Cape has been experiencing a devastating drought since 2015<\/a>,[60]<\/sup>and a disaster was declared in the region in October 2019.[60]<\/sup> On 14 June 2022, a virtual special council meeting of Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Council<\/a>approved an emergency intervention plan by the National Department of Water and Sanitation<\/a>.[61]<\/sup>[62]<\/sup> The plan includes: drilling more boreholes, pumping water from the east of the metropolitan area to the west of the area, and using floatation pumps to extract more water from some reservoirs.[62]<\/sup> The meeting approved the appointment of Tlhologelo Mogoatlhe (a water and sanitation production engineer) as the interim infrastructure and engineering executive director.[62]<\/sup> City officials asked residents to consume no more than 50 litres (11 imp gal) of water per person per day.[61]<\/sup>[63]<\/sup> In mid-June 2022, Luvuyo Bangazi (spokesperson for the municipality’s joint operations crisis committee) said that the city was losing about a third of its water because of leaks in pipes, and had a backlog of 3,000 leaks to fix.[61]<\/sup> Joseph Tsatsire (Bay Water Distribution Director) said that Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality repaired 9,719 leaks over a three week period ending in mid-July 2022, leaving a backlog of 712 leaks reported.[64]<\/sup> Though some residents claimed that the taps only work a few hours a day, Bangazi said that water was only shut off when maintenance was being done.[61]<\/sup> Water consumption for the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality was as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n