Langa
Langa Township
Langa Show map of Western Cape Langa Show map of South Africa Langa Show map of Africa
Coordinates:33°56′43″S18°31′48″E / 33.94528°S 18.53000°E /-33.94528; 18.53000
Country	South Africa
Province	Western Cape
Municipality	City of Cape Town
Main Place	Cape Town
Government
• Councillor	Mayenzeke Sopaqa (Ward 51) (ANC) Neliswa Nqose (Ward 52) (Independent) Brian Watkyns (Ward 53) (DA)
Area [1]
• Total	3.09 km2 (1.19 sq mi)
Population  (2011)[1]
• Total	52,401
• Density	17,000/km2 (43,900/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011) [1]
• Black African	99.1%
• Coloured	0.4%
• Indian/Asian	0.1%
• White	0.1%
• Other	0.4%
First languages (2011) [1]
• Xhosa	92.0%
• English	2.5%
• Other	5.5%
Time zone	UTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)	7455
PO box	7456

Langa is atownship inCape Town,South Africa. Its name inXhosa means "sun". The township was initially built in phases before being formally opened in 1927.^[2][3] It was developed as a result of South Africa's1923 Urban Areas Act (more commonly known as the "pass laws"), which was designed to force Africans to move from their homes into segregated locations. Similar toNyanga, Langa is one of the many areas inSouth Africa that were designated for Black Africans before theapartheid era. It is the oldest of such suburbs in Cape Town and was the location of much resistance to apartheid.

Langa is also where several people were killed on 21 March 1960,^[4][5] the same day as theSharpeville massacre, during the anti-pass campaign. On 21 March 2010, now 50 years later, a monument was unveiled by the government in remembrance of the people who died while on the protest march.

Langa is bordered by theM17 (Jan Smuts Drive) to the west, theN2 (Settlers Way) to the south, and theM7 (Jakes Gerwel Drive) to the east, and is served by Langa Railway Station.

Although Langa literally means "sun" inXhosa, the name of thetownship is derived from the name ofLangalibalele – a chief and renownedrainmaker who in 1873 was imprisoned onRobben Island for rebelling against theNatal government.^[6] Various prominent people fought for his release and he was subsequently confined to a farm called "Uitvlugt", which is on the site of present-dayPinelands. Langa, which adjoins Pinelands, commemorates this folk hero as it was developed in 1898 on the land known as "Langalibalele's Location". Hence Langa is often called "Kwa-Langa" meaning "place of Langa".

Langa was originally designed in a way to allow the authorities maximum visibility and control of residents. In the early years local laws prohibiting the brewing of sorghum beer (utywala) was strongly resented and in the 1930s prohibition was abolished in the area with the construction of municipal beer halls taking place in 1945. However, the close living conditions of residents in Langa promoted a high degree of neighbourliness and the creation of broader African institutions that promoted a greater sense of community cohesion.^[6]

On 30 March 1960 Langa was the starting point for a march of between 30,000 and 50,000 protesters to Caledon Square police station in Cape Town led byPhilip Kgosana and thePan Africanist Congress to protest the apartheid-era pass laws.^[4][5]

Joe Slovo, which was established in 1990, is the largest informal settlement in Langa and one of the largest in the country. It is currently being threatened with forced removals to make way for the N2 Gateway Housing Project. Some parts of the Joe Slovo informal settlement have since been removed and transformed into the N2 Gateway Housing Project (2006), which can be seen when travelling along the N2 highway out of Cape Town.

In 2005, the Guga S'thebe Arts & Culture Centre, a cultural/multi-purpose centre,^[3] was officially opened in Langa after unofficially being in operation for a number of years.^{[citation needed]} The first townshipB&B – Ma Neo's Bed & Breakfast^[7] – was opened in Langa in 1999.^{[citation needed]}

On 9 July 2014, Langa was the site of violent protests against a lack of government service delivery, specifically regarding housing, but the protesting soon turned into a more general protest about broader issues such as theMarikana massacre and general living conditions. A number of shops and local businesses were torched and looted and transport links to the rest of the city were closed off by protesters.^[8]

Langa has produced some prominent figures in sport and entertainment and was the birthplace of the internationally acclaimed percussion ensembleAmampondo.^[9]

• Temba Bavuma (1990–),cricket player^[10]
• Fatima Dike (1948–), playwright and theatre director^[11]
• Brenda Fassie (1964–2004), anti-apartheidAfropop singer, songwriter, dancer and activist^[12]
• Sinazo Mcatshulwa (born 1996),Springbok Women player^[13]
• Thabo Mngomeni (1969–),football player^{[citation needed]}
• Malusi Siboto (1987–), cricket player^[10][14]
• Thami Tsolekile (1980–), cricket andhockey player^[10][15][16]
• Lungile Tsolekile (born 1984) is a field hockey player who competed in the2008 Summer Olympics^[17]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toLanga, Cape Town.

• Why a visit to Langa is a must
• History of Langa township at capetown.at

• Suburbs of Cape Town
• Townships in the Western Cape

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