Orlando West Soweto—An Illustrated History

Until the end of World War I, urban growth in Johannesburg proceeded haphazardly. But under the impact of a wave of militant struggles by black workers the state became determined to better manage the movement of Africans into the urban areas. The growing demand for housing led the government to establish Orlando in 1931, and thousands of African families were evicted from urban slums in and around the city centre and moved there. The authorities described this as a "model native township" that was supposedly planned along the lines of a garden city. The new location, it promised, would be characterised by tree-lined streets, business opportunities, and recreation facilities. "Orlando West Soweto" illuminates the genesis of Orlando township and its well-known subsequent history. A beautiful photographic essay complements the testimony from residents, who describe the way things were, and the way they are now, in the heart of Soweto, South Africa's most iconic African township.

Noor Nieftagodien is the head of the history Workshop and lectures in the Department of History at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. Sally Gaule is Senior Lecturer in the School of Architecture and Planning at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. She teaches, researches and practices photography.