Fordsburg

“. . . loved the Friday night street food in Fordsburg!”

“Really interesting middle-eastern food influence in this old Indian and Pakistani neighbourhood”

“Great buzz on a Saturday night, much quieter during the rest of the week”

FORDSBURG IS JOHANNESBURG’S LITTLE INDIA

The suburb is an ethnic enclave, like no other, that has been the nucleus of Indian and Pakistani culture for years.
More recently it has been influenced by Middle Eastern immigrants from Morocco, Egypt, Jordan and Syria who now call it home.

The ‘centre’ of Fordsburg is the old Market Square, with its beautifully restored 1911 Edwardian lavatory (sadly now closed due to vandalism).
The part of Fordsburg, where so much happens, covers only a few blocks, so it lends itself to taking a stroll and just absorbing the delights of the suburb.
It is bounded by Mint, Central and Albertina Sisulu (was Main) Roads.

But Fordsburg hasn’t always been this way!

SIGHTS AND SMELLS OF FORDSBURG

Like so much of Johannesburg, Fordsburg went through years of urban collapse and decay.
But, again, like so much of Joburg, it was private investment and foresight, that changed all that.

In late 2009, the area on Market Square that now hosts the market and a number of food stalls was redeveloped, laying the foundation for a slow rebirth!

I don’t want to suggest shops, restaurants or street food that you should visit, as there are so many.
I suggest you wander through the streets, absorb the sights and smells, and stop where you’d like to.

The streets and shops are at their busiest on weekends, with Saturday the favourite for a night out.
A good place to start is the old Market Square, on Albertina Sisulu (was Main) Road, bounded by Mint and Central Roads, and go where your interest takes you after that.

Parking in Fordsburg is on the streets with carguards in attendance, but it can be difficult to find when busy!

HISTORY OF FORDSBURG

The history of Fordsburg goes back to the founding of Johannesburg.

This was one of Johannesburg’s first suburbs to be developed by a private developer, and laid out in 1888.

An inadequate, small Indian township was laid out to the north of it (demolished to make way for Newtown in 1904), and a ‘native’ township to the north of that.

Cape Malays who migrated from Cape Town, were given land for a township to the north west – named Pageview or Fietas.
Poor whites who had been attracted by the gold mines, settled in Brickfields or Burghersdorp to the north-east.

It was these racially diverse communities, living and working in close proximity to one another, that influenced Fordsburg’s multiracial character.

POLITICAL STRUGGLES IN FORDSBURG

A number of significant political struggles took place in Fordsburg.

Following World War l (July 1914 – November 1918), the world’s economy slumped, the price of gold plummeted and the gold mining companies faced rising costs.
Their decision to reduce pay, and replace countless white mine workers with blacks, led to a general strike being called by trade unions on Monday 6th March 1922.

This intensified into open rebellion, known as the Rand Rebellion, which resulted in Martial Law being imposed!
Air Force planes bombed the area and Market Square, the headquarters of the rebellion, was rocked by government artillery fire.

The rebellion was announced over on Saturday 18th March, 1922.

Sadly the market building was demolished after it was badly damaged in the bombing raids!

FORCED REMOVALS IN FORDSBURG

The 1952 Defiance Campaign was launched on 6th April and had its origins in Freedom Square.
You can read about Nelson Mandela’s involvement in the Defiance Campaign, here

In the 1970’s, Indians living in Pageview were forcibly removed from their land to the racially segregated area of Lenasia – 30km south of Johannesburg!

The buildings in 14th Street, which was a flourishing shopping node at the time, were demolished!
The National Government not only destroyed the bricks and mortar, but tragically the community with it!

One building, now the Fietas Memory-In-Action Museum, remains.
The original owners have created a wonderful, albeit small, museum, in memory of their lost past.

The Indian traders, who were forced out of their business premises, were relocated to the Oriental Plaza – which is a flourishing shopping mecca today, in the heart of Fordsburg.

This is in spite of the cruel injustices of apartheid!