14 Facts About Khayelitsha

Khayelitsha is a township in Western Cape, South Africa, on the Cape Flats in the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality.

Plans to build Khayelitsha were first announced by Dr Piet Koornhof in 1983, then Minister of Co-operation and Development.

Khayelitsha was one of the apartheid regime's final attempts to enforce the Group Areas Act and was seen as the solution to two problems: the rapidly-growing number of migrants from the Eastern Cape and overcrowding in other Cape Town townships.

Khayelitsha was established in 1985 and large numbers of people were forcefully relocated there, mostly peacefully but occasionally with violence.

Khayelitsha is one of the poorest areas of Cape Town, with a median average income per family of R20,000 a year, compared to the city median of R40,000.

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The Khayelitsha Commission was established by the provincial government to investigate allegations of inefficient policing in Khayelitsha and a breakdown in the relationship between the police and the community.

In March 2020 the Khayelitsha tavern shooting took place in the area resulting in 7 deaths and 7 injuries.

Khayelitsha is located on the Cape Flats, between Table Bay and False Bay.

Khayelitsha has been split into about 22 areas, depending on how one divides them.

Notable informal settlements in Khayelitsha include QQ Section, TR Section, RR Section and Enkanini which have gained prominence due to their high-profile conflicts with government including protest actions such as road blockades.

Khayelitsha has a small but growing middle class with a total of 1,400 households earning more than R25,000 a month in 2011.

Khayelitsha has six rail stations: Mandalay, Nolungile, Nonkqubela, Khayelitsha, Kuyasa and Chris Hani.

Trains in Khayelitsha have not operated since June 2019 due to cable theft that is currently occurring on the Central Line all the way to Langa Station.

Khayelitsha has one beach, Monwabisi, located on the coast of False Bay.