Embedded Files
The story of the Steward primary school is intertwined with the story of the Bo-Solder and the reach of Apartheid in our town.
In 1948 the National Party government rolled out a new set of laws based on land segregation according to colour.
The first Group Areas Act, the Group Areas Act, 1950 was promulgated on 7 July 1950, and it was implemented over a period of several years. It was amended by Parliament in 1952, 1955 (twice), 1956 and 1957. Later in 1957, it was repealed and re-enacted in consolidated form as the Group Areas Act, 1957, which was amended in 1961, 1962, and 1965. In 1966, that version was, in turn, repealed and re-enacted as the Group Areas Act, 1966, which was amended in 1969, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1982, and 1984. It was repealed, along with many other discriminatory laws, on 30 June 1991 by the Abolition of Racially Based Land Measures Act, 1991.
The Act empowered the Governor-General to declare certain geographical areas to be for the exclusive occupation of specific racial groups. In particular the statute identified four such racial groups: whites, coloureds, indians, and natives. This authority was exercised on the advice of the Minister of the Interior and the Group Areas Board.[4]
Once an area had been designated for sole occupation by certain racial groups, the proclamation would not become legally effective for at least one year.[4] Once this time had expired, it became a criminal offence to remain in occupation of property in that area with the punishment potentially being a fine and two years' imprisonment.[5]
The Act also applied to businesses with racial designation being applied on the basis of the individuals who held a controlling interest in the company.
The impact of this act was huge in Heidelberg. Whole communities were forced to leave their homes and relocated to houses built for them. Some were forcibly removed. Before this act was enforced the town was made up of mixed races working and living together. The Coloured community was hit the hardest as a whole area where they stayed were to be turned into an area for whites only.
Families lost their houses, their community gardens and some their livelihood. From Middleton street and up toward the Municipal Dump the houses were demolished. At the entrance to this community was their pride and joy, the Steward Primary School. This school was closed and turned into municipal flatlets. This meant that there was no school for children of colour to go to in Heidelberg. They had to go to another town to finish primary school and only the kids whose parents could afford it. Children had to leave town as far as Paarl to matriculate. Years later de Waalville primer and Kairos Secondary School was built and High School Heidelberg opened their doors to whole community.
Families were forced into small two roomed linked houses on the other side of the N2. The impact of this act is today still felt by Heidelberg's community. Years later the families were offered renumeration and the option to buy one of the new plots. Today the scene is a settled middle class neighbourhood.
The house that stood its ground
Mr. Naude, a teacher and headmaster for a school in Slangrivier lived in this house during all the upheaval.
The story goes that he was a man that was greatly respected by the community. This made that his house were the only house not demolished, the powers that be just did not have the guts to remove him and his family and demolish his house. The house still stands today, defiant of all the laws of our country's history.
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