LENASIA
Lenasia, Gauteng
Lenasia is large Indian township +-7 km south of Soweto in Gauteng Province, South Africa. It has now become part of the City of Johannesburg.
Apartheid-era planners situated the group area for Johannesburg's Indians near the Lenz military base. The name "Lenasia" is thought to be a combination of the words "Lenz" and "Asia". The Lenz in question was one Captain Lenz who owned the original plot on which Lenasia is situated.
Discriminated against by Apartheid legislation like the Group Areas Act, Indians were forcibly
moved into Indian townships, and had their movements restricted. They were not
allowed to reside in the given an inferior education compared to white South
Africans.
The University of Durban-Westville (now part of the University of KwaZulu-Natal) was
built with a dollar-for-dollar or Rand-for-Rand contribution from Indians and
the government in the 1970s, so that Indian students would not have to brave the
waters by taking a ferry to Salisbury Island's abandoned prison that served as
their university until then.
It is a testament to the people who were abandoned here by the apartheid
government, that Lenasia is now a vibrant and thriving community. With the
advent of a new Trade Route Mall and Signet Terrace Mall, Lenasia continues to
expand. Indeed it is worth mentioning that Lenasia is one of the few Indian
areas to be wholly supportive of the African National Congress (ANC). Many
Indian struggle stalwarts are now living in Lenasia
Lenasia is now a rapid growing suburb with everything a city needs from shopping malls,
churches, mandhirs, mosques, banks and various commercial and industrial
sectors. Two satellite radio stations, Radio Islam and Channel Islam
International broadcast from Lenasia. The township is large and divided into
extensions including a major suburb produced from Lenasia, which is called
Lenasia South and referred to as Daxina by the locals. Lenasia also has its own
radio station called East Wave Radio which can be found on the wave 92.2,
unfortunately this radio station can only be listened to while in Lenasia as
nearby surrounding areas.
Lenasia is large Indian township +-7 km south of Soweto in Gauteng Province, South Africa. It has now become part of the City of Johannesburg.
Apartheid-era planners situated the group area for Johannesburg's Indians near the Lenz military base. The name "Lenasia" is thought to be a combination of the words "Lenz" and "Asia". The Lenz in question was one Captain Lenz who owned the original plot on which Lenasia is situated.
Discriminated against by Apartheid legislation like the Group Areas Act, Indians were forcibly
moved into Indian townships, and had their movements restricted. They were not
allowed to reside in the given an inferior education compared to white South
Africans.
The University of Durban-Westville (now part of the University of KwaZulu-Natal) was
built with a dollar-for-dollar or Rand-for-Rand contribution from Indians and
the government in the 1970s, so that Indian students would not have to brave the
waters by taking a ferry to Salisbury Island's abandoned prison that served as
their university until then.
It is a testament to the people who were abandoned here by the apartheid
government, that Lenasia is now a vibrant and thriving community. With the
advent of a new Trade Route Mall and Signet Terrace Mall, Lenasia continues to
expand. Indeed it is worth mentioning that Lenasia is one of the few Indian
areas to be wholly supportive of the African National Congress (ANC). Many
Indian struggle stalwarts are now living in Lenasia
Lenasia is now a rapid growing suburb with everything a city needs from shopping malls,
churches, mandhirs, mosques, banks and various commercial and industrial
sectors. Two satellite radio stations, Radio Islam and Channel Islam
International broadcast from Lenasia. The township is large and divided into
extensions including a major suburb produced from Lenasia, which is called
Lenasia South and referred to as Daxina by the locals. Lenasia also has its own
radio station called East Wave Radio which can be found on the wave 92.2,
unfortunately this radio station can only be listened to while in Lenasia as
nearby surrounding areas.