Oh Mitchells Plain

A view of a section of Mitchells Plain taking from the top of the dune in Dagbreek avenue, Westridge.

I was but a young boy when Mitchells Plain was found. At the time Mitchells Plain was a windswept, sandy and dusty place to be.

Welcoming visitors

Most  people visiting or even the first residents because of the distance from Cape Town, Wynberg and Claremont, considered it to be in another time zone.

Mitchells Plain was meant to be a relief to the overpopulated dumping grounds (Manenberg, Lavender Hill, Bonteheuwel etc.) of the apartheid regime's Group Areas Act of 1950. The purpose of the Act was to cleanse prime areas of black, coloured and indian people so that whites could live in peace and quiet.

Most of those that moved to stay in Mitchells Plain did so because it was cheap to do so and they had no other alternative. Initially people from the townships frowned upon those who chose to stay in Mitchells Plain. To an extent they pitied Mitchells Plain residents and often you would hear that the people in Mitchells Plain would hang their used tea bags on the line to dry and then re-use it. Naturally the latter was not true. 

Lillies drape the dunes during September

Today a lot of people still flock to Mitchells Plain because you still get affordable housing. A number of things have changed since then. Not all of it for the better though.

I moved to Mitchells Plain because I wanted to live there and secondly it was within my wage bracket or the other way around.  

Coming from Athlone on Vanguard Drive a sign welcomes you to Mitchells Plain and for a wee moment you see some beautiful natural creations and oh yes lovely homes but..................