The President turn 81 and urge the youth to continue the fight for Alex land

 

Cutting the Cake...Twala share his cake with those who came to celebrate with him

Our father, the President of Alexandra Township has urged the youth of the oldest township in South Africa, to take on the baton from where he and others left of in the 60s.

FATHER...The president of Alex celebrated his 81st birthday

"I hear report that the land in Linbro Park, and Frankenworld  have been taken by other people,' says Bab' Linda Twala.

He was addressing the community who came to celebrate  his 81st birthday at Bishop Nhlanhla Nhlapo's  God Never Fails (GNF) church on Tuesday this week.

Helicopter ride on the cards... Twala speaking about the importance of kids riding a helicopter

Though, the turn out of sponsors at this year's annual celebration was affected by the G-20 event which was hosted in the country last month.

But the Gift of the Givers Foundation, The Zanele Mbeki Foundation and Shoprite were part of the sponsors that turned out to make sure that the senior citizens of the township received their food parcels and enjoy the activities of the day.

The food parcels for the grannies who came to celebrate Ntate Twalas birthday

Before he addressed the youth of the township, he first asked the community to come on board donating money so that the children of Alexandra township can have educational tours which include helicopter  rides.

"These children need to be exposed to such as this will broaden their minds," he said.

Another elderly showed appreciation for Twala's role in the struggle and how he was constantly harassed by the security police for hiding and feeding the youngsters then who rebelled against the then apartheid government.

According to google search, Frankenworld also pronounced as Frankenwald is a major urban development

site slated for massive affordable housing projects to of about 30 thousand units.

The project is designed to address a massive housing shortages, intergrade communities and support Alexandra's de-densification involving developments, public participation and educational initiatives by the Wits University.

The project also aims to transform unused land into a new city hub. It currently faces challenges like legacy land disputes and environmental concerns.

According to Nelson Mandela's long walk to Freedom and advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi's The Land is Ours, the land was forcefully taken from the Xhosas, Zulus and Basothos during the  first and second Anglo-Boer War. Zulu's tried to fight men with swords and guns with spears and shield.

The Battle of Isandlwana and the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 | Sky ... https://share.google/images/PQLMveLs2SVNFl8DV

The Basothos tried to negotiate for the land lost after the war but their pleas just like the Xhosa and Zulus  were ignored.

 Instead the Xhosa King of that time, King Sandile was stripped of all his powers and were transferred to Charles Brownee, an Afrikaaner who didn't like black people and was ready to shoot and kill anyone they didn't like.

King Cetshwayo ka Mpande was forced to exile.

 Up to 1994 white South Africans used to celebrate the defeat of the great Zulu leader, Dingane at the battle of Blood River in 1838 on December 16. 

While Black South  Africans mourned the day of the massacre of Zulu impis(warriors or soldiers) who fought Boers with guns and they only has  assegais that time.

 

Three Cakes for an old man

It is said that the water of the nearby river ran red with blood of the impis who were trying to protect their own land. 

Centuries later after  decades of the formation of the African, National Congress(ANC) and exhausting all avenues of peaceful protests and demonstrations with the nationalist government on black matters including land.

The ANC military wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe frustrated by the racist government launched their first attack on it using homemade bombs which destroyed power stations, government offices in Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth and Durban.

All the efforts was  to try and get their land back from the  white man.

Speaking at the celebration on Tuesday, Bab' Twala said there were people demanding that Alexandrians must first earn R15 000 a month can in order to occupy the space.

 "Where are you  going to get that kind of money if you are unemployed? 

That land belong to the people of Alexandra Township. We fought for it and got it back way back in 1967," said Twala.

According to google search, Linbro Park, a mixed-used area adjecent to the township is known for its logistics/industrial zones and developing residential areas serving as key part of the Alexandra Renewal Programme (ARP) that built infrastructure like  water reservoirs and roads to upgrade living conditions int he dense, historically disadvantaged township.

The celebration continues at his centre, in 16th avenue today.