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Historia
On-line version ISSN 2309-8392
Print version ISSN 0018-229X
Abstract
TERBLANCHE, H.O.. The Congregational Church in Uitenhage and the Group Areas Act. Historia [online]. 2010, vol.55, n.2, pp.226-242. ISSN 2309-8392.
The coloured people regarded the Group Areas Act as an act of violence, an act of dispossession and an iniquitous act. This article will focus on two church communities in Uitenhage, the Rose Lane Congregational Church (founded in 1828) and Dale Street Congregational Church (founded in 1896). Both of these congregations have been destroyed because they were isolated pockets of coloured property in a proclaimed white group area. These closely-knit communities were forcibly removed from the historic heart of Uitenhage to new coloured areas on the outskirts of the town. In 1968 the coloured people, who all owned their properties, were removed from Naabosch. In 1975 the total property of the Rose Lane Church was sold because it was situated in "a declared area". All the existing buildings (church, school and manse) were demolished thereafter. The two manses, school building and church building of the Dale Street Church, were also demolished. Rev. Allan Hendrickse, who served as a minister for 35 years at Dale Street, could forgive, but not forget because of what happened to their church properties.
Keywords : Coloured people; Group Areas Act; Rev. Allan Hendrickse; Rose Lane and Dale Street Congregational Church; Tricameral Parliament; Uitenhage.