Uitenhage

Uitenhage
—  Town  —
Uitenhage
Coordinates: 33°46′S 25°24′E / 33.767°S 25.4°E / -33.767; 25.4
Country	South Africa
Province	Eastern Cape
Metropolitan Municipality	Nelson Mandela Bay
Time zone	SAST (UTC+2)

Uitenhage is a South African town with 275,185 inhabitans in the Eastern Cape Province. It is well-known for the Volkswagen factory located there, which is the biggest car factory on the African continent. The town's name is pronounced /ˈjuːtɨnheɪɡ/^{[dubious – discuss]} by English speakers and [øjtənˈhɑːxə]^{[dubious – discuss]} in Afrikaans. The city of Port Elizabeth and the small town of Despatch are located near Uitenhage.

History

Uitenhage was founded on 25 April 1804 by landdrost (district magistrate) Jacob Glen Cuyler and named in honour of the Cape's Commissioner-General Jacob Abraham Uitenhage de Mist by the Dutch Cape Colony governor, Jan Willem Janssens. Uitenhage formed from part of the district of Graaff Reinet (shortly after its short-lived secession) and in 1877 it became a municipality.

In 1985, police opened fire on a funeral procession in Uitenhage, killing a number of unarmed people, in an event that became notorious as an example of police oppression in South Africa under apartheid.^[1][2]

In 2001 it was incorporated with Port Elizabeth and Despatch into the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality.

Industries

Uitenhage is known for the large industries situated there. The largest of these industries are the Volkswagen and Goodyear factories. An automotive suppler park, Alexander Park Industrial, has also been created directly next to the Volkswagen factory, thus allowing automotive component manufacturers to construct their manufacturing plants close by.

Schools in Uitenhage

Albertyn Primary, Uitenhage Convent Primary, Dower Practising School, Ankervas Primary, Mngcunube Primary School, Uitenhage Primary School, Seagull Primary School, Jubilee Park Primary , St Joseph Primary, McCarthy Comprehensive School, Caritas Primary School, Dalrose Primary, Verite Primary School, Handhaaf Primary School, College Hill Prep School, Winterberg Primary, Fountain of Life Christian School, Alex Jayiya Primary Amanzi Primary School, Ashton Gontshi Primary School, CW Hendrickse Primary School, Elandshoring Primary School, Hombakazi Primary School, Ilinge Primary School, Innes Primary School, James Ndulula Primary School, James Ntugwana Primary School, JN Tulwana Junior Primary School, Kruisrivier Primary School, Little Flower Primary School, Magqabi Primary School, Melumzi Primary School, Mjuleni Junior Primary School, Nosipho Primary School.

Molly Blachburn Secondary, Nkululeko Finishing School, Phaphani Secondary, John Walton Secondary School, Muir Boys College, Sisonke Secondary, Solomon Mahlangu Secondary, Brandwag High School, Uitenhage Senior Secondary, Daniel Pienaar Technical High School, Gamble Street Secondary School, Limekhaya High School, Marymount Senior Secondary School, Mlungisi Perfector Senior Secondary School, Riebeeck College, Strelitzia High, VM Kwinana Secondary School.

Notable people From Uitenhage

• Allan Hendrickse - Preacher-teacher-politician from apartheid politics
  
• Okkert Brits - Olympic pole vaulter
  
• Nantie Hayward - South African cricketer who now plays in the Indian Cricket League
  
• The Invaders - popular South African music group from the 1960s
  
• Joseph Petrus Hendrik Crowe - British Army officer who was awarded the Victoria Cross
  
• Christo van Rensburg - South African tennis player ATP-ranked singles #19 in 1998 and doubles #5 in 1987. ATP Website

Bibliography

• Sellick, W.S.J. (1904). Uitenhage, past and present : souvenir of the Centenary, 1804-1904. http://www.archive.org/details/uitenhagepastpre00sell. 

References

External links

• The Invaders
• The Uitenhage Blog
•  "Uitenhage". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). 1911.