Editing Cape Town (section)

=== South African period ===
[[File:Cape Town foreshore 1946.jpg|thumb|An aerial photograph of the newly completed [[Foreshore, Cape Town|Cape Town foreshore]] in 1945. Visible in this photograph as the large area of empty land between the City Centre and the newly constructed harbour out of reclaimed land from [[Table Bay]].<ref name="sahris_sahra_org_za">{{Cite web |last=Halkett |first=D.J. |date=October 2012 |title=Archaeological Assessment of the Proposed Cape Town International Convention Centre 2 on Erwen 192, 245, 246 and the Remainder of Erf 192, "Salazar Square", Roggebaai, Cape Town Foreshore |url=https://sahris.sahra.org.za/sites/default/files/heritagereports/CTICC%20AIA%2025_10_2012.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210529140706/https://sahris.sahra.org.za/sites/default/files/heritagereports/CTICC%20AIA%2025_10_2012.pdf |archive-date=29 May 2021 |access-date=26 August 2019 |website=sahra.org.za |page=18}}</ref> |alt=]]
In 1910, Britain established the [[Union of South Africa]], which unified the Cape Colony with the two defeated Boer Republics and the British [[colony of Natal]]. Cape Town became the legislative capital of the Union, and later of the [[Republic of South Africa]].

By the time of the [[South African National Census of 1936|1936 census]], Johannesburg had overtaken Cape Town as the largest city in the country.

In 1945 the expansion of the [[Foreshore, Cape Town|Cape Town foreshore]] was completed adding an additional {{cvt|194|ha}} to the [[City Bowl]] area to the city centre.<ref name="sahris_sahra_org_za" />

==== Apartheid era ====
Prior to the mid-twentieth century, Cape Town was one of the most racially integrated cities in South Africa.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Bickford-Smith |first=Vivian |date=1995 |title=South African Urban History, Racial Segregation and the Unique Case of Cape Town? |journal=Journal of Southern African Studies |volume=21 |issue=1 |pages=63–78 |doi=10.1080/03057079508708433 |issn=0305-7070 |jstor=2637331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Adhikari |first=Mohamed |url=https://www.oapen.org/download?type=document&docid=628130#page=82 |title=Burdened by race: Coloured identities in southern Africa |publisher=UCT Press |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-92051-660-4 |location=Cape Town |pages=51 |access-date=26 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180720174913/http://oapen.org/download?type=document&docid=628130#page=82 |archive-date=20 July 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> In the [[1948 South African general election|1948 national elections]], the [[National Party (South Africa)|National Party]] won on a platform of ''[[apartheid]]'' (racial segregation) under the slogan of "[[swart gevaar]]" (Afrikaans for "black danger"). This led to the erosion and eventual abolition of the [[Cape Qualified Franchise|Cape's multiracial franchise]].

In 1950, the apartheid government first introduced the [[Group Areas Act]], which classified and segregated urban areas according to race. Formerly multi-racial suburbs of Cape Town were either purged of residents deemed unlawful by apartheid legislation, or demolished. The most infamous example of this in Cape Town was the suburb of [[District Six, Cape Town|District Six]]. After it was declared a whites-only area in 1965, all housing there was demolished and over 60,000 residents were forcibly removed.<ref>{{Cite web |date=19 August 2003 |title=Recalling District Six |url=http://www.southafrica.info/ess_info/sa_glance/history/districtsix.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206234327/http://www.southafrica.info/ess_info/sa_glance/history/districtsix.htm |archive-date=6 February 2012 |access-date=13 June 2006 |publisher=SouthAfrica.info}}</ref> Many of these residents were relocated to the [[Cape Flats]].

The earliest of the Cape Flats forced removals saw the expulsion of Black South Africans to [[Langa, South Africa|Langa]], Cape Town's first and oldest township, in line with the 1923 [[Natives Urban Areas Act|Native Urban Areas Act]].

Under apartheid, the Cape was considered a "[[Coloured]] labour preference area", to the exclusion of "[[Bantu-speaking peoples of South Africa|Bantus]]", i.e. Black Africans. The implementation of this policy was widely opposed by trade unions, civil society and opposition parties. It is notable that this policy was not advocated for by any Coloured political group, and its implementation was a unilateral decision by the apartheid government.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sash |first=Black |date=3 November 1983 |title="The Coloured Labour Preference Area Policy"- Paper Presented by Cape Western Region to National Conference 1983 |url=https://digitalcollections.lib.uct.ac.za/coloured-labour-preference-area-policy-paper-presented-cape-western-region-national-conference-1983 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191216183957/https://digitalcollections.lib.uct.ac.za/coloured-labour-preference-area-policy-paper-presented-cape-western-region-national-conference-1983 |archive-date=16 December 2019 |access-date=16 December 2019 |website=National texts, 1955–1994}}</ref>

During the student-led [[Soweto Uprising]] of June 1976, school students from [[Langa, South Africa|Langa]], [[Gugulethu]] and [[Nyanga, Western Cape|Nyanga]] in Cape Town reacted to the news of the protests against Bantu Education by organising gatherings and marches of their own. A number of school buildings were burnt down and the protest action was met with forceful resistance from the police.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cape Schools Join the Revolt – South African History Online |url=http://www.sahistory.org.za/article/cape-schools-join-revolt |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714145633/http://www.sahistory.org.za/article/cape-schools-join-revolt |archive-date=14 July 2014 |access-date=16 June 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Western Cape Youth Uprising timeline 1976 – South African History Online |url=http://www.sahistory.org.za/topic/western-cape-youth-uprising-timeline-1976 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140804024701/http://www.sahistory.org.za/topic/western-cape-youth-uprising-timeline-1976 |archive-date=4 August 2014 |access-date=16 June 2014}}</ref>

Cape Town has been home to many leaders of the [[Internal resistance to apartheid|anti-apartheid movement]]. In [[Table Bay]], {{cvt|10|km|0|abbr=off}} from the city is [[Robben Island]]. This [[Maximum Security Prison, Robben Island|penitentiary island]] was the site of a maximum security prison where many famous apartheird-era political prisoners served long prison sentences. Famous prisoners include activist, lawyer and future president [[Nelson Mandela]] who served 18 of his 27 years of imprisonment on the island, as well as two other future presidents, [[Kgalema Motlanthe]] and [[Jacob Zuma]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 June 2013 |title=FLOTUS Travel Journal: Robben Island, An Experience We Will Never Forget |url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2013/06/30/flotus-travel-journal-robben-island-experience-we-will-never-forget |access-date=10 April 2024 |website=whitehouse.gov |language=en}}</ref>

In one of the most famous moments marking the end of apartheid, Nelson Mandela made his first public speech since his imprisonment, from the balcony of [[Cape Town City Hall]], hours after being released on 11 February 1990. His speech heralded the beginning of a new era for the country. The [[South African general election, 1994|first democratic election]], was held four years later, on 27 April 1994.<ref>{{Cite web |title=South Africa: Overcoming Apartheid |url=https://overcomingapartheid.msu.edu/multimedia.php?kid=163-582-10 |access-date=18 March 2024 |website=overcomingapartheid.msu.edu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The South African general elections: 1994 {{!}} South African History Online |url=https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/south-african-general-elections-1994 |access-date=18 March 2024 |website=www.sahistory.org.za}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Johnson |first=R.W. |title=Launching Democracy in South Africa: The First Open Election, April 1994 |publisher=Yale University Press |year=1996 |isbn=978-0300063912 |location=New Haven}}</ref>

[[Nobel Square]] in the [[Victoria & Alfred Waterfront]] features statues of South Africa's four [[Nobel Peace Prize]] winners: [[Albert Luthuli]], [[Desmond Tutu]], [[F. W. de Klerk]] and [[Nelson Mandela]].{{Relevance inline|discuss=Is this relevant to the history section?|date=September 2023}}

==== Post-apartheid era ====
Cape Town has undergone significant changes in the years since Apartheid. Cape Town has experienced economic growth and development in the post-apartheid era. The city has become a major economic hub in South Africa, attracting international investment and tourism. The [[Democratic Alliance (South Africa)|Democratic Alliance]] (DA), a [[Liberalism|liberal]] political party which came to power in Cape Town in 2006, has been credited with improving bureaucratic efficiency, public safety and fostering economic development.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Parker |first=Alexander |date=12 October 2023 |title=Cape Town Is Making South Africa's ANC Look Worse and Worse |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2023-10-12/cape-town-is-making-south-africa-s-anc-look-worse-and-worse |access-date=4 June 2024 |website=[[Bloomberg L.P.|Bloomberg]]}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Pilling |first=David |date=13 January 2024 |title=South African opposition seeks to build on Cape Town success |url=https://www.ft.com/content/7acd9224-c5b1-4024-bc21-b3cc22b522c5 |access-date=4 June 2024 |website=[[The Financial Times]]}}</ref>

Opinion polls show that South Africans see it as the best governed province and city in the country.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bavier |first=Joe |date=30 May 2024 |title=John Steenhuisen: The DA leader eyeing power in pivotal South Africa election |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/south-africas-steenhuisen-wages-mission-stop-doomsday-coalition-2024-05-27/ |access-date=4 June 2024 |work=[[Reuters]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=25 April 2024 |title=How race and politics interact in modern South Africa |url=https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2024/04/25/how-race-and-politics-interact-in-modern-south-africa |access-date=4 June 2024 |work=[[The Economist]] |issn=0013-0613}}</ref> Of South Africa's 257 municipalities, only 38 received a clean financial audit in 2022 from the [[Auditor-General (South Africa)|Auditor-General]]. Of those, 21 were in the Western Cape.<ref name=":0" />

The city's economy has diversified, with growth in sectors such as finance, real estate, and tourism. The establishment of the City Centre Improvement District (CCID) has been particularly successful in revitalizing the city center, bringing businesses and people back into the area. This initiative has transformed public spaces such as [[Greenmarket Square]], [[Company's Garden]], and St George's Mall, attracting both locals and tourists.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lowton |first=Zubeida |date=15 May 2020 |title=A Tale of Two Cities: Socio-Spatial Transformations of Post-Apartheid South African Cities – Part 2, Cape Town |url=https://www.centreforsustainablecities.ac.uk/news/a-tale-of-two-cities-socio-spatial-transformations-of-post-apartheid-south-african-cities-part-2-capetown/ |access-date=4 June 2024 |website=Centre for Sustainable, Healthy and Learning Cities and Neighbourhoods |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2014, Cape Town was named [[World Design Capital]] of the Year.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Post |first=Lucia van der |date=28 March 2014 |title=Cape Town: World Design Capital 2014 |url=https://www.ft.com/content/e8abc21c-b371-11e3-bc21-00144feabdc0 |access-date=4 June 2024 |work=[[The Financial Times]]}}</ref> Cape Town was voted the best tourist destination in Africa at the 2023 World Travel Awards in [[Dubai]] and continues to be the most important tourist destination in the country.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Holmes |first=Richard |date=19 October 2023 |title=Cape Town was just voted the best destination in Africa |url=https://www.timeout.com/cape-town/news/cape-town-has-been-voted-the-best-african-destination-to-visit-101923 |access-date=4 June 2024 |website=Time Out Cape Town |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Magubane |first=Khulekani |date=4 February 2024 |title=Cape Town leads resurgent tourism sector |url=https://www.businesslive.co.za/bt/business-and-economy/2024-02-04-cape-town-leads-resurgent-tourism-sector/ |access-date=4 June 2024 |website=[[Business Day (South Africa)|BusinessLIVE]] |language=en-ZA}}</ref> Cape Town has been named the best travel city in the world every year since 2013 in the [[The Daily Telegraph|Telegraph]] Travel Awards.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Leadbeater |first=Chris |date=12 July 2023 |title=The 10 best cities on Earth (according to you) |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/telegraph-travel-awards-2023-best-cities/ |access-date=4 June 2024 |work=The Telegraph |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Blanco |first=Evie |date=25 July 2023 |title=Cape Town has been awarded the best travel city in the world for 2023 |url=https://www.miamiherald.com/detour/article277646203.html |access-date=4 June 2024 |work=[[Miami Herald]]}}</ref>

The legacy of apartheid's spatial planning is still evident, with significant disparities between affluent areas and impoverished [[township]]s.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Orderson |first=Crystal |date=28 May 2024 |title=Cape Town's poor 'neglected' in South Africa's only opposition-run province |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2024/5/28/cape-towns-poor-neglected-in-south-africas-only-opposition-run-province |access-date=4 June 2024 |website=[[Al Jazeera]] |language=en}}</ref> 60% of the city's population live in townships and informal settlements far from the city centre.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Baker |first=Aryn |date=2 May 2019 |title=Inequality Is Widening Around the World. Here's What We Can Learn From the World's Most Unequal Country |url=https://time.com/longform/south-africa-unequal-country/ |access-date=4 June 2024 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |language=en}}</ref> The legacy of Apartheid means Cape Town remains one of the most racially segregated cities in South Africa.<ref>{{Citation |last=Solomon |first=Jean-Paul |title=A neo-apartheid city? Labour market inequalities and residential segregation in Cape Town, South Africa |date=13 September 2023 |url=https://advance.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.31124/advance.24124851.v2 |access-date=4 June 2024 |doi=10.31124/advance.24124851.v2}}</ref> Many Black South Africans continue to live in informal settlements with limited access to basic services such as healthcare, education, and sanitation.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Grill |first=Bartholomäus |last2=Schaap |first2=Fritz |date=8 September 2023 |title=Gangs, Corruption and Collapse: The Slow and Steady Demise of South Africa |url=https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/gangs-corruption-and-collapse-the-slow-and-steady-demise-of-south-africa-a-7ed1fcd1-a2e8-446a-9ff9-074718215281 |access-date=4 June 2024 |work=[[Der Spiegel]] |language=en |issn=2195-1349}}</ref> The unemployment rate remains high at 23% (though nearly 10 points lower than the nationwide average), particularly among historically disadvantaged groups, and economic opportunities are unevenly distributed.<ref name=":1" />

Cape Town faced a [[Cape Town water crisis|severe water shortage]] from 2015 to 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cassim |first=Zaheer |title=Cape Town could be the first major city in the world to run out of water |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/01/19/cape-town-could-first-major-city-run-out-water/1047237001/ |access-date=28 March 2023 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}</ref> According to [[Oxfam]], "in the face of an imminent water shortage, the city of Cape Town in South Africa successfully reduced its water use by more than half in three years, cutting it from 1.2bn litres per day in February 2015 to 516m litres per day in 2018."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Wallace |first=Bryony |url=https://policy-practice.oxfam.org/resources/avoiding-day-zero-how-cape-town-cut-its-water-usage-by-50-in-three-years-621115/ |title=Avoiding Day Zero: How Cape Town cut its water usage by 50% in three years |date=7 January 2021 |publisher=[[Oxfam]] |isbn=978-1-78748-577-8 |series=Inspiring Better Futures |doi=10.21201/2020.5778 |doi-broken-date=1 November 2024}}</ref>

In 2021 Cape Town also experienced a [[2021 Cape Town taxi conflict|violent turf war]] between [[Taxi wars in South Africa|rival mini-bus taxi firms]] which led to the deaths of 83 people. Two years later [[2023 Cape Town taxi strike|a strike by the mini-bus taxi firms]] resulted in 5 deaths.

Since the 2010s, Cape Town and the wider Western Cape province have seen the rise of a small [[Cape Independence|secessionist movement]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Charles |first=Marvin |title=Cape Independence: Lobby group says recent survey 'places intense pressure' on DA to hold referendum |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/cape-independence-lobby-group-says-recent-survey-places-intense-pressure-on-da-to-hold-referendum-20210813 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211005185704/https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/cape-independence-lobby-group-says-recent-survey-places-intense-pressure-on-da-to-hold-referendum-20210813 |archive-date=5 October 2021 |access-date=12 October 2021 |website=News24 |language=en-US}}</ref> Support for parties "which have formally adopted Cape independence" was around 5% in the [[2021 South African municipal elections|2021 municipal elections]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Githahu |first=Mwangi |title=Parties which supported Western Cape independence from SA reap rewards in local government elections |url=https://www.iol.co.za/capeargus/news/parties-which-supported-western-cape-independence-from-sa-reap-rewards-in-local-government-elections-e96b30e7-834d-4e7f-8dd9-99268088892b |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115210230/https://www.iol.co.za/capeargus/news/parties-which-supported-western-cape-independence-from-sa-reap-rewards-in-local-government-elections-e96b30e7-834d-4e7f-8dd9-99268088892b |archive-date=15 November 2021 |access-date=15 November 2021 |work=iol.co.za |language=en}}</ref>