East London

East London ( Oos-Londen in Afrikaans, iMonti in Xhosa, Monti in Sesotho) is the 6th most populated city South Africa and is located in the province of the Cape-Eastern (Eastern Cape), at the edge of the Buffalo river.

Under the mode of the Apartheid, East London was wedged between the Bantoustan S independent of the Ciskei and of the Transkei and was connected to “white” South Africa only by one corridor including King William' S Town and Queenstown.

Industrial town of 550.000 inhabitants, larger river port of South Africa, arranged originally by English missionaries at the borders of the territories Xhosa S, it is with the variation of the traditional tourist tours in spite of its and great refitted beach sea front in the vicinity. The languages most spoken by the inhabitants of the municipality are the Xhosa followed Afrikaans and English.

Administration

The towns of East London, of King William' S Town and Bisho form part since 2000 new post-apartheid municipality of Buffalo City which counts nearly 880.000 inhabitants including 80% of blacks, 10% of white (anglophone mainly) and 6% of mongrel. A third of these inhabitants lives in the township of Mdantsane.

The municipality, which counts 89 elected officials, is dominated by the 73 city council men of ANC, leaving 11 seats to the opposition of the democratic Alliance. After the municipal elections of March 1st 2006 gained by the ANC (81%), Ntombentle Peter (ANC) succeeded S. Maclean at the post of mayor.

History

In 1847, Strong Glamorgan was the first building built on the site whereas the area was annexed to the Colonie of the Cape. Three villages transfer the day around the fort and thrived in the years which followed before combining and to amalgamate to constitute the town of East-London. The city was initially a military port with the mouth of the river buffalo and an appendix of the general headquarter of the British colonial forces located at King William' S Town. The development of the infrastructures of the deep water port then made it possible the town of develop and attract English, German and Irish colonists. Starting from 1870, the port was operational for transport and the civil trade whereas in 1876, the city was connected to the network of Railroad of the colony of the Cape.

In 1961, the areas surrounding East London, the Ciskei and the Transkei, were declared hearths national (Bantoustan S). The city was not connected any more to the " South Africa blanche" that by the highway connecting the city to the areas of the north of the country.

The city was relatively insulated economically during the Années 1970 and 1980, the South-African government encouraging of advantage the economic investments in the frontier localities of the Bantustans. The port activity had important problems then whereas the city knew a true economic recession.

In 1992, at the time of the Referendum on the reforms to put an end to apartheid, 78% white voters of the area of East London gave their supports for the policy of the government of Frederik de Klerk.

In 1994, the Bantustans were dissolved and the city integrated in the new province of Cape-Eastern into very vast Xhosa majority.

Economy

East London is the second industrial center of the province of Cape-Eastern after Port Elizabeth. Auto industry is the first employer of the area and a factory Daimler Chrysler manufacturer of the vehicles Mercedes-Benz for the local market and export is established since decades close to the port of the city. Other important industries of the city relate to in particular the pharmaceutical field and the textile.

After 1994, an industrial park of economic development was arranged to start again the economic activity.

Tourism

The downtown area of East London presents some interesting historical buildings like the town hall (1897), in front of which throne from now on a statue of Steve Biko, or Gately house, the villa of the first mayor of the city. The center of East London is especially in prey with a strong criminality. The city has an important maritime museum where a Coelacanthe is exposed there, fish Préhistorique, theoretically disappeared but fished in 1938 with lards the harbor city.

East London is also famous for its great wild beaches skirting the Indian Ocean.

Since 1959, the city has a large circuit of automobile race, the " Prince George Circuit" who accueilla the Grand Prix of Formula 1 in 1960.

Service road

The city is accessible by its national airport (ex-Ben Schoeman Airport) and by the Autoroute N2 which connects it directly to the cities of the Cape and Durban whereas the N6 highway connects it to the town of Bloemfontein.

External bonds

Official site of Buffalo City
Tourist office of East London
Official site of the zone of industrial development of East London

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