Author Description

South End was a quiet suburb of Port Elizabeth on the way to the local airport. Just 30 years ago it was a bustling suburb, brimming with activity, and populated by a cosmopolitan community. For more than a century a variety of nationalities lived in harmony in South End, respecting each other's culture, language and way of life. In 1950 that picture of peace and harmony was shattered with the passing of the Group Areas Act which decreed that people of different cultures could not live together any longer. “The people of South End were scattered and resettled in an area north of Port Elizabeth.” The heart was ripped out of “old” South End. In its place came a new South Ends – rows upon rows of uninspiring town houses, up market yuppie pads, luxury complexes, renamed streets and a brand new set of residents. South End as we knew it was no more. The book has tried to re-capture the essence of old South End, to refresh tired memories, and provide former residents with an opportunity to tell their children what life was like in South End. Long, long ago...