Resident wants youngsters to know Reiger Park’s history

Alfred Woodington, a former representative of the Reiger Park community and former Ward 32 committee member, shared his knowledge of the history of Reiger Park with the aim of educating the younger generation.

According to Woodington, he moved to Reiger Park, previously known as Stirtonville, in the 1960s with his grandmother, aunt and other relatives.

The 62-year-old said his family home was in September Street.

He said Stirtonville was a mixed township of people of different cultures, adding many Indian families lived in Rotary Street and Kalamazoo.

“Around 1964, due to the apartheid government’s policy of separate development, black people were moved to Vosloorus. The area had two main sections – the Nguni and Sotho sections. Indians and a few Asian families were moved to Actonville and a few coloured people were left to stay in Stirtonville. The government then took coloured people from all over the East Rand and placed them in Stirtonville,” Woodington explained.

He said coloured people were thrown into this newly formed “coloured area” and forced to become a community.
The majority of houses where zinc.

Issues of gangsterism and drugs intensified in the area, shocking the community, Woodington recalled.

Despite this, he said there were many events which took place in Reiger Park and there was peace among people who knew each other.

Soon, Mandrax reared its head in the township and was well known and used, creating a lot of drug tycoons and causing misery for users and their families around mid 70’s.

In 1981 there was a riot in the area over housing development.

Renaming of streets
According to Woodington, the then Boksburg Town Council changed some of the street names, which were mainly African in origin.

Some which were renamed are Ndungwane to Leon Ferreira, Mabanga to Erica Street, Sikakani to Goedehoop Street and Thompson to September Street.

Stanbury, Tim, Vickers Crescent and Oxford were kept as is.

Schools
In terms of schools in the area, Woodington said Drommedaris Primary School was known as Public School, which was “the big school” and Goedehoop Primary School was then named Stirtonville Coloured Primary School.

“Where St Anthony’s Education Centre is situated there was a Native Church which had a little school and the Brewery Beer Hall next door, which was used as an entertainment zone and community hall. People used to watch films in that hall and dancers and bands would do what they do best. At the Reiger Park Flats there used to be stables with horse carts,” he said.

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