Words By Ragheema
The Story Of Roeland Street
Pretend you have just landed at Cape Town International airport for the first and you are only able to visit and explore one area in the entire city. Located in the heart of Cape Town CBD you will find Roeland Street. A street that is filled with deep and dark history, buzzing excitement and frantic chaos. A street that is home to so many interesting and historical establishments. A street that would describe Cape Town at its finest.
So let me take you on a journey though Roeland Street in Cape Town, South Africa.
If you make your way to the start of the street you will find the Cape Town Central (Roeland Street) Fire Department. Or in other words the heroes of Roeland. The fire station was built in 1932 with the mission to provide efficient and effective fire and rescue services to the residents and visitors of the area. Roeland is known for their incredible fire department team that has been around for decades protecting the community and always lending a hand in crisis’s. https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-04-20-table-mountain-fire-kindles-cape-towns-community-spirit/
We then journey across the busy street and just a stone throw away from the fire station you gaze your eyes upon the media hub of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. Secluded from the main district six campus the building is home to many students and scholars of the Informatics and Design Faulty. The campus is one of the main establishments that draws attention to the street and students are known for making their voices heard on Roeland. https://mg.co.za/article/2015-10-21-police-clash-with-student-protesters-outside-parliament/
If you thought that was the peak of what makes Roeland Street so iconic, buckle up for a quick lesson on the street’s history. Even the cheerful Roeland has a dark past. Down the road from the CPUT campus you will find what is now a building for archives and records service but was once labelled Cape Town’s black hole. I present to you Roeland Street Prison (Anon., 2016). The building is over 100 years old and is one of the first establishments in Roeland. In 1884, a reporter for The Cape Argus was invited to tour the grounds and then wrote an article which described the prison as “quite the palace” (Anon., 2016). On the contrary, a released inmate told the Argus that the prison was rat infested and the total opposite of a palace (Anon., 2016).
South African Novelist, Alex La Guma was once an inmate at the Roeland Street prison and wrote his novel “And a Threefold Cord” whilst under arrest that the prison. A novel that speaks about life in the Cape Flats during Apartheid.
Across the street from the prison, at 103 Roeland Street you will find Harold Cressy High School. Founded in 1951 the school was first named Cape Town Secondary School and was then later renamed after Harold Cressy, the first black university graduate in South Africa (Richie, n.d.). The school was recognized as one of the top schools in the Western Cape (Richie, n.d.).
If you head further down the street, you will notice the street begins to come alive. It just gets better from here on out. The bottom end of Roeland is filled with many fun recreational activities as well as a church. The street has some of Cape Town finest restaurants for example the Raptor Room that is described to be one of the coolest hangout spots in town.
The street is also home to one of Cape Town’s famous bookstores. I would not be doing Roeland justice if I did not mention The Book Lounge. It is the perfect spot for any book lover or coffee enthusiast. With their friendly staff and wide variety of books to read, the Book Lounge is by far my favourite stop in Roeland Street.
Another rich aspect of Roeland history is the Kimberly Hotel. Across the street from the book lounge, on the corner of Buitekant and Roeland Street the Kimberley Hotel is situated (Anon., n.d.). The hotel was built in 1985 and was original starting point for the first settlers and miners who travelled to the town of Kimberly for diamond mining (Anon., n.d.).
At the end of the road, you find one of the most important government establishments in the country, The Houses of Parliament of South Africa. Fun fact, you can book a tour of Parliament every weekday on the hour from 09h00 to 12h00 if you would like to tour the grounds of the buildings.
Roeland Street, so much to see so much to do. You will only know its true worth once you walk the street, from beginning to end.
