The growth of local self-government in the peri-urban areas north of Johannesburg, 1939 to 1969

Abstract

Irregular and rapid urbanisation became a feature of South Africa in the I920s and 1930s. The health problems presented by settlements on the periphery of towns and cities attracted the attention of the Union government, and in 1938 a committee was appointed to investigate the matter. One of the recommendations of this committee was that the peri-urban areas to the north of Johannesburg be subjected to some form of local government. The Peri-Urban Areas Health Board was established in 1943 to provide this. Three local area committees were created in this area: Northern Johannesburg, North-Eastern Johannesburg, and North-Western Johannesburg. Despite the practical benefits of its administration, the residents of these areas attempted on numerous occasions to secede from the control of the Peri-Urban Board. These efforts culminated in the foundation of Randburg in 1959 and Sandton in 1969.