Phiri, Soweto
Phiri | |
|---|---|
  Phiri Location within Gauteng  Phiri Location within South Africa | |
| Coordinates: 26°16′12″S 27°51′18″E / 26.270°S 27.855°E | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Gauteng |
| Municipality | City of Johannesburg |
| Main Place | Soweto |
| Area | |
• Total | 0.92 km2 (0.36 sq mi) |
| Population (2011)[1] | |
• Total | 15,875 |
| • Density | 17,000/km2 (45,000/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2011) | |
| • Black African | 99.5% |
| • Coloured | 0.2% |
| • Indian/Asian | 0.1% |
| • White | 0.1% |
| • Other | 0.1% |
| First languages (2011) | |
| • Zulu | 37.2% |
| • Sotho | 33.6% |
| • Tswana | 7.7% |
| • English | 6.2% |
| • Other | 15.3% |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
| Postal code (street) | 1818 |
Phiri is a township in the urban area of Soweto in South Africa. The township was founded in 1956, as part of apartheid segregation started by the state that year. Phiri, along with several other areas, was created to house Sotho and Tswana-speakers.[2] By 1964, Phiri had 11,332 residents and 2,190 homes.[3]
Phiri is the Sotho word for hyena.[4]
It is one of the poorest areas of Soweto.[5] In Mazibuko v City of Johannesburg, 5 residents of Phiri sued the City of Johannesburg for installing pre-paid water meters and limiting the amount of water they could receive for free. The court decided in favor of the city in 2009.[6]
The town is the birthplace of footballer Siphiwe Tshabalala[7] and activist Simon Nkoli.[8]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 "Sub Place Phiri". Census 2011.
- ↑ "city of johannesburg - The making of Soweto". Archived 2010-06-19 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ "Johannesburg the Segregated city | South African History Online". sahistory.org.za. Retrieved 2026-08-21.
- ↑ https://journals.co.za/doi/pdf/10.10520/AJA10168427_144 [bare URL]
- ↑ Matlala, Boitumelo; Bénit-Gbaffou, Claire (March 2012). "Against ourselves – Local activists and the management of contradicting political loyalties: The case of Phiri, Johannesburg". Geoforum. 43 (2).
- ↑ "Court rules prepaid water meters not illegal". Mail & Guardian. 2009-10-08. Retrieved 2026-08-21.
- ↑ "Football Hero Siphiwe Tshabalala: 'We Brought Joy to South Africans'". Der Spiegel. 2010-07-05. ISSN 2195-1349. Retrieved 2026-08-21.
- ↑ Mchunu, Khaya (June 2023). "The Queer Activism of Simon Nkoli's Clothed and Styled Body". Gender Questions. 11 (1): 1–23. doi:10.25159/2412-8457/11822.
