Geographies of the Divided City during Apartheid. Durban’s Block AK

Block AK, an area of about six hectares in Greyville, in the centre of Durban (South Africa), once home to a lively multicultural community, is today almost uninhabited, still marked by the apartheid segregations (1948-1994). Declared ‘Area for Whites’ in 1963, the forced removals of the inhabitants were carried out alongside its demolition (completed in 1980). Very little has remained of the life of that time: only a few photos and the voice of those who once lived there. The contribution, after an introduction on apartheid urban planning, traces the history of the place trying to determine its original configuration and possible future scenarios. Recovering the memory of Block AK is an urgent need, also in the light of other experiences in South Africa, such as in District Six (Cape Town) and South End (Gqeberha), where two museums, built next to areas demolished by the apartheid, testify to history. The original inhabitants, united in the Block AK Action Committee, demand compensation and reclaim their identity.