Meadowlands Tourism Development Center

THE CHURCH OF RESURRECTION

During the forced removals most of the structures in Sophiatown were flattened by bulldozers but Christ the King Church survived. Over the following years the church went through a turbulent time. When the Sophiatown community was removed a new church was build in Meadowlands, the communities new home. It resembles the original church, with a long church building ending with a slightly shorter bell tower. Some items were removed to the Meadowlands church and are still there; a beautiful silver chalice, six wooden gold coated candelabras and two small silver candlesticks.

The Church of the resurrection was dedicated by archbishop Edward Puget on August 27 1961. Some of the congregation are now attending Sunday service at the original Christ the of king in Sophiatown.

FIRST RESIDENTIAL AREA

Zone 3 Meadowlands is mostly occupied by the first residents that were forcibly removed from Sophiatown in 1955. Shops were not built at that stage and business owners were allocated what was referred to as house-shops, that is the five roomed house with fifth house room extended serve as a little shop. The houses were divided to serve different products, groceries, fruit and vegetables, butcheries and tailor shop.

Very few people owned motor cars then, coal dealers and fruit and vegetables merchants resorted using horse drawn carts. To prevent horse and other draught animals from roaming around the location uncontrolled, the board decided to erect stables for thirty horses and to rent them to owners of draught animals. Later on a soccer stadium was build just across the stables for soccer teams of Meadowlands