Historical Timeline
1944 to 1950
To view a chronological order of the history of Oukloof and some of the events that lead to the forced removal and the subsequent establishment of Esterhof, please scroll through the timelines below. Archive documents have been provided to add to the narrative of the Oukloof story.
A meeting is held to discuss the establishment of the Riebeek Kasteel Mission Church congregation for the coloured people as independent from the Riebeek-West congregation.
The Mission Church of Riebeek Kasteel is officially declared as an independent church from the Riebeek West congregation. The announcement took place in front of a large community of church leaders and its congregation.
Growing racial sentiments increase toward coloured people in the town. Mr Joseph Africa who was the first coloured principal appointed to the Mission church school was in need of accommodation. White residents did not approve when Mr Laubscher, a white resident, decided to rent one of his houses in the white area of the town to Mr Africa.
The Dutch Reform church council receives a request from the Mission Church with regard to the growing Old Apostolic congregation in Oukloof, but says while they were sympathetic, they could do nothing about it.
In April 1950, the Group Areas Act is passed by the Apartheid government of South Africa. The act aimed to segregate racial groups, particularly whites from non whites, into different business and residential zones.