Alice, South Africa

Alice
Buildings of the University of Fort Hare in Alice
Nickname:  eDikeni
Alice Alice Alice
Coordinates: 32°47′21″S 26°50′06″E
Country	South Africa
Province	Eastern Cape
District	Amathole
Municipality	Raymond Mhlaba
Area
• Total	9.85 km2 (3.80 sq mi)
Population  (2011)
• Total	15,143
• Density	1,500/km2 (4,000/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
• Black African	93.0%
• Coloured	5.6%
• Indian/Asian	0.3%
• White	0.6%
• Other	0.5%
First languages (2011)
• Xhosa	84.0%
• Afrikaans	7.3%
• English	3.5%
• Other	5.2%
Time zone	UTC+2 (SAST)
Area code	040

Alice is a small town in Eastern Cape, South Africa that is named after Princess Alice, the daughter of the British Queen Victoria. It was settled in 1824 by British colonists. It is adjacent to the Tyhume River. It has a rail and road connection to East London, Qonce and other towns in the province. It forms part of Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality.

University of Fort Hare

The University of Fort Hare began in early 1847 as a fort built to house British troops. The same fort was converted in 1916 into a black university institution. Many of the current political leaders in South Africa were educated at the University of Fort Hare. It is also the alma mater of former president Nelson Mandela. The university is also the repository of the archives of the African National Congress and documents and houses one of the most significant collections of African art.

Victoria Hospital

Built in 1898, it is one of the oldest sites in Alice and still graces the town with its old charm of yesterday. Victoria Hospital is a large district hospital on the outskirts of Alice, recently (2006–2011) fully reconstructed and upgraded by the Eastern Cape Provincial Government.

History

Alice railway station, c. 1900

The location was named Lovedale by European missionaries who settled there in 1824.It lies on the southwestern bank of the Tyhume River, west-northwest of East London, at an elevation of 1,720(524m).It was named after John Love of the Glasgow Missionary Society. During the Frontier War it was abandoned and the mission resettled on the west bank of the Tyhume River. On the east bank a fort was built, called Fort Hare, after Major-General John Hare, who was lieutenant-governor of the Eastern Cape and acting governor of the Cape Colony. Later the name of the town was changed to Alice. Alice was the administrative and magisterial capital of the old district of Victoria East. In 1847, it was named Alice by Sir Peregrine Maitland after Princess Alice, the second daughter of Queen Victoria. Municipal status was attained in 1852. The town is now a thriving university town and has received major infrastructure upgrades under the current Mayor Bandile Khethelo.

Notable people

• Ngconde Balfour — politician
• John Knox Bokwe — writer/author
• Sipho Burns-Ncamashe — politician
• William Wellington Gqoba — poet and journalist
• John Tengo Jabavu — poet/writer
• Milner Langa Kabane — educator and newspaper editor
• Thandathu Jongilizwe Mabandla — Xhosa chief
• Cecilia Makiwane — first Black nurse
• Z. K. Matthews — university teacher
• Chief Mqalo — oldest chief of the Rharhabe Kingdom
• Looksmart Ngudle — anti-apartheid activist
• Jerry Nqolo — cricket player
• Sanele Nohamba — professional rugby player
• Naledi Pandor — politician
• Walter Stanford — civil servant and politician
• Makhenkesi Stofile — politician
• George McCall Theal — historian, genealogist