Orange Farm

Orange Farm is a township located approximately 45 km from Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the youngest townships in South Africa, with the original inhabitants; laid off farm workers, taking up residency in 1988. Support for the population came slowly mostly from people who were tenants at the great township of Soweto.The Orange Farm Water Crisis Committee, an offshoot of the South African Anti-Privatization Forum has been very vocal and active against the privatization of water.Approximately 85% of the people work in Johannesburg. Most of the people use train to get to work. 35% of the residents are unemployed and the stats rise every year as the matriculates join them.InfrastructureOrange Farm is a rapidly growing township with great infrastructural developments each year. The township has a large main clinic (Stretford Clinic) and several minor clinics. The township's main roads are tarred and several minor streets may be tarred but in questionable condition. Orange farm has a small official library, permanent housing for many residents ( mainly government housing). Electricity is readily available to most places with only a few areas without electricity (Including the Squatter camp in Drieziek 5).The town has a large multi-purpose community center.However, these improvements come with financial costs, which most of the citizens living in Orange Farm cannot afford. The ongoing privatization of Orange Farm has also drawn much criticism from social justice and human rights groups as they have pointed out that local small businesses keep on dying. This can also be linked to the rising number of foreign owned shops in the area. A lot has been done to improve Orange farm, it also now has more than two parks and a two floor mall (Eyethu Orange Farm mall). However, nearly all areas still need improvement.