Forest Town, Johannesburg was initially, as its name implies, placed in what was a forest. It is now nestled among some of Johannesburg’s northernmost leafiest districts, including Westcliff, Parktown, and Saxonwold. It was formerly a neighbourhood of modest homes for the servants and helpers of the Lords and Ladies of Westcliff and Parktown, but it is now one of Johannesburg’s most coveted addresses.
In addition to being the location of Jacob Zuma’s home, which the Scorpions searched in 2005 after obtaining evidence for his corruption trial, Forest Town was also the scene of a high-profile police raid on a gay party in 1966, which sparked outrage and widespread moral panic. As a result of the raid, the government introduced the Immorality Amendment Bill in 1967, making it illegal for men and lesbians to engage in any form of sexual activity. Thankfully, this was abolished in 1994.
Many of the professional fraternities now call Forest Town home because it is close to the university by foot. By today’s standards, it features huge residences and broad streets lined with trees, and it has managed to keep its village-like ambience.
The Zoo and Zoo Lake are both close by, and locals frequently utilize them to walk their dogs and generally wander along the lovely waterside where a lot of water birds are very abundant. There is a sizable retail centre close, easy access to the city centre, and a wide variety of nightlife options. All of Rosebank’s charming towns, including Mellville, Parktown, and Greenside, with their countless eateries and vibrant coffee scene, are easily accessible by car.
Forest Town Map
In the English county of Nottinghamshire, Forest Town is a former mining community on the outskirts of Mansfield. After continual development it is no longer a separate entity, presently being simply an area inside Mansfield.
History of Forest Town, Johannesburg
On what was then known as Sachsenwald but is now known as Saxonwold, the suburb was first surveyed in 1908. The Sachsenwald plantation is where the suburb’s name originates.
The Immorality Amendment Bill was passed by the Apartheid government in 1967 as a result of a high-profile police raid on a gay party in 1966 that took place in Forest Town. The raid, known as the Forest Town raid, caused a moral panic. The Bill expanded the legal definition of lesbians and made all sexual behaviour between men illegal. After the 1994 non-racial elections in South Africa, all discriminatory laws were revoked.
The Scorpions conducted a raid on Jacob Zuma’s Forest Town home in 2005 to seize documents for his corruption trial.[4] Jacob Zuma, now a former president of South Africa, is currently being investigated for fraud, money laundering, racketeering, and a number of other criminal offences.