| Krugersdorp | |
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Krugersdorp
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Krugersdorp
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Gauteng |
| District municipality | West Rand |
| Local municipality | Mogale City |
| Founded | 1887 |
| Population [1] | |
| • Total | 378,821 |
| Time zone | SAST (UTC+2) |
| Postal code | 1740 |
Krugersdorp (Afrikaans for Kruger's town) is a mining city with between 378,821[2] and 408,065 inhabitants in the West Rand of the Gauteng province of South Africa. Krugersdorp was founded in 1887 by Marthinus Pretorius and named after Paul Kruger.
Apart from gold, manganese, iron, asbestos and lime are also mined in the area. Krugersdorp is the site of the December 1880 gathering at which more than 6,000 men vowed to fight for the Transvaal's independence. When gold was discovered on the Witwatersrand, a need arose for a major town in the west of the reef. The government bought part of the farm Paardekraal and named the new town after the Transvaal President Paul Kruger. The British built a concentration camp here during the Second Boer War to house Boer women and children.
In 1952 the West Rand Consolidated Mine was the first in the world to extract uranium as a byproduct of the gold refining process.
Krugersdorp no longer has a separate municipal government, and the municipality has become part of and is the seat of the Mogale City municipality, along with surrounding towns. Despite a proposal to change the name of the city to Mogale City, this has not been confirmed and the town is currentley still called Krugersdorp.
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With a population of more than 350 000, Krugersdorp is the industrial hub of Western Gauteng and was founded in 1887 by MW Pretorius when gold was discovered on his farm, Paardekraal. The mining industry has formed an integral part in the development of the town, which has a rich cultural and historical background.
Krugersdorp was named after President Paul Kruger of Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek. It played an important part in South African history and came into being because of two important events in the history of South Africa: the Transvaal War of Independence (1881) and the discovery of the Witwatersrand Goldfields (1886). These events had far-reaching political and economic consequences in South Africa's development.
By the time the town was founded, the existence of the gold reef along the Witwatersrand was well established and thousands seeking their fortunes pitched their tents and pegged their claims. In 1888, Krugersdorp was proclaimed a separate gold field.
Krugersdorp offers visitors all the benefits of a city, with a modern business centre and shopping malls alongside many smaller shops, schools, all the necessary amenities, as well as game reserves and a nearby bird sanctuary.
Krugersdorp has the Jack Taylor Airfield and is easily accessible from Pretoria, the R28/N14 highway, Johannesburg, OR Thambo International Airport, the N1 highway, and Lanseria International Airport on the R511.
The nearby 1 400 hectare game reserve in dense bushveld with plenty of game is one of the town's major tourist attractions. Also in close proximity are various national monuments and the Cradle of Humankind with the Sterkfontein Caves and the Wonder Cave.
Krugersdorp is also home to the South African Branch of Jehovah's Witnesses (The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society).
In 2010 the town's Cornonation Park area received international exposure, for the depiction of Afrikaner poverty by Finbarr O'Reilly.[3][4][5]
About 190 000 people live in Kagiso, which means "peace". The area is subdivided into five different wards, with each having its own councillor.
Kagiso was officially proclaimed in 1920 when ex-miners and squatters on smallholdings on the outskirts of Luipaardsvlei erected the first corrugated iron houses. By 1950, there were about 3 436 people in the Luipaardsvlei Township, an area of only 47 morgen, until another new township - Lewisham - was laid out to the south-east of Krugersdorp.
Many languages are spoken by the people who live in Kagiso, such as Tswana, Northern Sotho, South Sotho, Xhosa, Zulu, Tsonga and Venda. There is a lot of migration into the area from the rural areas, with people seeking work in nearby Krugersdorp and Chamdor. Some people who live in Kagiso travel to Johannesburg for work.
There are 15 primary schools and six secondary schools in the area. There is also an adult centre, which aids people wanting to improve their education. Kagiso also has a library, which has a reference section as well as a children's library. There are three formal crèches and about 50 informal crèches in Kagiso.
Recreational facilities in the area include a multipurpose sports centre, which has a cricket pitch, soccer fields, tennis courts and a swimming pool.
The health needs of people in the area is catered for by the Leratong Hospital. There are two clinics in the area and a mobile clinic operates in the township as well.
Kagiso has produced many outstanding men and women, one of them being the Reverend Dr Frank Chikane, the former secretary general of the South African Council of Churches and a former director-general in the President's Office.
Munsieville is the childhood home of Archbishop Desmond Tutu. It grew out of the informal settlements inhabited by mine labourers on the outskirts of the original mining town of Krugersdorp.
The story of Munsieville began on 15 December 1905, when it was gazetted that the piece of land to the north west of Krugersdorp near District Township was to be used as a 'native location'. It was, however, only in 1911 that the New Donation (as it was then called) was officially established by the Municipal Council, and all blacks not living on their employers' premises had to be resident there.
In 1913 a housing plan, based on one already in existence in Benoni, was formulated. It made provision for two and three-bedroomed houses costing about 20 pounds a room to build, and an 18-room compound. By 1923, about 220 males, 262 females and 325 children were living in 119 houses in the 'location'.
In 1934, standpipes (taps at the corners of the street from which residents could draw their water) and central wash houses were in use in the area, and one year later it was necessary to extend the New Location. The Old Location, which had been located near the present-day Burgershoop, was disestablished in 1937 and a new sub-economic housing scheme, including sewerage, guttering, curbing and three- and four-roomed houses, was begun to accommodate the now overcrowded new one.
At a monthly council meeting in 1941, it was unanimously agreed to change the township's name to Munsieville, after the chief sanitary inspector at the time, James Munsie. He is remembered for the tremendous amount he did in the interest of the town's health.
Years later the current township of Munsieville was demarcated and formal township housing was erected.
Archbishop Emeritus and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Desmond Tutu lived in Munsieville from the age of age. His father was headmaster of St Paul's Anglican Mission School where young Mpilo began his education. Tutu was later a schoolteacher at Munsieville School before he joined the priesthood.
Tutu and his wife Leah married in a Roman Catholic Church in Munsieville. He recalls: "That church was razed to the ground along with many residential buildings because Munsieville was doomed to be demolished. It was an aberration; a black spot in what should have been a lily-white area. Munsieville was reprieved only by the intervention of Leon Wessels, the Nationalist MP for Krugersdorp, who later apologised handsomely for apartheid. He was to become Deputy Chair of the Constituent Assembly that gave us our wonderful Constitution."
Tutu's childhood home can be visited, as can other 'exile' houses.
Talented local women have formed the Mukondeleli Craft Suppliers and their beadwork, clay pots and quilting are on view here. Vibey taverns and sophisticated shebeens abound.
Munsieville has always had a vibrant social culture and was on the forefront of political activism during the struggle against apartheid. Today, residents enjoy better facilities and modern services.
One of the traditions that remain is the culture of children playing in the streets, which was a result of there being no sporting or recreational facilities. Apart from the ever-popular soccer games, one can also witness the children's traditional African games.
The townspeople of Munsieville are friendly and eager to please. Hospitality and bright smiles greet visitors. Most of the residents work in the commercial sector and are also employed as public servants.
Krugersdorp is Home to Some of the best High Schools in Gauteng.
Local Clinics
Provincial Hospitals
Private Hospitals
The Town is the Host of the Annual Gauteng Beach Party,which is held at Coronation Park.In Recent years the Event Has Featured Performances From:
and many more.
Krugersdorp also boasts an 18-hole golf course and Many Extreme Sport Facilities.
Krugersdorp is the Hometown to Rapper Despi see http://www.despimusic.yolasite.com,who is also a member of Rap Group Mental Disorder.R&B Superstar Boki Nstime(Idols 6)who is a former highschool mate and close friend of Despi,is also notable resident. Afro Pop Sensation Mafikizolo and Nthando are also successful acts that come from Krugersdorp.
Although the city's municipality has changed name from Krugersdorp to Mogale City, some people[6] have jumped the gun and have already assumed that the city's name has been changed to Mogale City. Despite being discussed, Mogale City municipality has announced that a name change is not going to happen.[7]
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| Memorial to those who died in the concentration camp - from the Genealogical Society of South Africa | |
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