Mount Frere

Mount frere is a minor town known as the town of Kwabhaca to the community. Mount Frere was found in the 17th century and named after Sir Henry Bartle Edward Frere.

The town is located in the Eastern Cape province (previously known as the Transkei region) of South Africa and it is governed by the Alfred Nzo District Municipality, and the villages are ruled by the Chiefs and intermediary borders. Mount Frere is situated between Kokstad and Mthatha along the N2 road about 100 km north east of Umthatha.

There is one major street in Mount Frere and it is the Main street on the N2 road,this street has many restaurants, shops and many other public services including the Police Station, Post Office, Municipal offices and the newly built Madzikane Ka Zulu Memorial Hospital. It is surrounded by many rural village including Dangwana, Kumahahane, Mbondleni, Mtwana, Mtshazi, Mvuzi, Toleni, Qoqa and many others.

Rural villages in this town still lack basic services like proper roads, electricity and water. There are few Bhaca's in Mount Frere - most tribes are the AmaHlubi, AmaZizi, Amampondo, and AmaMpondomise people,-divisions of the Xhosa speaking people.

Mount Frere is very underdeveloped in terms of infrastructure and sanitation. There are few proper public roads and most of the roads are gravel roads. Most people who do not have water tanks still make use river water and most of the villages are still without electricity.

Other businesses are Banks, Post Office, Shops Restaurants and Schools.There is rarely any skills development in the area and as a result most of the youth have moved to the cities and more developed towns like Mthatha, Kokstad, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Port Elizabeth, Durban and Cape Town. Most of the people in Mount Frere are the elderly and the mature age group this is mostly accelerated by the staggering unemployment rates and lack of essential services like proper infrastructure and skills development.

The majority of people in Mount Frere are of Christian religion and there are minute population Islamic and Buddhists religions.

The most prominent churches are the Methodist church and the Assemblies of God. Most of the people who live in Mount Frere are black people, there is a small percentage of the white, Indians and foreign populations in Mount Frere.

Mount Frere has a population of over 1000 000 although this might appear as crowded, the town in fact, has the smallest population and most people who are in Mount Frere are from the surrounding rural villages and the most closest village is Lubhacweni which is located behind the town in the north direction. There is also Primary and Secondary Education Schools known as Jolobe Junior Secondary School, Mount Frere High School and Ingwe Further Education and Training College. The Madzikane Ka Zulu Memorial Hospital (previously known as Mary Theresa Hospital]) is one the biggest hospitals in the province and is situated also along the Main street but is situated further east outwards from the Business hub of the town and is a landmark in the area.

Most of the businesses and shops are situated along the Main street, there are very few businesses outside this area.

There are a lot of farmers in and around Mount Frere and most of the people rely on subsistence farming for their basic needs. Peaches, pears, oranges and maize meal are the most popular fruits and vegetables in Mount Frere and recently there has been involvement from the Municipal to change these Subsistence farmers into Commercial farmers.

Plans for further development in Mount Frere are currently ongoing but the issue of skills development, infrastructure and sanitation is still overlooked and settlement control.Crime rates are peaking up due to mostly these economic challenges.

Mount Frere despite these economic challenges is still loved by the locals because it meets some of basic needs and nearer to their neighbourhoods.

References

• http://www.statemaster.com/mountfrere