| Pomfret | |
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Pomfret
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Pomfret
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | North West |
| Time zone | SAST (UTC+2) |
| Postal code | |
Pomfret is a desert town, the site of an old asbestos mine, on the edge of the Kalahari desert in northwest South Africa. It is the administrative centre of Molopo Local Municipality.[1] Many of its inhabitants are former members of 32 Battalion, also known as Buffalo Battalion. These soldiers were predominantly portuguese speaking Angolans who decided to fight on the South African government side in Angola and Namibia, and after the end of the South African Border War to police the black townships.[2]
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Today the town is described as depressing by those who visit. Injured veterans of war live in squalid circumstances.[3]
In 2004, Zimbabwe jailed over 60 mercenaries from Pomfret for one year for suspected involvement in a plot to overthrow the government of Equatorial Guinea.[4] Those jailed were poor ex-soldiers and the jailing left their kin grieving.[5]
A new South African law has been passed to bar mercenaries, but some fear that new restrictions could prevent access for people to legitimate security-related work in areas of conflict.[6]
The presence of asbestos in the subsoil was the major reason for the creation of the town. Asbestos was mined and used in the motor industry for the making of brake pads, roofing, and water pipes. The mine is now closed, and is a tourist attraction.
