| Schweizer-Reneke | |
|---|---|
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | North West |
| Time zone | SAST (UTC+2) |
| Postal code | |
Schweizer-Reneke, sometimes referred to as "Schweizer" is a town with a population of 73,300 in the North West Province of South Africa. It is the administrative centre of Mamusa Local Municipality.[1]
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Schweizer-Reneke was formerly part of the old Transvaal province. Founded on October 1, 1888, the town is situated on the banks of the Harts River, with six regional roads exiting the town. The town is named after Captain C.A. Schweizer and Field Cornet C.N. Reneke. Both men distinguished themselves and were among the ten soldiers killed while storming the stronghold of the Khoi Koi Koranna Khoe and their chief David Massouw on the nearby Mamusa Hill on December 2, 1885 during an action to put an end to cattle rustling in the area. The remains of the stone fortifications of Chief David Massouw can still be seen on Mamusa Hill.
Mamusa means: place of the black rock kopjes or little hills. Also refers to a type of thorn tree.
The principal crops of the region around Schweizer-Reneke are mainly maize, sorghum, groundnuts and sunflower seeds. In addition, cattle and sheep farming is practiced in the region on a relatively large scale on the grasslands where the soil is unsuitable for cultivation. Schweizer-Reneke is rich in diamond deposits. This led to large scale private diamond mining in the area.
Wenzel Dam, just north of the town on the Harts River, has been developed into a holiday resort.
The town has a public secondary school, Hoërskool Schweizer Reneke, hosting some 180 students.