| Vereeniging | |
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| Motto: Per Pacem Ad Industriam ("From peace to industry") |
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Vereeniging
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Gauteng |
| Established | 1892 |
| Population (2001) | |
| • Total | 73,283 |
| Time zone | CAT (UTC+2) |
Vereeniging is a city in Gauteng province, South Africa. It is also one of the constituent parts of the Vaal Triangle region and was formerly situated in the Transvaal province. The name Vereeniging is derived from the Dutch word meaning "association" or "union".
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Vereeniging is situated in the southern part of Gauteng Province, and neighbors Vanderbijlpark (to the west), Three Rivers (east), Meyerton (north) and Sasolburg (south). The city is currently one of the most important industrial manufacturing centres in South Africa, with its chief products being iron, steel, pipes, bricks, tiles and processed lime.
The predominant language in Vereeniging is Afrikaans, followed closely by English and Sesotho.
The city was founded in 1892 and is situated on the banks of the northern loop of the Vaal River. Much of its early growth was due to the nearby coal mines.
The city is known for being the location where the Treaty of Vereeniging ending the Second Boer War (1899-1902) was negotiated. During this conflict, a concentration camp was set up by the British military in the area. The concentration camp at Vereeniging was set up in September 1900, and by October 1901 housed 185 men, 330 women, and 452 children. Conditions at the camp were very poor, water was brought by cart (there was no direct water supply) and only 24 latrines. Most inmates lived in bell-tents but there was a dispensary and a school. Today, the site of the concentration camp has been replaced by the Maccauvlei Golf Course.[1]
Vereeniging was one of the first municipalities in South Africa to provide better housing for Africans. Near Vereeniging is the predominantly black community of Sharpeville, Gauteng, the site of the Sharpeville massacre in 1960.
Since 1994, Vereeniging has been the home of southern Africa's annual LED Festival.
The city's motto is Per Pacem ad Industriam ("Through peace to industry"). It is currently one of the most important industrial manufacturing centres in South Africa, with its chief products being iron, steel, pipes, bricks, tiles and processed lime. Several coal mines are also still situated in the area, with reserves being estimated at four billion tons. Other mines nearby extract fire-clay, silica and building stone. Vereeniging also has several Eskom thermal power plants that supply electricity to the nearby goldmines.
Vereeniging has been mentioned jokingly as the town in South Africa which has the most vehicle dealerships per square metre.
In the census of 2001 the population of Vereeniging was recorded as 73,283.[2]
Vereeniging consists of 20 suburbs:
Since 1999, Vereeniging has been part of the Emfuleni Local Municipality, along with Vanderbijlpark and the smaller Three Rivers.
Various health services are available in Vereeniging. The majority of these services are located in or near the major medical centres. These include:
The latest crime statistics for Vereeniging Police Precinct was issued by the South African Police Service (SAPS) in September 2010. The SAPS crime report[3] showed the following information:
| Type of crime | 2008/2009 | 2009/2010 |
|---|---|---|
| Burglary at non-residential premises | 302 | 348 |
| Burglary at residential premises | 505 | 797 |
| Theft of motor vehicle and motorcycle | 586 | 609 |
| Carjacking | 48 | 77 |
| Truck hijacking | 31 | 37 |
In December 2010 and January 2011 the southern part of Gauteng and Mpumulanga experienced a higher than normal rainfall. This resulted in the need to release more water from the nearby Vaal dam. As a consequence, Vereeniging and the rest of the towns downstream were flooded.
| Municipalities and communities of Sedibeng District Municipality, Gauteng District seat: Vereeniging |
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| Local municipalities | |
| Cities and towns |