Bushbuckridge

Bushbuckridge
Bosbokrand
Mapulaneng
Bushbuckridge

 Bushbuckridge shown within South Africa

Coordinates: 24°50′S 31°4′E / 24.833°S 31.067°ECoordinates: 24°50′S 31°4′E / 24.833°S 31.067°E
Country South Africa
Province Mpumalanga
District Ehlanzeni
Municipality Bushbuckridge
Government
 • Type Municipal council
 • Executive mayor Milton Morema (ANC)
Area[1]
 • Total 2.41 km2 (0.93 sq mi)
Population (2011)[1]
 • Total 2,159
 • Density 900/km2 (2,300/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)[1]
 • Black African 99.4%
 • Indian/Asian 0.4%
 • White 0.1%
First languages (2011)[1]
 • Northern Sotho 57.6%
 • Sotho 20.0%
 • Tsonga 10.7%
 • Zulu 4.5%
 • Other 7.1%
Postal code (street) 1280
PO box 1280
Website bushbuckridge

Bushbuckridge is a town and municipality in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa. The name was given because of the large herds of bushbuck found there in the 1880s. The town grew around a trading store that opened in 1884. Tobacco, cotton and vegetable are farmed in the surrounding countryside.

1995-1996 Protest

In 1994, when the Transvaal Province was dismantled and divided into four Provinces, the area from Bushbuckridge to Hazyview was included in Limpopo province. The decision was based on the fact that most of the Bushbuckridge area had been part of three separate bantustans — Gazankulu, Lebowa and KaNgwane — but the bigger sector fell within Gazankulu, which was incorporated into Limpopo. The citizens of Bushbuckridge became embroiled in a dispute with the government, demanding inclusion of the area in Mpumalanga province. They were concerned that should the area be included into Limpopo, they would be marginalised and suffer poor service delivery since Polokwane, the Capital city of Limpopo Province, is more than 300 KM away, whereas Nelspruit, the capital of Mpumalanga is 58 KM away. For more than two years the government refused to allow Bushbuckridge to fall under Mpumalanga, leading to violent protests and resistance from the community, which included stay-aways, road blockage with burning tyres and destruction of property.

A decision was taken at Cabinet level in 1998 to transfer the area to Mpumalanga. However, the area was not transferred to Mpumalanga until 2000 when President Thabo Mbeki and his Cabinet amended the Constitution and legally handed over Bushbuckridge to Mpumalanga. However, because of red tape it was not until 2005 that Bushbuckridge was officially transferred to Mpumalanga.[2]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Main Place Bushbuckridge". Census 2011.
  2. ↑ Mayher, Anne; Raab, Erin (2009). "THE WATER DIALOGUES SYNTHESIS REPORT 2009-Bushbuckridge Case Study". The Water Dialogues. Retrieved 23 February 2015.