Bethlehem, Free State

Bethlehem
Bohlokong

Aerial View of Bethlehem CBD seen from uitsig
Bethlehem
Bethlehem
Bethlehem

 Bethlehem shown within Free State

Coordinates: 28°13′26″S 28°18′40″E / 28.224°S 28.311°E / -28.224; 28.311Coordinates: 28°13′26″S 28°18′40″E / 28.224°S 28.311°E / -28.224; 28.311
Country South Africa
Province Free State
District Thabo Mofutsanyane
Municipality Dihlabeng
Established 1859
Area[1]
 • Total 27.83 km2 (10.75 sq mi)
Elevation 1,700 m (5,600 ft)
Population (2011)[1]
 • Total 16,236
 • Density 580/km2 (1,500/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)[1]
 • Black African 32.7%
 • Coloured 8.7%
 • Indian/Asian 2.1%
 • White 56.0%
 • Other 0.4%
First languages (2011)[1]
 • Afrikaans 66.7%
 • Sotho 19.4%
 • English 7.2%
 • Zulu 2.7%
 • Other 4.0%
Postal code (street) 9701
PO box 9700

Bethlehem is a large town in the eastern Free State province of South Africa that is situated on the Liebenbergs river (also called Liebenbergs Vlei) along a fertile valley just north of the Rooiberg Mountains on the N5 road.It is the fastest growing town in the Free state province, with its target of being the Fourth largest city after Kroonstad in balance.

It is a wheat growing area and named after the biblical Bethlehem (from "Beit Lechem", Hebrew for "house of bread").[2]

The town lies at an altitude of 1,700 metres (5,600 ft) and this contributes to its cool climate with frosty winters and mild summers. The average annual temperature is around 24 °C (75 °F)

Bethlehem is situated approximately 240 kilometres (150 mi) north-east of Bloemfontein, 140 kilometres (87 mi) east of Kroonstad and 90 kilometres (56 mi) west of Harrismith. The town is strategically situated in the heart of the picturesque north-eastern Free State and originally developed as a service centre.[3] Bethlehem is the seat of the Dihlabeng Local Municipality (this municipality is situated within the boundaries of the Thabo Mofutsanyana District Municipality in the Eastern Free State).

The township associated with Bethlehem is called Bohlokong, named after the hloko/bohloko grass Diheteropogon filifolius.[4]

History

Bethlehem was founded in 1864 on the farm Pretorius Kloof by Daniël van Dyk and his two slaves Armand du Plessis and Luan klopper.[5]

Society and culture

Museums, provincial heritage sites and memorials

A number of heritage sites are located in Bethlehem:

Climate

Climate data for Bethlehem, Free State (1980–1990)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 33
(91)		 33
(91)		 31
(88)		 29
(84)		 27
(81)		 22
(72)		 24
(75)		 27
(81)		 32
(90)		 32
(90)		 33
(91)		 32
(90)		 33
(91)
Average high °C (°F) 27
(81)		 26
(79)		 24
(75)		 22
(72)		 19
(66)		 16
(61)		 16
(61)		 19
(66)		 22
(72)		 23
(73)		 25
(77)		 26
(79)		 22
(72)
Average low °C (°F) 13
(55)		 13
(55)		 11
(52)		 7
(45)		 2
(36)		 −2
(28)		 −2
(28)		 1
(34)		 5
(41)		 8
(46)		 10
(50)		 12
(54)		 6
(43)
Record low °C (°F) 7
(45)		 3
(37)		 2
(36)		 −3
(27)		 −6
(21)		 −9
(16)		 −9
(16)		 −9
(16)		 −7
(19)		 −2
(28)		 1
(34)		 1
(34)		 −9
(16)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 96
(3.78)		 77
(3.03)		 94
(3.7)		 58
(2.28)		 9
(0.35)		 12
(0.47)		 7
(0.28)		 27
(1.06)		 35
(1.38)		 83
(3.27)		 96
(3.78)		 86
(3.39)		 680
(26.77)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 14 12 11 8 3 3 3 2 4 12 13 14 98
Source: South African Weather Service[20]


Shopping

Bohlokong and Thorisong townships

Bethlehem has many shopping centres like any other town in the Free State. Bethlehem is the main center of the eastern Free State where people from other towns do their shopping, the main shopping malls are Bethlehem mall, Dihlabeng mall and Maluti square. Others are Village square, Metropolitan life centre, Shoprite centre, with the shopping in this town also characterised by typical high street shopping with majority of shops situated along the Muller, Cambridge, Louw, Church and other surrounding streets.

Sport

Premier Soccer League club Free State Stars is based in Bethlehem and plays its home games at Goble Park. Bethlehem is also the birthplace of notable rugby union players including brothers, Jannie and Bismarck du Plessis.

Economy

Industry

Bethlehem hosts several industries with beverage companies Coca-Cola and South African Breweries, Nestlé, and petroleum and engineering companies located in the town.

Health

Transportation

Road

Bethlehem is located on the N5 road to the provincial capital Bloemfontein via senekal and winburg to the N1. Other regional roads in the town are R76 road to Kroonstad (north), the R26 road to Reitz and Fouriesburg (north east and south) respectively.

Rail

Bethlehem is located on the main railway line between Bloemfontein and Durban. This railway line transports passengers and freight.

Air

Bethlehem is served by small airport with chartered daily flights to Bloemfontein and Johannesburg.

Coats of arms

Municipal (1)

By 1931, the municipal council had assumed a coat of arms.[21] The arms were registered with the Orange Free State Provincial Administration in October 1958.[22]

The arms were: Party per chevron Azure and Gules, a chevron Or, in chief between two springboks couped at the neck respecting each other, proper, a mullet of the third, and in base three maize cobs, the outer ones pilewise, all proper. In layman's terms, the shield depicted a golden chevron between a gold star and two springboks' head on a blue background, and three maize cobs on a red background.

Municipal (2)

A new coat of arms was designed in the 1980s. It was registered at the Bureau of Heraldry in June 1989.[23]

The arms were: Per chevron, Azure and Gules, a chevron Or between in chief a mullet and in base two bars wavy, Argent (i.e. a golden chevron between a silver star on a blue background and two wavy silver stripes on a red background).

The crest was three golden ears of wheat with blue stalks and leaves, tied together with a red band; the motto was Conjuncti prosperamus.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Main Place Bethlehem". Census 2011.
  2. ↑ Raper, RE. Dictionary of Southern African Place Names. Human Science Research Council.
  3. ↑ http://www.dihlabeng.gov.za
  4. ↑ Rodney Moffet, Grasses of the Eastern Free State: Their descriptions and uses, UNIQWA, Phuthaditjhaba, 1997
  5. ↑ Theal, George McCall (1900). History of South Africa: The Republics and Native Territories from 1854 to 1872. S. Sonnenschein & co. p. 80.
  6. ↑ "14 President Burgers Street Bethlehem". South African Heritage Resources Agency.
  7. ↑ "A B Baartman Wagon House Muller and Landdros Streets Bethlehem". South African Heritage Resources Agency.
  8. ↑ "Loch Athlone Dam Wall Pretoriuskloof Nature Reserve Bethlehem". South African Heritage Resources Agency.
  9. ↑ "Main Building Technical College Bethlehem Wessels Street Bethlehem". South African Heritage Resources Agency.
  10. ↑ "Nederduitse Gereformeerde Mother Church Church Square Bethlehem". South African Heritage Resources Agency.
  11. ↑ "Old Magistrates Court Louw Street Bethlehem". South African Heritage Resources Agency.
  12. ↑ "Old Nederduitse Gereformeerde Mission Church parsonage President Boshoff Street Bethlehem". South African Heritage Resources Agency.
  13. ↑ "Old Nederduitse Gereformeerde Mission Church Muller Street Bethlehem". South African Heritage Resources Agency.
  14. ↑ "St Andrews Presbyterian Church 144 Cambridge Street Bethlehem". South African Heritage Resources Agency.
  15. ↑ "St Augustine Anglican Church 34 Louw Street Bethlehem". South African Heritage Resources Agency.
  16. ↑ "Strapps Shop 18 Church Street Bethlehem". South African Heritage Resources Agency.
  17. ↑ "The Seminary Wessels Street Bethlehem". South African Heritage Resources Agency.
  18. ↑ "Town Hall 20-22 Muller Street Bethlehem". South African Heritage Resources Agency.
  19. ↑ "Wooden Spoon Braairestaurant 12 Church Street Bethlehem". South African Heritage Resources Agency.
  20. ↑ "Climate data for Bethlehem". South African Weather Service. Archived from the original on 9 September 2011. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  21. ↑ The arms were depicted on a cigarette card issued in 1931.
  22. ↑ Orange Free State Official Gazette 41 (10 October 1958).
  23. ↑ http://www.national.archsrch.gov.za%5B%5D
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