Krugersdorp

History

Krugersdorp is the site of a December 1880 gathering at which more than 6,000 men vowed to fight for the Transvaal's independence. Founded in 1887 by Marthinus Pretorius after the discovery of gold on his farm, Paardekraal, thereafter the mining industry played an important role in the development of the city. Two important events in the history of South Africa: the Transvaal War of Independence (1881) and the discovery of the Witwatersrand Goldfields (1886) took place in Krugersdorp. These events had far-reaching political and economic consequences for the country's development.

By the time the town was founded, the existence of the gold reef along the Witwatersrand had become common knowledge, and thousands seeking their fortunes pitched their tents and pegged claims. In 1888, Krugersdorp was proclaimed a separate gold field.

During the Second Boer War (1899-1902), the British built a concentration camp in the valley that is now occupied by the Centenary Dam. This camp was overlooked by the "D" Shaft of the Luipardsvlei Estate Gold Mining Company, which was shut down in 1929 when mining shifted to deeper ore bodies that offered the prospect of larger tonnages. As of 2014 this shaft is being brought back into production. Part of the heritage of the area will feature in a museum to be built post-closure. An essential part of the museum's content will be the Boer War legacy.

In 1952, the West Rand Consolidated Mine was the first in the world to extract uranium as a byproduct of the gold refining process.

Economy

Gold, manganese, iron, asbestos and lime are all mined in the area.

Krugersdorp has a modern business center and shopping malls alongside many smaller shops, schools, and necessary amenities. There are also game reserves and a nearby bird sanctuary.

Krugersdorp is served by the Jack Taylor Airfield which is easily accessible from Pretoria via the R28/N14 highway, and more commonly by the N1 highway, Lanseria International Airport on the R511 which is used for travel to Pretoria, and OR Tambo International Airport which is South Africa's main international airport located in Johannesburg.

The nearby 1,400 hectares (3,500 acres) Krugersdorp Game Reserve in the dense bush of the veld holds a large quantity of game and is one of the town's major tourist attractions. Also in close proximity are various provincial heritage sites including the Cradle of Humankind and its Sterkfontein Caves and the Wonder Cave.

Demographics

Krugersdorp is home to the South African Branch of Jehovah's Witnesses (The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society).

In 2010, the town's Coronation Park area received international exposure for the depiction of Afrikaner poverty by Finbarr O'Reilly. In 2014 the area was exposed again as a subject of the BBC documentary Reggie Yates' Extreme South Africa: White Slums.

Education

Krugersdorp is home to some of the best schools in Gauteng.

Health care

Local Clinics

Provincial Hospitals

Private Hospitals

Sports and culture

The town is the host of the annual Gauteng Beach Party held at Coronation Park. In recent years the event has featured performances by:

Krugersdorp also has an 18-hole golf course and many facilities for extreme sports.

Afropop sensation Mafikizolo and Ntando Bangani, better known simply as Ntando, are successful acts that hail from Krugersdorp.

Krugersdorp is also home to artist and documentary photographer Bianca van Heerden

Places of attraction

Krugersdorp has popular tourist attractions such as Krugersdorp Game Reserve, Maropeng Visitor Centre, Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens and Sterkfonten Caves.

Name change

Although the city's municipality changed its name from Krugersdorp to Mogale City, the assumption that the city's name has been officially changed to Mogale City has been refuted by the Mogale City Municipality

Current and former residents

Municipal (1)

Krugersdorp was proclaimed a municipality in 1903. By 1931, the municipal council had assumed a pseudo-heraldic coat of arms. The shield was divided by a horizontal line, the upper half subdivided by a vertical line, the three sections depicting (1) the Paardekraal monument, (2) a mining landscape, and (3) a plough. The motto was Labor omnia vincit improbus.

Municipal (2)

A proper coat of arms was designed in the 1960s. It was registered with the Transvaal Provincial Administration in November 1965 and at the Bureau of Heraldry in January 1969.

The arms were : Per chevron ploye Azure and Or, dexter two mine hammers in saltire and sinister a cogwheel all Or, and in base the Paardekraal Monument Gules. In layman's terms, the shield was divided by a curved chevron-shaped line into blue and gold, displaying two crossed mine hammers and a cogwheel at the top, and the Paardekraal monument at the bottom.

The crest was three horses' heads issuing from a golden mural crown; the supporters were an eland and a gemsbok; and the motto was Labor omnia vincit improbus.