Postmasburg

Postmasburg
Postmasburg
Coordinates	28 ° 20 ′  S , 23 ° 4 ′  E Coordinates: 28 ° 20 ′  S , 23 ° 4 ′  E
Basic data
Country	South Africa
province	North Cape
District	ZF Mgcawu
local community	Tsantsabane
height	1309 m
Residents	30,089 (2011)
founding	after 1833

Postmasburg is a city in the North Cape province of South Africa . It is the administrative seat of the municipality of Tsantsabane in the ZF Mgcawu district .

geography

Postmasburg had 13,692 inhabitants (2001 census) and in 2011 already 30,089 inhabitants. The former Boichoko township , which belongs to the city, was built to the northwest .

Postmasburg is located in the southern Kalahari . To the east of the city, the Asbesberg Mountains extend up to 1615 meters . The city is about 200 kilometers west of Kimberley , 240 kilometers east of Upington and 67 kilometers north of Griekwastad .

history

In the area there are numerous traces of the San , who were already mining the reflective, shiny hematite in 700 AD . The place was founded after 1833 under the name Sibiling ( Setswana , "place of the mirror stone ") as a mission station of the London Missionary Society . Griqua settled in the village and called him Blinkklip ("shining cliff"). The place belonged to Griqualand West , which existed until 1871. In 1890 the place was named after the founder of the Vrije Gereformeerde Kerk , Dirk Postma; In 1892 Postmasburg received city ​​rights .

In 1918 diamonds were found nearby , which from then on were mined in open-cast mining . In 1935 the mine was flooded. In 1936 Postmasburg received the status of a municipality.

Economy and Transport

The main source of income is mining. Mainly iron ore and manganese ores , but also diamonds are mined. The training center for combat missions of the former South African Defense Force , today the South African National Defense Force , has been located in Lohatla , about 30 kilometers north of Postmasburg, since the early 1980s .

Postmasburg is connected to the Sishen – Saldanha railway in the north and to Kimberley in the east. The iron ore extracted here is sent to the port of Saldanha .

Several regional roads lead through Postmasburg. The R385 and R325 lead to the north running R27 . To the east, the R385 connects Postmasburg via the R31 with Barkly West and Kimberley and to the southeast, the R64 in Campbell, crossing with Douglas . The R325 leads south to Griekwastad , then as R313 to Prieska and from there as R386 to Carnarvon . The R309, also known as the R383, connects Postmasburg with Kenhardt in the west, among others .

There is an airport to the south-east of the city that is not served by scheduled services ( ICAO code: FAPT).

Attractions

• The church was built in 1908. It consists of blue dolomite that was mined nearby. A statue of Dirk Postma was also made from dolomite.
• Nearby is the Witsand Nature Reserve, which takes its name from the white dunes that contrast with the reddish surroundings. There are numerous endemic species there.
• The flooded Postmasburg Diamond Mine is located near Postmasburg .

Web links

• Description at greenkalahari.co.za (English)
• Description at sa-venues.com (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ 2001 Census , accessed July 1, 2013
2. ↑ 2011 census , accessed November 18, 2013
3. ↑ Description at greenkalahari.co.za (English), accessed on July 2, 2013
4. ↑ ^{a b} Description at sa-venues.com (English), accessed on July 2, 2013
5. ↑ Information on the airfield , accessed on July 2, 2013