Secunda (South Africa)
| Secunda | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Coordinates | 26 ° 31 ′ S , 29 ° 12 ′ E | ||
| Basic data | |||
| Country | South Africa | ||
| Mpumalanga | |||
| District | Gert Sibande | ||
| ISO 3166-2 | ZA-MP | ||
| local community | Govan Mbeki | ||
| height | 1620 m | ||
| Residents | 40,198 (2011) | ||
| founding | 1974 | ||
 Secunda CTL factory from Sasol Synfuels
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Secunda is a city in the South African province of Mpumalanga . It is located in the municipality of Govan Mbeki in the Gert Sibande district , of which it is the administrative seat.
geography
Secunda has 40,198 inhabitants (2011 census). The place is 1620 meters above sea level in the largely flat Highveld . South-west of the city is the eMbalenhle township with 118,889 inhabitants (2011), south of the city, extensive industrial plants belonging to the Sasol company . Secunda is surrounded by coal mines and is around 120 kilometers east of Johannesburg .
history
Secunda was founded in 1973 as a result of the global oil crisis . In addition to the coal liquefaction plant in Sasolburg , there should be a second South African plant of this type, Sasol Two. This is also what the name of the city referred to, "the second" in Latin . In the area around Secunda there were already five coal mines with the - added up - highest production in South Africa. In addition, the place is characterized by a good water supply through the Grootdrai Dam in the south near Standerton . The nearby towns of Evander (in the west) and Trichardt (in the east) were ruled out for expansion, so it was decided to build a new city. After Sasol Two (1980), Sasol Three was built in 1982 (later Sasol CTL ), the largest coal liquefaction plant in the world. The town of Secunda was created in 1976 especially for the Sasol workers on the site of the Goede Hoep farm (“Good Hope”). In 1977 a library and a makeshift health station were opened. In 1985 Secunda received city rights . In the following year a stadium and a theater were inaugurated; In 1987, Secunda received an expanded library.
The residential buildings were laid out in traffic-calmed residential areas, which are connected to the main streets by, among other things, green strips.
During the apartheid period , Secunda's industrial facilities were the target of a bomb attack by the armed arm of the African National Congress , Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK). On the night of May 31 to June 1, 1980, two men penetrated the site and planted eight bombs on fuel tanks, the explosion of which caused considerable property damage. That same night, the system in Sasolburg was the target of an MK attack. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) dealt with the attacks in the mid-1990s. In 2000 the two bombers were given amnesty by the TRC . The feature film Catch a Fire , released in 2006, is about the attack in Secunda and its consequences.
Economy and Transport
Sasol Two and Sasol CTL belong to the Sasol subsidiary Sasol Synfuels. Liquid fuels and a variety of other chemicals are produced. The Matla and Kriel power plants are among the largest coal-fired power plants in the country.
The national road N17 runs north of Secunda in an east-west direction. The Secunda Airport is an airport with the IATA code ZEC and the ICAO code FASC. It is located between the city and the industrial area and is not served by scheduled services. The railway line, which leads from Johannesburg to Bethal , runs a few kilometers east of Secunda. A connecting line runs from Trichardt station to the industrial area.
Attractions
Secunda is defined by the 301-meter-high chimney from Sasol CTL , which is the tallest building in South Africa and one of the tallest free-standing structures in the southern hemisphere. The industrial area is also characterized by numerous high cooling towers. The Graceland is a palatial hotel in Secunda, which included a casino and a golf course are connected.
sons and daughters of the town
- May Mahlangu (* 1989), South African soccer player
Web links
- Report about Secunda and Sasol at mediaclubsouthafrica.com (English)
- Results of the negotiation of the TRC over the stops (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ 2011 census , accessed November 16, 2013
- ↑ 2011 census , accessed May 25, 2016
- ↑ Information at sahistory.org.za , accessed on April 5, 2012
- ↑ Results of the TRC's negotiations on the attacks , accessed on April 5, 2012
- ↑ Description at investing.businessweek.com (English), accessed on April 5, 2012