Swartruggens

Swartruggens
Swartruggens
Coordinates	25 ° 38 ′  S , 26 ° 41 ′  E Coordinates: 25 ° 38 ′  S , 26 ° 41 ′  E
Basic data
Country	South Africa
province	northwest
District	Bojanala Platinum
local community	Kgetlengrivier
height	1297 m
Residents	1969 (2011)
Ou Stasie in Swartruggens

Swartruggens (formerly Zwartruggens ) is a town in the northwestern province of South Africa . It is located in the Bojanala Platinum district and belongs to the municipality of Kgetlengrivier . In 2011 the place had 1969 inhabitants.

Infrastructure

Swartruggens is located on the Elands River around 55 km west of Rustenburg , 69 km east of Zeerust and 170 km northwest of Johannesburg and is connected to these centers by trunk roads.

history

The village was created in 1875 from the merger of the two farms Brakfontein and Scheepersrus . The name Swartruggens is derived from a chain of hills that appears dark in color and surrounds the village. Initially the place was called Rodeon , but this name is still used occasionally today. In 1895 the first shop was opened in town to supply the growing population with everyday items. In 1907 Swartruggens was connected to the South African railroad.

After Swartruggens had previously been a center of cattle breeding , in 1932 a little north of Swartruggens diamond deposits were discovered and subsequently intensively exploited, which contributed to the further development of the village and its surrounding area. Some diamond mines are still in operation.

Culture and sights

In the area around Swartruggens numerous game farms can be visited, including an ostrich farm where you can ride ostriches . In addition, a now disused diamond mine can be visited. The Madikwe Game Reserve is a protected area in the immediate vicinity of Swartruggens.

In addition, near the village is the battlefield on the Elands River , where during the Second Boer War (1899-1902) a battle between Boer and British troops took place. In the context of this war, this was one of the last battles based on the “conventional” warfare pattern before the Boers switched to guerrilla warfare .

Others

In January 2008, the village became known worldwide through the racially motivated murders of the then 17-year-old Johan Nel , which brought the latent ethnic problems of South Africa to the attention of the general public.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ 2011 census , accessed November 21, 2013
2. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Tourismnorthwest.co.za: Swartruggens ( Memento of the original from April 1, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , April 30, 2013 (English) 
3. ↑ Routes.co.za: Swartruggens ( Memento of the original from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , May 3, 2013 
4. ↑ ^{a b c d} Wheretostay.co.za: Swartruggens , April 30, 2013 (English)
5. ↑ Tourismrsa.com: Swartruggens ( Memento of the original from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , April 30, 2013 (English) 
6. ↑ COSATU: Killing Of Farm Worker By A Racist Farmer At Swartruggens , May 17, 2013 (English)