Thaba Nchu

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Thaba Nchu
Thaba Nchu (South Africa)
Thaba Nchu
Thaba Nchu
Coordinates 29 ° 13 ′  S , 26 ° 50 ′  E Coordinates: 29 ° 13 ′  S , 26 ° 50 ′  E
Basic data
Country South Africa

province

free State
metropolis Mangaung
ISO 3166-2 ZA-FS
height 1492 m
Residents 70,118 (2011)
founding 1833
Thaba Nchu
Thaba Nchu

Thaba Nchu [tʰɑbɑˈntʃu] ( Setswana , German: "Black Mountain"; occasionally Thaba 'Nchu ) is a city in the South African province of Free State . It is located in the metropolitan municipality of Mangaung .

geography

Setswana spokesman in South Africa with the area around Thaba Nchu far outside

In 2011 Thaba Nchu had 70,118 residents. The city is about 60 kilometers east of Bloemfontein on the national road N8 , which leads to Maseru in Lesotho . The population consists mainly of Basotho and Batswana .

Thaba Nchu is located in the mostly quite flat, tree-poor South African highveld . The area has a few mountains, in particular the eponymous Thaba Nchu , southeast of the city , which is 2139 meters above sea level. North of the city center is the densely populated district of Selosesha . A few kilometers west of Thaba Nchu is Botshabelo , once the second largest township in South Africa after Soweto .

history

Steam locomotive in Thaba Nchu

The first settlement on the site of today's Thaba Nchu was founded in 1833 by Moroka II, a chief of the Setswana -speaking Barolong . His tribe had been driven from his settlement area on the other side of the Vaal by the Zulu king Mzilikazi . The Barolong had friendly relations with the Voortrekkers , who were able to use the place in the war against Mzilikazi. The Basotho under Moshoeshoe I saw the Barolong as paying tribute. The place remained until 1886 by the Boers respected settlement area of ​​the Barolong within the Orange Free State . It became an island location after the Boers had conquered the western areas of the rulership of Moshoeshoes in the Seqiti War . In 1873 the place was officially recognized.

The 1913 Natives Land Act made Thaba Nchu forcibly home to other Batswana living in the region. With the independence of Bophuthatswana during apartheid , which was declared in 1977 , Thaba Nchu and its surroundings became an administrative district in this homeland , which had been established for the Batswana of South Africa. The area around Thaba Nchu was the furthest from the capital Mmabatho . Thaba Nchu became an important trading post and received hotels and casinos that were banned in South Africa outside the homelands.

Until 2011, Thaba Nchu belonged to the Motheo district .

politics

Thaba Nchu is ruled by Chief Albert Moroka, who is also a traditional judge. There is also a court in Thaba Nchu where the laws of South Africa are applied. As part of the Mangaung Municipality, Thaba Nchu is subordinate to the municipal administration.

Economy and Transport

The main livelihoods are leisure tourism, trade and agriculture, which are practiced in the fertile environment. Thaba Nchu is close to the N8 national road . The Bloemfontein – Bethlehem railway runs through Thaba Nchu, but is only operated as planned for freight traffic. Thaba Nchu has an airfield with the IATA code TCU .

Attractions

  • At the foot of the Thaba Nchu is the Maria Moroka Game Reserve.

Personalities

  • Zaccheus Richard Mahabane (1881–1971), politician of the African National Congress, born in Thaba Nchu
  • James Sebe Moroka (1891–1985), politician of the African National Congress, born in Thaba Nchu
  • Ellen Kuzwayo (1914–2006), social worker, women's rights activist, writer, actress and politician

Web links

Commons : Thaba Nchu  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ about here: Information on the Motheo district ( Memento of March 28, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) (English), accessed on February 7, 2011
  2. ↑ 2011 census , accessed November 27, 2013
  3. ↑ a b Scott Rosenberg, Richard W. Weis fields Michelle Frisbie-Fulton: Historical Dictionary of Lesotho. Scarecrow Press, Lanham, Maryland / Oxford 2004, ISBN 978-0-8108-4871-9 , p. 12.
  4. ↑ Description by Thaba Nchu (English), accessed on April 3, 2012
  5. ↑ a b Bloemfontein website ( memento of November 9, 2012 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on February 5, 2011