Koffiefontein
Encyclopedia
Koffiefontein is a small farming town in the Free State
province of South Africa
. Farming in the district focuses on cattle
and sheep farming with lucerne
, potatoes and ground nuts being the main crops sown. There are also a cheese factory and vineyards in the town. The Kalkfontein Dam on the Riet river provides water for the towns of Jacobsdal and Koffiefontein.
The name means coffee fountain in Afrikaans
. The area was a coffee stop for many transport riders in the 19th century until one of the riders discovered a diamond
, and a town grew rapidly. The diamonds of Koffiefontein were known to be of the "first water"; meaning of very good clarity. The diamond mine
established by De Beers
in 1870 was closed down in 2006. The mine was then acquired by Petra Diamonds in 2007 and is currently still in operation.
Although the mine and supporting businesses have employed a large number of the local population, the area is still characterised by poverty. Census data indicate that 57% of the Koffiefontein population are below the poverty line.
The Koffiefontein district saw lots of military action during the Second Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902 because it was close to the two strategic towns of Kimberley
and Mafeking. After Boer forces under the command of General Brand and Commandant Hertzog attacked the town and its mine, several blockhouses were erected by the British in October 1900. The blockhouses were involved in actions in the subsequent months and at one point the town was looted by the Boers and the people of the town took refuge in the mine.
During the Second World War a large internment camp was opened in the town, with 2000 Italian prisoners of war, some German prisoners of war, and some 800 South African internees, who were suspected of being pro-Nazi. Among the internees was John Vorster who became prime minister of South Africa in 1966 and was president of SA from 1978 to 1979. The remains of murals painted by the Italian POWs can still be viewed in the town as can the barracks in which they were held.
Apart from diamonds the town is best known as having been the home of Etienne Leroux, a famous Afrikaans novelist whose homestead and grave can be visited. There are also many Bushman
(San) paintings in the district. To commemorate the allusion to the coffee drinking tradition of the transport riders in the name of the town, there is a fountain that resembles a coffee pot pouring out a drink.
Free State
The Free State is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bloemfontein, which is also South Africa's judicial capital. Its historical origins lie in the Orange Free State Boer republic and later Orange Free State Province. The current borders of the province date from 1994 when the Bantustans...
province of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. Farming in the district focuses on cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
and sheep farming with lucerne
Alfalfa
Alfalfa is a flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae cultivated as an important forage crop in the US, Canada, Argentina, France, Australia, the Middle East, South Africa, and many other countries. It is known as lucerne in the UK, France, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, and known as...
, potatoes and ground nuts being the main crops sown. There are also a cheese factory and vineyards in the town. The Kalkfontein Dam on the Riet river provides water for the towns of Jacobsdal and Koffiefontein.
The name means coffee fountain in Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
. The area was a coffee stop for many transport riders in the 19th century until one of the riders discovered a diamond
Diamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
, and a town grew rapidly. The diamonds of Koffiefontein were known to be of the "first water"; meaning of very good clarity. The diamond mine
Koffiefontein mine
Koffiefontein Mine is a diamond mine situated in the Free State province, about 80 km from Kimberley, South Africa. It is one of the many Kimberley mines of which Kimberley mine, de Beers mine, Dutoitspan, Bultfontein and Wesselton are its more famous neighbours.The mine was opened in 1870 and...
established by De Beers
De Beers
De Beers is a family of companies that dominate the diamond, diamond mining, diamond trading and industrial diamond manufacturing sectors. De Beers is active in every category of industrial diamond mining: open-pit, underground, large-scale alluvial, coastal and deep sea...
in 1870 was closed down in 2006. The mine was then acquired by Petra Diamonds in 2007 and is currently still in operation.
Although the mine and supporting businesses have employed a large number of the local population, the area is still characterised by poverty. Census data indicate that 57% of the Koffiefontein population are below the poverty line.
The Koffiefontein district saw lots of military action during the Second Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902 because it was close to the two strategic towns of Kimberley
Kimberley, Northern Cape
Kimberley is a city in South Africa, and the capital of the Northern Cape. It is located near the confluence of the Vaal and Orange Rivers. The town has considerable historical significance due its diamond mining past and siege during the Second Boer War...
and Mafeking. After Boer forces under the command of General Brand and Commandant Hertzog attacked the town and its mine, several blockhouses were erected by the British in October 1900. The blockhouses were involved in actions in the subsequent months and at one point the town was looted by the Boers and the people of the town took refuge in the mine.
During the Second World War a large internment camp was opened in the town, with 2000 Italian prisoners of war, some German prisoners of war, and some 800 South African internees, who were suspected of being pro-Nazi. Among the internees was John Vorster who became prime minister of South Africa in 1966 and was president of SA from 1978 to 1979. The remains of murals painted by the Italian POWs can still be viewed in the town as can the barracks in which they were held.
Apart from diamonds the town is best known as having been the home of Etienne Leroux, a famous Afrikaans novelist whose homestead and grave can be visited. There are also many Bushman
Bushmen
The indigenous people of Southern Africa, whose territory spans most areas of South Africa, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Mozambique, Swaziland, Botswana, Namibia, and Angola, are variously referred to as Bushmen, San, Sho, Barwa, Kung, or Khwe...
(San) paintings in the district. To commemorate the allusion to the coffee drinking tradition of the transport riders in the name of the town, there is a fountain that resembles a coffee pot pouring out a drink.