Rustenburg, North West
Encyclopedia
Rustenburg (ˈrʊstənbɜrɡ, ˈrœstənbœrχ, Afrikaans
and Dutch: Town of Rest) is a city
and a local municipality
of 395,539 inhabitants (2001 National Census) situated at the foot of the Magaliesberg
mountain range in North West Province
of South Africa
. It was one of the official host cities of the 2010 FIFA World Cup
, being in close proximity to Phokeng
, capital of the Royal Bafokeng Nation
, where the Royal Bafokeng Stadium
is located. The England national football team
also used this as their base camp for the tournament.
history. The town was established in 1851 as an administrative centre for a fertile farming area producing citrus
fruit, tobacco
, peanut
s, sunflower
seeds, maize
, wheat
and cattle
. On 10 February 1859, the local Dutch Reformed Church
community was established. One of the oldest Boer
settlements in the north, Rustenburg was the home of Paul Kruger
, president of the South African Republic
, who bought a 5 square kilometer farm to the north-west of the town in 1863. The homestead on his farm, Boekenhoutfontein
, is now the Paul Kruger Country Museum. When the Boer and the British
came to blows in the Second Boer War
(1899), the territory around Rustenburg became a battlefield. The two sides clashed famously at nearby Mafikeng
, where the British garrison found itself under siege for months. These battle sites can be explored from Rustenburg.
Before colonial settlers arrived, the area had been settled by agrarian Setswana speaking tribes for several hundred years.
Rustenburg's population is primarily Tswana people. Many belong to the Royal Bafokeng Nation
, extensive landowners earning royalties from mining operations. The Royal Bafokeng are descendants of Sotho settler
s who displaced the local tribes from the region, which they came to call 'place of dew' (Phokeng). In the early 1800s, the Bafokeng and other Tswana communities were conquered in a series of devastating wars launched by an offshoot of the Zulu kingdom, called the Matabele. The Boers had also fought the Zulu and Matabele, and so the Boers and Tswana found in the Matabele a common enemy. The Tswana and Boers planned together and worked toward defeating the Matabele from a Sotho-Tswana kingdom to the south, and together, they defeated the Matebele. As the Boers settled in the area, called their settlement Rustenburg because they had relatively friendly relations with their Bafokeng allies in the area, and after the many violent military conflicts with other African chiefdoms, such as the Matabele, they believed they could rest ("rusten" in Dutch) in this settlement, whose name literally means "Resting Town." Although had already long lived in the area when the Boers arrived, the Bafokeng bought land rights from the Boers, and they purchased their first tracts of land in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century from the colonial rulers, some in exchange for serving in the Boer Wars. Although these land purchases were technically illegal, Paul Kruger, who would become a president of the Transvaal Boer Republic, but was then a veld kornet, was friendly to the Bafokeng and helped arrange many of these purchases. The majority of people in the region 20 years after the fall of apartheid still live in abject poverty despite the massive profits yielded by the platinum royalties. This has led in recent years to claims of kleptocracy against the 'royal' family and land claim disputes.
Among the first colonial residents of Rustenburg were settlers of India
n origin. One of the first families of Indian origin was the Bhyat family, whose contribution to the city's history was marked by the renaming of a major streetname to Fatima Bhayat Street in honour of Fatima Bhyat
who arrived in Rustenburg with her husband in 1877.
With the arrival and successul farming practices of the Afrikaners (Boers)
in the nineteenth century, Rustenburg became a primary agricultural region with vast citrus estates due to the favourable climate and abundant water supply.
Platinum mining in Rustenburg began in 1929, shortly after the discovery of the Platinum Reef by Hans Merensky
, later named the Merensky Reef
.
The town has been transformed from a region recognized around the world since the 19th century for its natural springs and healing environment, as eloquently described in the book 'Rustenburg Romance' by author and poet Eric Rosenthal
into one of the most polluted environments in the late 20th and early 21st century South Africa. The wanton despoliation of the environment through mining has drawn comparisons to the Norilsk
complex in Russia, one of the ten most polluted cities in the world.
With the implementation of apartheid after 1948 life became more severe for 'non-whites' with 9pm curfews and the most stringent enforcement of pass laws
in the country. This was welcomed by the mining industry as it gave them a tighter grip on the migrant labour which was the backbone of their operations. The pass laws were abolished with the fall of apartheid.
The township of Boitekong on the norththeast side of Rustenburg has one of the highest incidence of AIDS
orphans in South Africa Boitekong was the venue for World AIDS Day commemoration in December 2010. The township is in a geographical area which bears the brunt of the catchment area of the toxic effects of the mining industry coupled with a very poor quality of water supply from the local Bospoort Dam
, the water from which was for decades considered too toxic for human consumption until water shortages in the nineties compelled the purification and supply to Boitekong. Life for the majority under the rule of the 'Royal Bafokeng' has parallels to the apartheid era. In the Apartheid era, forced removals of old settlements were on the basis of racial divide whereas now it is done for installation of massive mining operations sometimes engulfing entire villages. (see 'Rasimone' on Google Earth)
The Royal Bafokeng own the stadium selected as a World Cup 2010 venue, the only 'private' stadium that hosted games in the 2010 World cup. The Royal Bafokeng regard themselves as a 'separate nation' which is in contradiction to the Rainbow nation
espoused by Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela
. This 'nationhood' is regarded by many today as a divide and rule
tactic orchestrated by the mining conglomerates which has subsequently led to the calls for nationalization
of the mining industry by the ANC Youth League.
Agriculture in the region has been in constant decline since the decimation of the vast citrus estates of Rustenburg in the 70's and 80's due to pollution from increased smelting and beneficiating processes by mines. There are only a fraction of the original citrus farms remaining.
Comparisons can be drawn between the Klondike gold rush
and the events in Rustenburg in the late 20th and early 21st century which led to it becoming one of the fastest growing cities in South Africa.
In 1990, the first post-Apartheid conference between the Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk
(the Dutch Reformed Church in Africa) and the South African churches was held in Rustenburg. During this conference, professor Willie Jonker of the University of Stellenbosch made this confession on behalf of the entire DRC:
The conference finally resulted in the signing of the Rustenburg Declaration, which moved strongly toward complete confession, forgiveness, and restitution.
(Köppen
Cwa), although it may be defined subtropical by some sources. It has very warm summers (from December to February) and mild winters (from June to August). Due to the altitude, summers are not quite as hot as one might expect. Precipitation occur mainly in summer.
mining industry and the local manufacturing and product distribution industries.
Due to the mainly dry climatic conditions, agricultural activity consists of the farming of livestock (cattle and game) and small stock (poultry for egg production). There is also large-scale cultivation of citrus and irrigated crops such as tobacco and wheat, flowers and many plant nurseries.
Most of the mining activity in the region is centred around platinum on the Merensky Reef
which stretches from west of the Pilanesberg Game Reserve towards Marikana and Brits
in the east. The two largest platinum mines in the world are to be found here, and the area also produces asbestos, tin, chrome, lead, marble, granite and slate.
(1898–1903), the historic statue of the Voortrekker girl and the Rustenburg Museum.
that traces its origins back to 1857.
Many Anglo-Boer and ethnic war battles took place in the area with the districts of Koster
, Swartruggens
and Rustenburg featuring prominent battlefields, memorial graves and ruined forts. The area also has archaeological remains from the Iron Age
and Stone Age
.
and Lost City, located beyond the Pilanesberg Game Reserve, are resorts where visitors can lose themselves in the luxury of an imagined world, with all the modern entertainments one can ask for. The complex is set on the slopes of a picturesque valley in the Pilanesberg Mountains and captures the essence of an ancient African kingdom. Casinos, the Valley of the Waves and two world-renowned championship golf courses are just some of the many attractions.
(FARG) is the Rustenburg Local Municipality Airfield, licensed according to Civil Aviation Authority
standards. Rustenburg SkyDiving Club operates every weekend year round from the airfield.
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...
and Dutch: Town of Rest) is a city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
and a local municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
of 395,539 inhabitants (2001 National Census) situated at the foot of the Magaliesberg
Magaliesberg
The Magaliesberg is a mountain range extending from Pretoria in the north of the Gauteng Province to a point south of Pilanesberg, in the North West Province, South Africa...
mountain range in North West Province
North West (South African province)
North West is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Mafikeng. The province is located to the west of the major population centre of Gauteng.-History:...
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...
. It was one of the official host cities of the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
, being in close proximity to Phokeng
Phokeng
Phokeng is a town in the North West province of South Africa. It is the capital of the Royal Bafokeng Nation and lies near Rustenburg.-Etymology:Phokeng gained its name from the Setswana word for dew, Phoka, hence Place of dew...
, capital of the Royal Bafokeng Nation
Royal Bafokeng Nation
The Royal Bafokeng Nation is the ethnic homeland of the Bafokeng people, a Setswana-speaking traditional community. The monarchy covers in the North West Province of South Africa. The administrative capital is Phokeng, near Rustenburg. "Bafokeng" is used to refer to both the tribal grouping as...
, where the Royal Bafokeng Stadium
Royal Bafokeng Stadium
The Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace is a football, rugby and athletics stadium in Phokeng near Rustenburg, South Africa It was built and is managed by the Royal Bafokeng Nation.. It is used as the home stadium for Premier Soccer League club Platinum Stars...
is located. The England national football team
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
also used this as their base camp for the tournament.
History
Rustenburg is prominent in AfrikanerAfrikaner
Afrikaners are an ethnic group in Southern Africa descended from almost equal numbers of Dutch, French and German settlers whose native tongue is Afrikaans: a Germanic language which derives primarily from 17th century Dutch, and a variety of other languages.-Related ethno-linguistic groups:The...
history. The town was established in 1851 as an administrative centre for a fertile farming area producing citrus
Citrus
Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
fruit, tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
, peanut
Peanut
The peanut, or groundnut , is a species in the legume or "bean" family , so it is not a nut. The peanut was probably first cultivated in the valleys of Peru. It is an annual herbaceous plant growing tall...
s, sunflower
Sunflower
Sunflower is an annual plant native to the Americas. It possesses a large inflorescence . The sunflower got its name from its huge, fiery blooms, whose shape and image is often used to depict the sun. The sunflower has a rough, hairy stem, broad, coarsely toothed, rough leaves and circular heads...
seeds, maize
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
and 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...
. On 10 February 1859, the local Dutch Reformed Church
Dutch Reformed Church
The Dutch Reformed Church was a Reformed Christian denomination in the Netherlands. It existed from the 1570s to 2004, the year it merged with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands to form the Protestant Church in the...
community was established. One of the oldest Boer
Boer
Boer is the Dutch and Afrikaans word for farmer, which came to denote the descendants of the Dutch-speaking settlers of the eastern Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 18th century, as well as those who left the Cape Colony during the 19th century to settle in the Orange Free State,...
settlements in the north, Rustenburg was the home of Paul Kruger
Paul Kruger
Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger , better known as Paul Kruger and affectionately known as Uncle Paul was State President of the South African Republic...
, president of the South African Republic
South African Republic
The South African Republic , often informally known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer-ruled country in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century. Not to be confused with the present-day Republic of South Africa, it occupied the area later known as the South African...
, who bought a 5 square kilometer farm to the north-west of the town in 1863. The homestead on his farm, Boekenhoutfontein
Boekenhoutfontein
Boekenhoutfontein was the farm of Paul Kruger, a 19th Century Boer resistance leader and president of the Transvaal Republic. It is located in Rustenburg, North West Province, South Africa....
, is now the Paul Kruger Country Museum. When the Boer and the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
came to blows in the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
(1899), the territory around Rustenburg became a battlefield. The two sides clashed famously at nearby Mafikeng
Mafikeng
Mahikeng – formerly legally, but still commonly known as Mafikeng – is the capital city of the North-West Province of South Africa. It is best known internationally for the Siege of Mafeking, the most famous engagement of the Second Boer War.Located on South Africa's border with Botswana, it is ...
, where the British garrison found itself under siege for months. These battle sites can be explored from Rustenburg.
Before colonial settlers arrived, the area had been settled by agrarian Setswana speaking tribes for several hundred years.
Rustenburg's population is primarily Tswana people. Many belong to the Royal Bafokeng Nation
Royal Bafokeng Nation
The Royal Bafokeng Nation is the ethnic homeland of the Bafokeng people, a Setswana-speaking traditional community. The monarchy covers in the North West Province of South Africa. The administrative capital is Phokeng, near Rustenburg. "Bafokeng" is used to refer to both the tribal grouping as...
, extensive landowners earning royalties from mining operations. The Royal Bafokeng are descendants of Sotho settler
Settler
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. Settlers are generally people who take up residence on land and cultivate it, as opposed to nomads...
s who displaced the local tribes from the region, which they came to call 'place of dew' (Phokeng). In the early 1800s, the Bafokeng and other Tswana communities were conquered in a series of devastating wars launched by an offshoot of the Zulu kingdom, called the Matabele. The Boers had also fought the Zulu and Matabele, and so the Boers and Tswana found in the Matabele a common enemy. The Tswana and Boers planned together and worked toward defeating the Matabele from a Sotho-Tswana kingdom to the south, and together, they defeated the Matebele. As the Boers settled in the area, called their settlement Rustenburg because they had relatively friendly relations with their Bafokeng allies in the area, and after the many violent military conflicts with other African chiefdoms, such as the Matabele, they believed they could rest ("rusten" in Dutch) in this settlement, whose name literally means "Resting Town." Although had already long lived in the area when the Boers arrived, the Bafokeng bought land rights from the Boers, and they purchased their first tracts of land in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century from the colonial rulers, some in exchange for serving in the Boer Wars. Although these land purchases were technically illegal, Paul Kruger, who would become a president of the Transvaal Boer Republic, but was then a veld kornet, was friendly to the Bafokeng and helped arrange many of these purchases. The majority of people in the region 20 years after the fall of apartheid still live in abject poverty despite the massive profits yielded by the platinum royalties. This has led in recent years to claims of kleptocracy against the 'royal' family and land claim disputes.
Among the first colonial residents of Rustenburg were settlers of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n origin. One of the first families of Indian origin was the Bhyat family, whose contribution to the city's history was marked by the renaming of a major streetname to Fatima Bhayat Street in honour of Fatima Bhyat
Fatima Bhyat
Fatima Bhyat is noted for being one of the first residents of Rustenburg, South Africa, settling in in 1877. In addition, she is noted for being one of the eldest residents, featured in the local newspaper the Rustenburg Herout at age 100 and lived to 107. At 95 years old, Mrs...
who arrived in Rustenburg with her husband in 1877.
With the arrival and successul farming practices of the Afrikaners (Boers)
Boer
Boer is the Dutch and Afrikaans word for farmer, which came to denote the descendants of the Dutch-speaking settlers of the eastern Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 18th century, as well as those who left the Cape Colony during the 19th century to settle in the Orange Free State,...
in the nineteenth century, Rustenburg became a primary agricultural region with vast citrus estates due to the favourable climate and abundant water supply.
Platinum mining in Rustenburg began in 1929, shortly after the discovery of the Platinum Reef by Hans Merensky
Hans Merensky
Hans Merensky was a German South African geologist, prospector, scientist, conservationist and philanthropist...
, later named the Merensky Reef
Merensky Reef
The Merensky Reef, is a layer of igneous rock in the Bushveld Igneous Complex in the Transvaal which together with an underlying layer, the Upper Group 2 Reef , contains most of the world's known reserves of platinum group metals or platinum group elements - platinum, palladium, rhodium,...
.
The town has been transformed from a region recognized around the world since the 19th century for its natural springs and healing environment, as eloquently described in the book 'Rustenburg Romance' by author and poet Eric Rosenthal
Eric Rosenthal
Eric Rosenthal may refer to:*Eric Rosenthal , American human rights supporter and author*Eric Rosenthal , South African historian and author...
into one of the most polluted environments in the late 20th and early 21st century South Africa. The wanton despoliation of the environment through mining has drawn comparisons to the Norilsk
Norilsk
Norilsk is an industrial city in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, located between the Yenisei River and the Taymyr Peninsula. Population: It was granted city status in 1953. It is the northernmost city in Siberia and the world's second largest city north of the Arctic Circle...
complex in Russia, one of the ten most polluted cities in the world.
With the implementation of apartheid after 1948 life became more severe for 'non-whites' with 9pm curfews and the most stringent enforcement of pass laws
Pass laws
Pass laws in South Africa were designed to segregate the population and limit severely the movements of the non-white populace. This legislation was one of the dominant features of the country's apartheid system. The Black population were required to carry these pass books with them when outside...
in the country. This was welcomed by the mining industry as it gave them a tighter grip on the migrant labour which was the backbone of their operations. The pass laws were abolished with the fall of apartheid.
The township of Boitekong on the norththeast side of Rustenburg has one of the highest incidence of AIDS
HIV/AIDS in South Africa
HIV/AIDS in South Africa is a prominent health concern because South Africa is believed to have more people with HIV/AIDS than any other country....
orphans in South Africa Boitekong was the venue for World AIDS Day commemoration in December 2010. The township is in a geographical area which bears the brunt of the catchment area of the toxic effects of the mining industry coupled with a very poor quality of water supply from the local Bospoort Dam
Bospoort Dam
Bospoort Dam is dam on the Hex River, near Rustenburg, North West, South Africa. It was established in 1933. It was originally the main water supply for the town of Rustenburg. In the sixties it was no longer used for drinking water due to contamination from Platinum and Chrome mines in the region...
, the water from which was for decades considered too toxic for human consumption until water shortages in the nineties compelled the purification and supply to Boitekong. Life for the majority under the rule of the 'Royal Bafokeng' has parallels to the apartheid era. In the Apartheid era, forced removals of old settlements were on the basis of racial divide whereas now it is done for installation of massive mining operations sometimes engulfing entire villages. (see 'Rasimone' on Google Earth)
The Royal Bafokeng own the stadium selected as a World Cup 2010 venue, the only 'private' stadium that hosted games in the 2010 World cup. The Royal Bafokeng regard themselves as a 'separate nation' which is in contradiction to the Rainbow nation
Rainbow Nation
Rainbow Nation is a term coined by Archbishop Desmond Tutu to describe post-apartheid South Africa, after South Africa's first fully democratic election in 1994....
espoused by Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
. This 'nationhood' is regarded by many today as a divide and rule
Divide and rule
In politics and sociology, divide and rule is a combination of political, military and economic strategy of gaining and maintaining power by breaking up larger concentrations of power into chunks that individually have less power than the one implementing the strategy...
tactic orchestrated by the mining conglomerates which has subsequently led to the calls for nationalization
Nationalization
Nationalisation, also spelled nationalization, is the process of taking an industry or assets into government ownership by a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to private assets, but may also mean assets owned by lower levels of government, such as municipalities, being...
of the mining industry by the ANC Youth League.
Agriculture in the region has been in constant decline since the decimation of the vast citrus estates of Rustenburg in the 70's and 80's due to pollution from increased smelting and beneficiating processes by mines. There are only a fraction of the original citrus farms remaining.
Comparisons can be drawn between the Klondike gold rush
Klondike Gold Rush
The Klondike Gold Rush, also called the Yukon Gold Rush, the Alaska Gold Rush and the Last Great Gold Rush, was an attempt by an estimated 100,000 people to travel to the Klondike region the Yukon in north-western Canada between 1897 and 1899 in the hope of successfully prospecting for gold...
and the events in Rustenburg in the late 20th and early 21st century which led to it becoming one of the fastest growing cities in South Africa.
In 1990, the first post-Apartheid conference between the Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk
Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk
The Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk is a Reformed Christian denomination in South Africa. It also has a presence in neighboring countries, such as Namibia, Swaziland, and parts of Botswana and Zimbabwe...
(the Dutch Reformed Church in Africa) and the South African churches was held in Rustenburg. During this conference, professor Willie Jonker of the University of Stellenbosch made this confession on behalf of the entire DRC:
"[I] confess before you and before the Lord, not only my own sin and guilt,
and my personal responsibility for the political, social, economic and structural wrongs that have been done to many of you and the results [from] which you and our whole country are still suffering, but vicariously I dare also to do that in the name of the NGK [the white DRC], of which I am a member, and for the Afrikaans people as a whole."
The conference finally resulted in the signing of the Rustenburg Declaration, which moved strongly toward complete confession, forgiveness, and restitution.
Climate
Rustenburg has a temperate humid subtropical climateHumid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters...
(Köppen
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Cwa), although it may be defined subtropical by some sources. It has very warm summers (from December to February) and mild winters (from June to August). Due to the altitude, summers are not quite as hot as one might expect. Precipitation occur mainly in summer.
Platinum hub
Rustenburg acts as a service centre for the many industries here. These include the agricultural communities surrounding the town, the platinumPlatinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal...
mining industry and the local manufacturing and product distribution industries.
Due to the mainly dry climatic conditions, agricultural activity consists of the farming of livestock (cattle and game) and small stock (poultry for egg production). There is also large-scale cultivation of citrus and irrigated crops such as tobacco and wheat, flowers and many plant nurseries.
Most of the mining activity in the region is centred around platinum on the Merensky Reef
Merensky Reef
The Merensky Reef, is a layer of igneous rock in the Bushveld Igneous Complex in the Transvaal which together with an underlying layer, the Upper Group 2 Reef , contains most of the world's known reserves of platinum group metals or platinum group elements - platinum, palladium, rhodium,...
which stretches from west of the Pilanesberg Game Reserve towards Marikana and Brits
Brits, North West
Brits is a large town and district situated in a fertile, citrus, vegetable and grain-producing area that is irrigated by the waters of the Hartbeespoort Dam in North West Province of South Africa. It is close to the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality in Gauteng, which includes Pretoria and...
in the east. The two largest platinum mines in the world are to be found here, and the area also produces asbestos, tin, chrome, lead, marble, granite and slate.
Tourist hub
The city is located on major highway routes and close to 2 major centres, making it a hub for tourist activities. Within the city are some historic churches, including the Anglican Church (1871) and the Dutch Reformed ChurchDutch Reformed Church
The Dutch Reformed Church was a Reformed Christian denomination in the Netherlands. It existed from the 1570s to 2004, the year it merged with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands to form the Protestant Church in the...
(1898–1903), the historic statue of the Voortrekker girl and the Rustenburg Museum.
Communities and battlefields
There are a multitude of sites with cultural and historical significance in and around Rustenburg. This is no surprise, given the many different communities in the area, such as the indigenous Bafokeng, Bakgatla and Botswana tribes, whose totemic tribal traditions are of much interest. There is also the German community of KroondalKroondal, North West
Kroondal is a town situated in North West Province of South Africa with a large German speaking community. It lies on the N4 road.The town grew around a Lutheran mission station that was established in 1858 on the farm Kronendal....
that traces its origins back to 1857.
Many Anglo-Boer and ethnic war battles took place in the area with the districts of Koster
Koster, North West
Koster is a small farming town situated on the watershed between the Orange and Limpopo Rivers in North West Province of South Africa.The town was proclaimed in 1913 and named after Bastiaan Koster, the original farm owner. Koster means "bellringer"....
, Swartruggens
Swartruggens, North West
Swartruggens is a small farming town situated in North West Province of South Africa and was established in 1875.It is 55km from the city of Rustenburg and 69km from the town of Zeerust....
and Rustenburg featuring prominent battlefields, memorial graves and ruined forts. The area also has archaeological remains from the Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
and Stone Age
Stone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
.
Game parks
By far the best known attractions in this area are the major nature reserves that are all within striking distance of Rustenburg itself.- Kgaswane Game Reserve is situated above the town of Rustenburg across a varied habitat of quartzite mountain peaks, it is open to hikers as well as vehicle visitors. It is a 4 257 ha reserve that offers a great range of viewing experiences to wildlife enthusiasts.
- Madikwe Game ReserveMadikwe Game ReserveThe Madikwe Game Reserve is a part of the latest park developments in South Africa. It was opened in 1991 and comprises 750 km² of bushland north of the small town Groot-Marico up to the Botswana border. Madikwe lies on what used to be farm land, but owing to the poor soil type, farming was not...
and Groot Marico Park are huge reserves north of the Pilanesberg, almost half the size of BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. They are conservation and transition zone between the Kalahari sandveld and the thornveld. Madikwe hosts all the major plains species, including the Big FiveBig Five gameThe phrase Big Five game was coined by white hunters and refers to the five most difficult animals in Africa to hunt on foot. The term is still used in most tourist and wildlife guides that discuss African wildlife safaris. The collection consists of the lion, African elephant, cape buffalo,...
and has the second largest concentration of elephants in South Africa. The reserve is one of South Africa's great natural treasures. - Pilanesberg Game Reserve is one of the most accessible South African game reserves. It is located a 1.5 hour drive from Johannesburg and Pretoria and right outside Rustenburg. It is the fourth largest National Park in South Africa and is set high in the Pilanesberg range, traversing the floor of an ancient, long-extinct volcano. Pilanesberg conserves all the major mammal species including lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo.
Holiday resorts
Sun CitySun City, North West
Sun City is a luxury casino and resort, situated in the North West Province of South Africa. It is located about two hours' drive from Johannesburg, near the city of Rustenburg. The complex borders the Pilanesberg Game Reserve.- History :...
and Lost City, located beyond the Pilanesberg Game Reserve, are resorts where visitors can lose themselves in the luxury of an imagined world, with all the modern entertainments one can ask for. The complex is set on the slopes of a picturesque valley in the Pilanesberg Mountains and captures the essence of an ancient African kingdom. Casinos, the Valley of the Waves and two world-renowned championship golf courses are just some of the many attractions.
Sport
- Rustenburg was one of the host cities of the 2010 FIFA World Cup2010 FIFA World CupThe 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
with the 42 000 seat Royal Bafokeng StadiumRoyal Bafokeng StadiumThe Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace is a football, rugby and athletics stadium in Phokeng near Rustenburg, South Africa It was built and is managed by the Royal Bafokeng Nation.. It is used as the home stadium for Premier Soccer League club Platinum Stars...
http://www.southafrica.info/ess_info/sa_glance/facts.htm. - Professional Football Clubs: Platinum StarsPlatinum StarsPlatinum Stars are a South African association football club based in Phokeng near Rustenburg, North West Province that plays in the Premier Soccer League...
- Rustenburg is home to another world-class stadium, Olimpia Park. It hosted some of the 1995 Rugby World Cup1995 Rugby World CupThe 1995 Rugby World Cup was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted and won by South Africa, and was the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country....
games. - The city is a regular venue for numerous sport-clubs incl. Kaizer Chiefs, Platinum LeopardsLeopards (rugby team)The Leopards, are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. They play out of Potchefstroom at Olën Park as well as the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg...
, Springboks, Platinum StarsPlatinum StarsPlatinum Stars are a South African association football club based in Phokeng near Rustenburg, North West Province that plays in the Premier Soccer League...
and various high profile athletics meets. - A local school, Die Hoërskool RustenburgDie Hoërskool RustenburgDie Hoërskool Rustenburg was founded in 1922 in Rustenburg, North West Province, South Africa. It has a rich history and is considered one of the best schools in the old Transvaal.-History:...
is also the school with the most provincial athletes of any school in South AfricaSouth AfricaThe 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...
- Rustenburg Judo Club is one of the strongest clubs in South Africa, dominating the provincial team of North West Province and winning the most medals of any single club in South Africa in SA National Championships over the last 15 years.
- Rustenburg SkyDiving Club - a popular skydiving facility for sports skydiving and parachutingParachutingParachuting, also known as skydiving, is the action of exiting an aircraft and returning to earth with the aid of a parachute. It may or may not involve a certain amount of free-fall, a time during which the parachute has not been deployed and the body gradually accelerates to terminal...
, tandem skydivingTandem skydivingTandem skydiving or tandem parachuting refers to a type of skydiving where a student skydiver is connected via a harness to a tandem instructor. The instructor guides the student through the whole jump from exit through freefall, piloting the canopy, and landing. The student needs only minimal...
, Accelerated FreefallAccelerated FreefallAccelerated freefall is a method of skydiving training. This method of skydiving training is called "accelerated" because the progression is the fastest way to experience solo freefall, normally from 10,000 to 15,000 feet "Above Ground Level"...
(AFF) and static lineStatic lineA static line is a fixed cord attached to a large, stable object. It is used for safety in construction andto open parachutes automatically for paratroopers and novice parachutists.-Use in parachuting:...
courses.
Development
- Rustenburg is also reported to be the fastest growing city in South Africa http://www.england2010.co.uk/Rustenburg.htm.
- Rustenburg is home to the two largest platinumPlatinumPlatinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal...
mines in the world and the world's largest platinum refinery, PMR http://www.angloplatinum.com/ (Precious Metal Refiners), which processes around 70% of the world's platinum. - As a result of the mining activity in the area, there is also an increased focus on social development. Rustenburg is one of only 5 South African cities to have a community foundation, called the Greater Rustenburg Community Foundation (GRCF), that seeks to ensure the regional development reaches all levels of society.
Rustenburg Airfield
Rustenburg AirfieldRustenburg Airfield
Rustenburg Airfield , licensed according to South African Civil Aviation Authority standards, is a municipal airport situated in North West Province of South Africa.-Rustenburg SkyDiving Club:...
(FARG) is the Rustenburg Local Municipality Airfield, licensed according to Civil Aviation Authority
Civil Aviation Authority
This is a list of national and supra-national civil aviation authorities.-See also:* Air route authority between the United States and the People's Republic of China* National Transportation Safety Board -External links:****...
standards. Rustenburg SkyDiving Club operates every weekend year round from the airfield.
Famous people
Famous people with roots in Rustenburg include:- Rory AlecRory AlecRory Alec is the co-founder of GOD TV along with his wife Wendy Alec, and is the network's Chief Executive Officer...
- Christian broadcaster - Johan Botha - Opera singer
- Pik BothaPik BothaRoelof Frederik "Pik" Botha is a former South African politician who served as the country's foreign minister in the last years of the apartheid era...
- Politician and foreign minister (1977–1990) - John CrankoJohn CrankoJohn Cyril Cranko was a choreographer with the Sadler's Wells Ballet and the Stuttgart Ballet....
- Ballet choreographer - Koos du PlessisKoos du PlessisJacobus Johannes du Plessis was a prominent South African singer-songwriter and poet, colloquially known as Koos Doep...
- Singer-songwriter - Frik du PreezFrik du PreezFrederik Christoffel Hendrik "Frik" du Preez is a former South African rugby union player who represented Northern Transvaal and the Springboks. He was born on a farm near Rustenburg and went to school at the Parys High School in Parys...
- Rugby union player - Esta TerBlancheEsta TerBlancheEsta TerBlanche , is a South African actress of Huguenot descent, best known for her roles on television soap operas in both South Africa and the United States.-Career:TerBlanche was born in Rustenburg, North West Province...
- Actress - Andre StanderAndre StanderAndre Stander was a Police Captain at the CID branch of Kempton Park Police Station, South Africa who began robbing banks in the 1970s and later became known in popular media as the head of the "Stander Gang" in the early 1980s...
- Bank robber - Bettie Cilliers-BarnardBettie Cilliers-BarnardBettie Cillers-Barnard was a South African abstract artist, generally known for her large canvases of birds in flight.She was also the mother of well-known South African actress Jana Cilliers....
- Painter