Standerton
Encyclopedia
Standerton is a large commercial and agricultural town lying on the banks of the Vaal River
in Mpumalanga
, South Africa
which specialises in cattle
, dairy
, maize
and poultry
farming. The town was established in 1876 and named after Boer
leader Commadant AH Stander. During the Second Boer War
a British garrison in the town was besieged by the Boers for 3 months. General Jan Smuts won this seat during elections and went on to assist in setting up the League of Nations
. Standerton is part of the Lekwa Local Municipality
http://www.standerton.com/lekwamunicipality.html.
) Hendrik Stander who was born 12 December 1817 districk George. In 1864 he bought the farm. Stander died 1896 and is buried in Standerton. A syndicate bought the farm in 1875 from Stander and the town was proclaimed on 14 December 1878.
memorial. The memorial, in front of the municipality building was built to mark the 150th anniversary of the Great Trek. The ANC-controlled Lekwa municipality's mayor Queen Radebe-Khumalo ordered the destruction of the memorial in April 2007. "That piece of thing means nothing to us. It's just a piece of cement with tracks. I do not even know where it comes from", Radebe-Khumalo was quoted as saying by the Beeld
newspaper. The destruction led to wide condemnation in the Afrikaans community. "Actions like these undo the spirit of reconciliation as promoted by former president Nelson Mandela
and Archbishop Desmond Tutu
", said Jan Bosman, spokesperson for the Afrikanerbond. In June 2007, a joint initiative between Afriforum and trade union Solidarity lodged an application to the Pretoria
High Court; instructing that the mayor personally pay for damage to the memorial. A court order ruled that the mayor and her municipality must pay for the damage and it also prohibits Radebe-Khumalo and the municipality from destroying a memorial commemorating women and children who died in Anglo-Boer war concentration camps.
In May 2010, the monument was rebuilt in its original location after a court ruling went in its favour.
in October 2009http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=2939&art_id=vn20091022042558204C703996 to which they belonged.
Vaal River
The Vaal River is the largest tributary of the Orange River in South Africa. The river has its source in the Drakensberg mountains in Mpumalanga, east of Johannesburg and about 30 km north of Ermelo and only about 240 km from the Indian Ocean. It then flows westwards to its conjunction...
in Mpumalanga
Mpumalanga
Mpumalanga , is a province of South Africa. The name means east or literally "the place where the sun rises" in Swazi, Xhosa, Ndebele and Zulu. Mpumalanga lies in eastern South Africa, north of KwaZulu-Natal and bordering Swaziland and Mozambique. It constitutes 6.5% of South Africa's land area...
, 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...
which specialises in 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...
, dairy
Dairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk—mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned...
, 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...
and poultry
Poultry
Poultry are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of producing eggs, meat, and/or feathers. These most typically are members of the superorder Galloanserae , especially the order Galliformes and the family Anatidae , commonly known as "waterfowl"...
farming. The town was established in 1876 and named after 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,...
leader Commadant AH Stander. During 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...
a British garrison in the town was besieged by the Boers for 3 months. General Jan Smuts won this seat during elections and went on to assist in setting up the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
. Standerton is part of the Lekwa Local Municipality
Lekwa Local Municipality
Lekwa Local Municipality, is a South African Local Municipality situated in the Gert Sibande District Municipality, of Mpumalanga. Standerton is the Seat of the municipality.- Towns :*Azalea,*Meyerville,*Morgenzon,*Sakhile,*Sakhile Informal,*Sivukile,...
http://www.standerton.com/lekwamunicipality.html.
History
Standerton was named after the owner of the farm "Grootverlangen" Nr.156.Adriaan (AndreAndre
The name Andre or André may be one of these people. The given name is a French and Portuguese form of Andrew.-First name: * André A Saint Lucian entertainer* Andre The Giant, a pro wrestler* Andre Agassi, an American tennis professional...
) Hendrik Stander who was born 12 December 1817 districk George. In 1864 he bought the farm. Stander died 1896 and is buried in Standerton. A syndicate bought the farm in 1875 from Stander and the town was proclaimed on 14 December 1878.
Great Trek memorial controversy
The town has received nationwide media attention in 2007 and 2008 following the destruction of a Great TrekGreat Trek
The Great Trek was an eastward and north-eastward migration away from British control in the Cape Colony during the 1830s and 1840s by Boers . The migrants were descended from settlers from western mainland Europe, most notably from the Netherlands, northwest Germany and French Huguenots...
memorial. The memorial, in front of the municipality building was built to mark the 150th anniversary of the Great Trek. The ANC-controlled Lekwa municipality's mayor Queen Radebe-Khumalo ordered the destruction of the memorial in April 2007. "That piece of thing means nothing to us. It's just a piece of cement with tracks. I do not even know where it comes from", Radebe-Khumalo was quoted as saying by the Beeld
Beeld
Beeld is an Afrikaans language daily newspaper that was launched on 16 September 1974. Beeld is distributed in five provinces of South Africa: Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, North West and KwaZulu-Natal. Die Beeld was an Afrikaans language Sunday newspaper in the late 1960s...
newspaper. The destruction led to wide condemnation in the Afrikaans community. "Actions like these undo the spirit of reconciliation as promoted by former president 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...
and Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Desmond Tutu
Desmond Mpilo Tutu is a South African activist and retired Anglican bishop who rose to worldwide fame during the 1980s as an opponent of apartheid...
", said Jan Bosman, spokesperson for the Afrikanerbond. In June 2007, a joint initiative between Afriforum and trade union Solidarity lodged an application to the Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
High Court; instructing that the mayor personally pay for damage to the memorial. A court order ruled that the mayor and her municipality must pay for the damage and it also prohibits Radebe-Khumalo and the municipality from destroying a memorial commemorating women and children who died in Anglo-Boer war concentration camps.
In May 2010, the monument was rebuilt in its original location after a court ruling went in its favour.
Sakhile Township riots
The township of Sakhile near Standerton was the site of violent, service delivery riots that led to the Lekwa Municipality mayor, her royal highness Juliet Queen Radebe-Khumalo and other (corrupt) municipal office bearers being fired by the African National CongressAfrican National Congress
The African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
in October 2009http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=2939&art_id=vn20091022042558204C703996 to which they belonged.