Thabazimbi
Encyclopedia
Thabazimbi is an iron
mining town in the Limpopo
province of South Africa
. The town is situated at the feet of the Ysterberg and is surrounded by the Witfonteinrand and Boshofberg with the majestic Kransberg in the background. The name Thabazimbi means mountain of iron because of the large iron ore reef that was discovered in 1919 by J.H. Williams. The mine boasts one of the largest mining shafts in Africa. More than 2 million tons of ore are mined every year and hauled by train to Mittal
's iron and steel works. The railway line from Rustenburg reached the area in the 1930s and full scale iron and steel
production began. The town was proclaimed in 1953. Kumba Iron Ore, previously Kumba Resources
, is now the principal operator of the iron ore mine.
The Marakele National Park
about 20 km north-east of the town and situated in the heart of Waterberg Mountains characterised by contrasting mountain landscapes, hills and valleys, as well a variety of wildlife. Marakele National Park is also the home of some of the Tuli Elephants that were caught up in controversy in 1999 involving animal cruelty in South Africa.
In the post-apartheid era, the town made headlines in 2003 as the site of Kamp Staaldraad
, the Springboks'
infamous training camp prior to the Rugby World Cup
. The excesses of Kamp Staaldraad helped lead to an almost complete housecleaning of the upper administrative levels of South African rugby union
.
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
mining town in the Limpopo
Limpopo
Limpopo is the northernmost province of South Africa. The capital is Polokwane, formerly named Pietersburg. The province was formed from the northern region of Transvaal Province in 1994, and initially named Northern Transvaal...
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...
. The town is situated at the feet of the Ysterberg and is surrounded by the Witfonteinrand and Boshofberg with the majestic Kransberg in the background. The name Thabazimbi means mountain of iron because of the large iron ore reef that was discovered in 1919 by J.H. Williams. The mine boasts one of the largest mining shafts in Africa. More than 2 million tons of ore are mined every year and hauled by train to Mittal
Mittal
Mittal was once an enormous worldwide steel company before merging to create ArcelorMittal.Mittal is a gotra in the Agrawal community in India that is often used as a family name...
's iron and steel works. The railway line from Rustenburg reached the area in the 1930s and full scale iron and steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
production began. The town was proclaimed in 1953. Kumba Iron Ore, previously Kumba Resources
Kumba Resources
Exxaro Resources is a large coal and heavy minerals mining company in South Africa. It is also the largest South African based mining company in the country. The company operates facilities and offices in Africa, Asia, Europe and Australia.-External links:******...
, is now the principal operator of the iron ore mine.
The Marakele National Park
Marakele National Park
Marakele National Park is a National Park that is part of the Waterberg Biosphere in Limpopo Province, South Africa.-Flora and fauna:...
about 20 km north-east of the town and situated in the heart of Waterberg Mountains characterised by contrasting mountain landscapes, hills and valleys, as well a variety of wildlife. Marakele National Park is also the home of some of the Tuli Elephants that were caught up in controversy in 1999 involving animal cruelty in South Africa.
In the post-apartheid era, the town made headlines in 2003 as the site of Kamp Staaldraad
Kamp Staaldraad
Kamp Staaldraad was a military-style "boot camp" organized as a "team building" exercise for the South African national rugby union team, the Springboks , during their preparation for the 2003 Rugby World Cup...
, the Springboks'
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
infamous training camp prior to the Rugby World Cup
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
. The excesses of Kamp Staaldraad helped lead to an almost complete housecleaning of the upper administrative levels of South African rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
.