Aliwal North

Province

Aliwal North ( Afrikaans: Aliwal -Noord ) is a company incorporated on May 12, 1849 South African city in the Eastern Cape. It lies on the border with the Free State Province. The Orange River forms the border between the two provinces. 2011, the city had 35,153 inhabitants.

The city is named after the Battle of Aliwal, in which Harry Smith defeated the Sikhs in the First Sikh War.

Economic and demographic situation

Aliwal North lives mainly from agriculture, cattle livestock and tourism. In the city and the surrounding wool, corn and wheat are grown. In the surroundings of the town to win sandstone quarries. Mainly it is a light gray and fine-grained sandstone of the Beaufort Group ( Tarkastad subgroup ). He is a popular building material for the region and beyond. In the city the rock shaped the architecture of old town houses and the Roman Catholic Cathedral.

The tourism experienced in the years after the abolition of apartheid a decline. Many hotels are empty. The visits of the popular hot mineral springs at Aliwal North stagnate at low levels. The introduction of minimum wages in South Africa resulted in Aliwal North to a mass dismissal of farm workers and their migration to urban areas.

The communal organization of Aliwal North is a consequence of apartheid. The most populated part of the blacks lived Township Dukathole of Aliwal North, became an independent city. Here lived and lives a multiple of the population of Aliwal North. Furthermore, the District Hilton is to be mentioned.

Aliwal North is the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Aliwal.

Traffic

Aliwal North is located on the railway line ( Burgersdorp - ) Dreunberg - Aliwal North - Zastron - Sannaspos ( - Bloemfontein ). From here, branched off the 2001 disused branch line to Barkly East. Also between Dreunberg and Sannaspos is currently taking no trains, so that Aliwal North is currently not approached by trains. There is a small airport for domestic flights. The town lies on the national road N6, which also connects with East London Bloemfontein. It is crossed by the R58.

Gallery Township Dukathole

Building a house in Dukathole. The house construction is created as part of a project initiated by the Sisters of the Holy Cross house construction project. In groups of ten participants a house is created in self-help.

Street scene in Dukathole

A larger shack in Dukathole. In the foreground a fitness machine can be seen.

Older detached in Dukathole

Cemetery on the outskirts of Dukathole

Attractions

  • Aliwal North Museum
  • Buffelspruit Nature Reserve
  • Garden of Remembrance

Sons and daughters of the town

  • Bennie Osler (1901-1962), Springbok rugby player
  • Anriette Schoeman ( b. 1977 ), cyclist
  • François Steyn (* 1987), Springbok rugby player
Municipality Maletswai Local Municipality Sir Harry Smith, 1st Baronet East London, Eastern Cape
48733
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