Postmasburg

Province

Postmasburg is a city in the South African province of North Cape. It is the administrative center of the municipality in the district Tsantsabane ZF Mgcawu.

Geography

Postmasburg had 13,692 inhabitants ( 2001 census ) and 2011 already 30 089 inhabitants. To the northwest was the former Township Boichoko that belongs to the city.

Postmasburg is located in the southern Kalahari. East of the city, up to 1615 meters high Asbesberge extend. The city is located about 200 kilometers west of Kimberley, 240 kilometers east of Upington and 67 kilometers north of Griekwastad.

History

In the surrounding area there are numerous traces of the San, who mined already 700 AD, the reflective, shiny hematite. The town was founded after 1833 under the name Sibiling ( Setswana, "place of the mirror 's" ) as a mission station of the London Missionary Society. In the village there Griqua settled, who called him Blinkklip ( " translucent cliff "). The place belonged to Griqualand West, which existed until 1871. 1890 was the place of the founder of the congregation of the Dutch Reformed Church, Dirk Postma, named; 1892 got Postmasburg city rights.

1918 diamonds were found in the vicinity which were henceforth mined by open pit. In 1935, the mine was flooded. 1936 Postmasburg received the status of a municipality.

Economy and Transport

Main source of income is mining. Especially iron ore and manganese ores, but also diamonds are mined. In Lohatla, about 30 kilometers north of Postmasburg, is since the early 1980s, the training center for combat operations of the former South African Defence Force, now the South African National Defence Force.

Postmasburg is connected with a railway track on the railway line Sishen - Saldanha in the north and in the east Kimberley. Iron ores gained here so go to the port Saldanha.

Several regional roads, through Postmasburg. The R385 and R325 lead to the northerly trending R27. Towards the east connects the R385 Postmasburg on the R31 with Barkly West and Kimberley and in a southeasterly direction, crossing the R64 in Campbell with Douglas. The R325 leads south to Griekwastad further than R313 after Prieska and from there as R386 to Carnarvon. The R309, R383 further than that combines Postmasburg among others Kenhardt in the West.

Southeast of the city is an airfield that is not operated on a regular service ( ICAO code: FAPT ).

Attractions

• The church was built in 1908. It consists of dolomite, blue, which was obtained in the vicinity. A statue of Dirk Postma was also made of dolomite.
• Nearby is the Witsand Nature Reserve, which takes its name from the white dunes that form a contrast to the reddish area is located. There are numerous endemic species.