The Towns of Matjhabeng

Welcome to Matjhabeng, pulsing heart of the Free State Goldfields. Situated on top of the gold bearing reefs of the Witwatersrand, Matjhabeng Municipality incorporates the city of Welkom and the towns of Odendaalsrus, Virginia, Hennenman, Allanridge and Ventersburg, with a combined population of more than 400†000 people.

Matjhabeng Municipality came into existence in year 05 December 2000, after 1994 South Africa’s first democratic elections, and incorporated these previously independent municipalities. In addition to these municipalities, former townships such as Meloding, Nyakallong, Kutlwanong, Thabong, Bronville, Harmon, Phomolong and Meloding have been included. Under the administration and protection of Matjhabeng Municipality, significant and continuing advances are being made in improving the infrastructure and living standards of all residents of the area. The majority of the population are employed in the mining sector, which is the economic lifeblood of the region.

The area is rich in South African history, with the first documented settlement of the area in the 1850’s. The area continued to develop as a largely agricultural region, abundant in wildlife.

Welkom (Thabong)         Welkom is the Centre of the industrial and commercial heartland of the Free State, Matjhabeng, previously known as the Goldfields. The city derives its name from the farm “Welkom” upon which precinct it was founded in 1948 by Sir Ernest Oppenheimer, the mining magnate. Legends has it that Sir Ernest had his chauffeur drive him into what has since became the Stateway and stop at the spot situated roughly between the Civic Centre and Central Park. He alighted, holding a spade, dug up a sod of soil and proclaimed: “On this site I s hall build my garden city”. Whatever the truth of legend, people are united in the opinion that Welkom worthy fulfills Sir Ernest’s ideal of establishing a city to meet all the needs of a 21st century community, and one moreover which is ideally suited to supply the demands of industrial and commercial developers. Centrally situated, Welkom is placed within comfortable distance from other major cities. Johannesburg is only 250km away, while the distance to Bloemfontein measures 155km.

Odendaalsrus (Kutlwanong)         Mother town of the Goldfields, the first town to be established in the area was that of Odendaalsrus in 1912. By 1946, this small farming community had only 40 houses and 3 shops. However, the town exploded into life after the confirmed discovery of the richest gold reef in the world in April 1946 on the farm Geduld. Situated between Kroonstad, Allanridge and Welkom, Odendaalsrus once formed the centre of mining activities in the area. Today a tranquil town with its own unique pulse, Odendaalsrus and Kutlwanong together boast a population of approximately 52†000. Kutlwanong is the location of Odendaalsrus and is about 10 kilometres from Odendaalsrus. It’s dominantly consists with black people.

Hennenman (Phomolong)         Hennenman is unusual within Matjhabeng’s economic make-up in that it has well-balanced economy based mainly on agriculture, an anomaly in an area in which most income is derived from mining and industry. Before the town was officially established it was birthed as a railway station, Venterdorp. This name was changed to Hennenman Station in 1927, after a prominent local farmer. The town began to grow in earnest after the discovery of gold between Hennenman and Odendaalsrus in 1946 and was proclaimed a municipality in 1947. Hennenman and Phomolong have a population of approximately 25 000, which has been boosted by the recent inclusion of Whites, a self-sustaining private town with its own golf course, originally established for the cement factory. Phomolong township emerged from the forcefully removed old location near Hennenman town, which was then used as Ventersburg station. Historically, the old location, where mostly black people resided, came into existence in 1944. It was located on the Southern part of the train main lines. Bremer Milling Company is situated at the place where black people lived in peace. They were the neighbours of the other race group – white people. The area was near the shops that formed the central business area. They would go there on foot. The Nel Administration was running the local Municipality Affairs by then. The fateful day came in 1950, where black people were told to vacate the area. They were not given reasons, as to why black people had to leave the place. The unconfirmed reasons were that the black people were making a lot of noise and their children were playing in town. However, before that fateful day, many of black people learned, there were houses built in another area, not so far, though they did not know the motive thereof. The administration began to ferry people by force to a new place unknown to many. However, there were those who resisted strongly against this removal. When heads of the resistant families were at work, the administration used the caterpillars to demolish the dwellings and ferried their families by trucks to a new place which is about 15 kilometres. Phomolong location, as it is known today, came into existence in 1950. However, it was jokingly called “Vergenoeg” an Afrikaans word – meaning, far away enough. Then the name Phomolong came up, to related to present situation. Some of the prominent people used to say, now that our people are living the old location are going to rest.

Allanridge (Nyakallong)         Named in honour of the late Alan Roberts, whose pioneering geological and prospecting work was key in the eventual discovery of gold and development of the Goldfields, Allanridge was founded as a settlement in 1947, although it was only proclaimed as a town in 1956. Home of the Lorraine Gold Mine, one of the biggest in the Goldfields, Allanridge is a town of sunshine, and the thousands of flamingos who make the area their home provide natural beauty. Nyakallong location was established by the mine workers working at Loraine mine and started as dwelling for mine workers only as many were expected to have their permanent place were they come from. Nyakallong is about 3 kilometres from Allanridge. It consists with various ethnics groups, Ba-Sotho, Amaxhosa and Amaxulu as they form part languages mainly spoken.

Ventersburg (Mamahabane)         Ventersburg was named after the pioneer, PA Venter, of the farm Kromfontein, who died in 1857. Ventersburg’s early history is closed connected to the history of the Reform Church, as Ventersburg was the third Reform Church congregation established in 1864. In 1871 the first erven, which were part of the farm Kromfontein, were sold. The house of Assembly on 6 May 1873 declared Ventersburg a town in the Winburg District. The Dutch Reform Church was built in 1891 and it was burnt down in 1900 with the occupation of the British of Ventersburg. A new Dutch reform Church was built in 1912. In 1903 Ventersburg Municiplity was established. In 1939 Ventersburg was electrified. Today the town uses ESKOM electricity. It is almost impossible for a traveller to pass Ventersburg, as it is situated next to the North to South N1 road. Since its establishment the town served a large and thriving farming community. The development of the Free State Goldfield in the fifties expedited the growth and development of Ventersburg, which is situated on the edge of the goldfields. There are many people staying in Ventersburg and working in the goldfields.

Virginia (Meloding)