Rustenburg

Coordinates: 25°40′00″S 27°14′34″E / 25.66667°S 27.24278°E / -25.66667; 27.24278
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For other uses, see Rustenburg (disambiguation).

Rustenburg
Postal code (street)
0300
Area code014
WebsiteRustenburg Local Municipality

Rustenburg (

GDP of South Africa. Rustenburg was one of the official host cities of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, being in close proximity to Phokeng, the capital of the Royal Bafokeng Nation, where the Royal Bafokeng Stadium is located. The England national football team
also used this as their base camp for the tournament.

History

Mfecane

Before European settlers arrived, the area had been settled by agrarian

Setswana
-speaking tribes

Rustenburg's population is primarily

Boer Wars. Although these land purchases were technically illegal,[citation needed
] Paul Kruger, who would become a president of the Transvaal Boer Republic, but was then a veld kornet, was friendly to the Bafokeng and helped arrange many of these purchases. A public hospital has been named after Paul Kruger.

Establishment

Rustenburg was established in 1851 as an administrative centre for an Afrikaner farming area that produced citrus fruit, tobacco, peanuts, sunflower seeds, maize, wheat and cattle. On 10 February 1859, the Reformed Churches in South Africa was founded under a Syringa tree, now commemorated with a memorial. Rustenburg was the home of Paul Kruger, president of the South African Republic, who bought a 5 square kilometer farm to the north-west of the town in 1863. The homestead on his farm, Boekenhoutfontein, is now the Paul Kruger Country Museum. When the Boer and the British came to blows in the Second Boer War (1899), the territory around Rustenburg became a battlefield. The two sides clashed at nearby Mafikeng, where the British garrison found itself under siege for months.

Among the early residents of Rustenburg were settlers of Indian origin. One of the first families of Indian origin was the Bhyat family, whose contribution to the city's history was marked by the renaming of a major street name to Fatima Bhayat Street in honour of Fatima Bhyat who arrived in Rustenburg with her husband in 1877.

Platinum mining in Rustenburg began in 1929, shortly after the discovery of the Platinum Reef by Hans Merensky, later named the Merensky Reef. The mine is located about 3 km from the town centre and owned and managed by the Anglo American plc. According to legend, the farmer that owned the land sold the mineral rights to Anglo American for R10 000.

Post-Apartheid

The township of Boitekong on the northeast side of Rustenburg has one of the highest incidences of AIDS orphans in South Africa[9] Rustenburg was the venue for World AIDS Day commemoration in December 2010.[10] The township is in a geographical area which bears the brunt of the catchment area of the toxic effects of the mining industry coupled with a very poor quality of water supply from the local Bospoort Dam, the water from which was for decades considered too toxic for human consumption until water shortages in the nineties compelled the purification and supply to Boitekong. Life for the majority under the rule of the 'Royal Bafokeng' has parallels to the apartheid era. In the Apartheid era, forced removals of old settlements were on the basis of racial divide whereas now it is done for installation of massive mining operations sometimes engulfing entire villages.[citation needed]

The Royal Bafokeng company own the stadium selected as a World Cup 2010 venue, the only 'private' stadium that hosted games in the 2010 World cup. The Royal Bafokeng regard themselves as a 'separate nation' which is in contradiction to the

ANC Youth League. The majority of people in the region 20 years after the fall of apartheid still live in abject poverty despite the massive profits yielded by the platinum royalties. This has led in recent years to claims of kleptocracy against the 'royal' family and land claim disputes.[original research?
]

Agriculture in the region has been in constant decline since the decimation of the vast citrus estates of Rustenburg in the 1970s and 1980s due to pollution from increased smelting and beneficiating processes by mines. There are only a fraction of the original citrus farms remaining.[citation needed]

In 1990, the first post-Apartheid conference between the

Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk
(the Dutch Reformed Church in Africa) and the South African churches was held in Rustenburg. During this conference, professor Willie Jonker of the University of Stellenbosch made this confession on behalf of the entire DRC:

"[I] confess before you and before the Lord, not only my own sin and guilt, and my personal responsibility for the political, social, economic and structural wrongs that have been done to many of you and the results [from] which you and our whole country are still suffering, but vicariously I dare also to do that in the name of the NGK [the white DRC], of which I am a member, and for the Afrikaans people as a whole."[11]

The conference finally resulted in the signing of the Rustenburg Declaration, which moved strongly toward complete confession, forgiveness, and restitution.[12]

Climate

Rustenburg has a

diurnal temperature variation
due to the high elevation. It has very warm summers (from December to February) and mild winters (from June to August). Due to the altitude, summers are not quite as hot as one might expect. Precipitation occurs mainly in summer. There is occasional frost at night in winter.

Climate data for Rustenburg
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 30.3
(86.5) 		29.4
(84.9) 		28.3
(82.9) 		25.5
(77.9) 		21.6
(70.9) 		20.4
(68.7) 		20.9
(69.6) 		23.7
(74.7) 		27.3
(81.1) 		28.7
(83.7) 		29.4
(84.9) 		30.1
(86.2) 		26.5
(79.7)
Daily mean °C (°F) 23.8
(74.8) 		23.1
(73.6) 		21.7
(71.1) 		18.3
(64.9) 		14.9
(58.8) 		11.8
(53.2) 		11.8
(53.2) 		14.4
(57.9) 		18.5
(65.3) 		20.8
(69.4) 		22.1
(71.8) 		23.1
(73.6) 		18.7
(65.7)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 17.1
(62.8) 		16.8
(62.2) 		15.0
(59.0) 		11.2
(52.2) 		6.5
(43.7) 		3.2
(37.8) 		2.8
(37.0) 		5.1
(41.2) 		9.6
(49.3) 		12.9
(55.2) 		14.9
(58.8) 		16.1
(61.0) 		10.9
(51.6)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 115
(4.5) 		100
(3.9) 		95
(3.7) 		37
(1.5) 		18
(0.7) 		9
(0.4) 		7
(0.3) 		8
(0.3) 		18
(0.7) 		55
(2.2) 		86
(3.4) 		113
(4.4) 		661
(26)
Source: Rustenburg Local Municipality[13]

Demographics 2011

  • Area: 3,423.23 square kilometres (1,321.72 sq mi)
  • Population: 549,575
  • Households: 335,776
  • 3.5% growth
Gender Population %
Female 247,779 45.09
Male 301,796 54.91
Race Population %
Black 486,411 52.8
White
 222,028 40.4
Coloured
 4,862 1
Asian
 4,215 1
First language Population %
IsiZulu 15,000 3
IsiXhosa 51,000 10
Afrikaans 53,000 10
Setswana 296,000 54
English 29,000 5
Other

Tourist hub

The city is located on major highway routes and close to 2 major centres, making it a hub for tourist activities. Within the city are some historic churches and Mosque, including the

Anglican Church (1871), the Dutch Reformed Church
(1898–1903) and the Zinniaville Jamme Mosque in Zinniaville, the historic statue of the Voortrekker girl and the Rustenburg Museum. There are many Shopping centers which bring in an influx of people from around Rustenburg such as Waterfall mall, Rustenburg mall, Sun Central, Greystone Crossing and Platinum square where one can go shopping and dining. Rustenburg has much to entertain which include Golf Courses, hot Air ballooning, mountain climbing, hiking, the famous Ten Flags Theme park and much more. Rustenburg is also close to Magaliesburg which offers a number of restaurants and outdoor activities.

Communities and battlefields

There are several sites of cultural and historical significance in and around Rustenburg. Some of these related to the indigenous Bafokeng, Bakgatla and Botswana tribes, whose totemic tribal traditions are of interest.[

Kroondal
that traces its origins back to 1857.

A number of Anglo-Boer and ethnic war battles took place in the area with the districts of

Swartruggens and Rustenburg featuring battlefields, memorial graves and ruined forts. The area also has archaeological remains from the Iron Age and Stone Age
.

Nature reserves

Key attractions in this area include the nature reserves around Rustenburg. This includes:

  • Kgaswane Nature Reserve is situated above the town of Rustenburg, In Waterfall Park, Cashan across a varied habitat of quartzite mountain peaks, it is open to hikers as well as vehicle visitors. It is a 4,257 ha reserve.
  • Big Five
    and has the second largest concentration of elephants in South Africa.
  • Pilanesberg Game Reserve
    is one of the most accessible South African game reserves. It is located a 1.5-hour drive from Johannesburg and Pretoria, outside Rustenburg. It is the fourth largest National Park in South Africa and is set in the Pilanesberg range, traversing the floor of a long-extinct volcano. Pilanesberg conserves all the major mammal species including lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo.

Holiday destination

Sun City and the Lost City resorts located within the crater of the dormant volcano which the Pilanesberg Game Reserve lies above. The complex is set on the slopes of a valley in the Pilanesberg Mountains. Sun City is a world renown destination by Sun International and remains one of the best resorts in Southern Africa. Tourist amenities include a shopping mall, casinos, the 'Valley of the Waves' and two championship golf courses.[citation needed
]

Protea hotel hunters rest borders the Kgaswane Nature reserve. Just 5 km from Waterfall mall. There are many amenities at this resort including, hiking, swimming, golf, horse riding, and game drives.

Shopping

Waterfall Mall nestled in Waterfall Park of Cashan in Rustenburg. Offers indoor shopping with just around 200 shops to visit.

Platinum Square, Lifestyle Square, Rustenburg Square are all owned by a single company located within Rustenburg. These Shopping locations are central to different areas of the city and all offer anchor Supermarkets and a variety of other shops.

Boitekong Mall . Waterfall Mall, Phokeng Mall, Tlhabane Square- located in Tlhabane, Rustenburg Mall, Moruleng mall, Suncity village shopping centre.

Sport

Royal Bafokeng Stadium

Development

Rustenburg is home to the two largest platinum mines in the world and the world's largest platinum refinery, PMR Home (Precious Metal Refiners), which processes around 70% of the world's platinum. As a result of the mining activity in this mineral-rich area, there is also an increased focus on social development. Rustenburg is one of only 5 South African cities to have a community foundation, called the Greater Rustenburg Community Foundation (GRCF), that seeks to ensure the regional development reaches all levels of society.[citation needed]

Transformation of Rustenburg into a Smart City

Rustenburg has been highly dependent on

high-rise landmark buildings and skyscrapers as part of the smart space planning and smart maximization of land usage that sustainably creates breathing room for people to move, live, work and play.[19][20][21][22][23]

Rustenburg Rapid Transport Project (RRT)

As at the end of the 2017/18 financial year, the

Transitway Rustenburg Rapid Transport (RRT) Bus rapid transit lanes, walk ways and 17 Sub-stations.[24][25][26] After completion, 37 safe and clean enclosed stations on the trunk lines stations will be fully operational along 40 km (25 mi) of road using at least 100 articulated buses to transport passengers along the main corridors. On completion of Phase 1 of the 4 phase project, the RRT is projected to deliver 225 000 passenger trips a day through 13 routes, 240 bus stops and 15 BRT stations using around 268 buses.[27] While Bus rapid transit is one of the components of the RRT system design, it will not be an exclusively BRT driven operation. The routes have been planned to integrate with bus routes servicing townships, suburbs and outlying village areas as well as long-distance bus services, which will work in unison to move people around the city and region.[28]

Transport

Civil Aviation Authority standards.[29] Rustenburg SkyDiving Club operates every weekend year round from the airfield.[30] It currently has a 1225m long and 15m runway and serves small planes for skydiving and parachuting. As part of Rustenburg's Aerodrome Master Plan, the Airfield will receive an upgrade.[31]

Pilanesberg Game Reserve and mainly serves tourists visiting the Sun City resort. It has a 2750m long and 30m wide runway and handles about 8000 passengers per year.[32]

The other nearest international airport to Rustenburg situated 140 km (87 mi) south-easterly is the

O.R. Tambo International Airport
.

Two interprovincial rail lines traverse Rustenburg. One is in the middle part of Rustenburg connecting Rustenburg eastwards to

Koster. There is a possibility of upgrading the existing Rustenburg Railway network to better cater to passengers as part of the city's revitalization.[33] Previously, the railway lines served long-distance passengers, but are now only used for transporting platinum and chrome
concentrates to smelters.

The Rustenburg Rapid Transport (RRT) Bus rapid transit network will incorporate 40 km (25 mi) (half bi-directional) transport networks, walk ways and 17 sub-stations with and over 260 buses.[34][35]

Education

Schools in Rustenburg include:

  • Boikagong Secondary School
  • Tlhabane West Primary School
  • Abana primary school
  • Bergsig Akademie/Academy[36]
  • Die Hoërskool Rustenburg[37]
  • HS Grenswag[38]
  • Zinniaville Secondary School[39]
  • Rustenburg Technical High School[40]
  • Grenville High School[41]
  • Rauwane Sepeng
  • Fields College[42]
  • Selly Park Convent Primary School[43]
  • Selly Park Secondary School[44]
  • Geelhout Park High School[45]
  • H.F Tlou High School
  • President Mangope Technical and Commercial High School
  • Tlhabane Technical and Commercial High School
  • Bafokeng High School
  • Grenswag HS
  • Lebone II College
  • Rustenburg Educational College[46]
  • Kele Secondary School[47]
  • Meridian Private School[48]
  • J M Ntsime High School
  • Keledi High School
  • Vastrap primary
  • Proteapark primary[49]
  • Deo Gloria Christian Academy
  • Karlienpark Primary School
  • Khayalethu Secondary School
  • Bothibello Primary School
  • Nur-ul-Iman Muslim School
  • Itumeleng Secondary School
  • Tswaidi High School
  • Mmanape High School
  • Motladi Kgoadi Goadi Primary School
  • Bosabosele Primary School
  • Nkukise Primary School
  • Matale Secondary School

Higher education & further education colleges include:

Other Tertiary Education Institutions close to Rustenburg:

International relations

Rustenburg is twinned with:

Notable people

Famous people with roots in Rustenburg include:

References

  1. ^ "© Statistics South Africa". Stats SA. Stats SA. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  2. ^ "© 2020 Rustenburg Local Municipality". Rustenburg Local Municipality.
  3. ^ a b c d "Main Place Rustenburg City". Census 2011.
  4. ^ "South African History Online - Rustenburg". sahistory.org.za. South African History Online (SAHO). Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  5. ^ "© Statistics South Africa - Rustenburg". cs2016.statssa.gov.za. Stats SA. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  6. ^ "© North West Provincial Government - NORTH WEST PROVINCE PROFILE 2017" (PDF). nwpg.gov.za/. North West Provincial Government. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  7. ^ "2020 IDG Communications, Inc. - Rustenburg: World Platinum Capital Deploys Smart City 'Gold Mine'". cio.com. International Data Group. 14 March 2019. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  8. ^ "Rustenburg: World Platinum Capital Deploys Smart City 'Gold Mine' - 2019 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd". e.huawei.com. Huawei. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  9. ^ "72 000 new infections in 6 months". News24. 1 December 2010. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
  10. ^ "M Masike: World AIDS Day (English)". Info.gov.za. Archived from the original on 28 March 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
  11. ISBN 0-385-47546-2
    .
  12. ^ "The Rustenburg Declaration" (PDF). 1990. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 13 December 2010.
  13. ^ "Rustenburg State of Environment". Archived from the original on 14 June 2010. Retrieved 13 June 2010.
  14. ^ "South Africa: fast facts". SouthAfrica.info. Archived from the original on 19 February 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
  15. ^ SkyDive Rustenburg, SkyDive Rustenburg website link retrieved 14 March 2010
  16. ^ "Parachute Association of South Africa". Para.co.za. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
  17. ^ "Economic Dependence on a Single Industry". e.huawei.com. e.huawei.com.
  18. ^ "The Impact of Platinum Mining in Rustenburg - A High-level Analysis" (PDF). eunomix.com/. Eunomix Research.
  19. ^ "Rustenburg Master Plan" (PDF). rustenburg.gov.za. Rustenburg Local Municipality.
  20. ^ "Rustenburg Smart City Case - World Platinum Capital Deploys Smart City 'Gold Mine' of Intelligence". e.huawei.com/. Huawei. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  21. ^ "Rustenburg - Smart City: World Platinum Capital Deploys Smart City 'Gold Mine' of Intelligence". cio.com. IDG Communications, Inc. 14 March 2019.
  22. ^ "Live smart: Invest in this smart city of the future". century21.co.za. century21.co.za.
  23. ^ "Rustenburg Master Plan Official Page". rustenburg.gov.za. Rustenburg Local Municipality.
  24. ^ "Rustenburg Rapid Transport (RRT)". rustenburg.gov.za. Rustenburg Local Municipality. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  25. ^ "Rustenburg Rapid Transport project, South Africa". engineeringnews.co.za. engineeringnews.co.za. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  26. ^ "RUSTENBURG RAPID TRANSPORT SYSTEM". concretetrends.co.za. concretetrends.co.za/. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  27. ^ "Rustenburg Rapid Transport project, South Africa: Project Description". engineeringnews.co.za. engineeringnews.co.za/. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  28. ^ "Ya Rona Bus Service Launch". rustenburg.gov.za. rustenburg.gov.za. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  29. ^ South African Civil Aviation Authority, CAA website link retrieved 14 March 2010
  30. ^ SkyDive Rustenburg, SkyDive Rustenburg website link retrieved 25 June 2010
  31. ^ "Part1 RLM Visioning & Programme Report" (PDF). rustenburg.gov.za. Rustenburg Local Municipality.
  32. ^ "Airports" (PDF). rustenburg.gov.za. Rustenburg Local Municipality.
  33. ^ "Rail Network" (PDF). rustenburg.gov.za. Rustenburg Local Municipality.
  34. ^ "Rustenburg Rapid Transport System". rustenburg.gov.za. Rustenburg Local Municipality.
  35. ^ "RUSTENBURG RAPID TRANSPORT". engineeringnews.co.za. engineeringnews.co.za. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  36. ^ "Bergsig Academy/Akademie". Retrieved 10 April 2012.
  37. ^ "Rustenburg HS". Retrieved 10 April 2012.
  38. ^ "HS Grenswag ~ Die Skool wat Omgee!". Grenswag.co.za. 16 April 2012. Archived from the original on 25 May 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
  39. ^ "Zinniaville Secondary School". Retrieved 6 June 2012.
  40. ^ "TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL, Rustenburg | Powered by Brabys". Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  41. ^ "Grenville High School". grenvillehigh.co.za. grenvillehigh.co.za.
  42. ^ "Fields College". fieldscollege.co.za. fieldscollege.co.za.
  43. ^ "Selly Park Primary". sellypark.co.za. sellypark.co.za.
  44. ^ "Selly Park Secondary". spss.org.za. spss.org.za.
  45. ^ "Geelhoutpark High". studentportal.org.za. studentportal.org.za.
  46. ^ "REC". rec.co.za. rec.co.za.
  47. ^ "Schooldirect.org - Kele Info". schooldirect.org. schooldirect.org.
  48. ^ "Meridian Rustenburg". curro.co.za. curro.co.za.
  49. ^ "Laerskool Proteapark". lsproteapark.co.za. lsproteapark.co.za.
  50. ^ "UNISA". unisa.ac.za. UNISA.
  51. ^ "Rock of Springs - SA College". rockofspringscollege.co.za. rockofspringscollege.co.za.
  52. ^ "Boston City Campus". boston.co.za. boston.co.za.
  53. ^ "Global Tech College". globaltechfetcollege.com. globaltechfetcollege.com.
  54. ^ "MSC College". msccollege.co.za. msccollege.co.za.
  55. ^ "ORBIT". orbitcollege.co.za. orbitcollege.co.za.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rustenburg.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rustenburg&oldid=1220865408"