Middelburg is a large farming and industrial town in the

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

n province of

Mpumalanga Mpumalanga () is a province of South Africa. The name means "East", or literally "The Place Where the Sun Rises" in the Swazi, Xhosa, Ndebele and Zulu languages. Mpumalanga lies in eastern South Africa, bordering Eswatini and Mozambique. It ...

History

It was initially established as a halfway station between Lydenburg and Pretoria by the

Republic of Lydenburg Lydenburg, officially known as Mashishing, is a town in Thaba Chweu Local Municipality, on the Mpumalanga highveld, South Africa. It is situated on the Sterkspruit/Dorps River tributary of the Lepelle River at the summit of the Long Tom Pass. ...

in 1860. That republic would merge with the

South African Republic The South African Republic ( nl, Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek, abbreviated ZAR; af, Suid-Afrikaanse Republiek), also known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer Republic in Southern Africa which existed from 1852 to 1902, when it ...

(ZAR) soon afterwards. The proposed town was established on two farms, ''Klipfontein'' and ''Keerom'' but when the

Dutch Reformed Church The Dutch Reformed Church (, abbreviated NHK) was the largest Christian denomination in the Netherlands from the onset of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century until 1930. It was the original denomination of the Dutch Royal Family and ...

established a church next door on the farm ''Sterkfontein'', the town would be moved there. It was established as Nasareth, in

1864 Events January–March * January 13 – American songwriter Stephen Foster ("Oh! Susanna", "Old Folks at Home") dies aged 37 in New York City, leaving a scrap of paper reading "Dear friends and gentle hearts". His parlor song " ...

by the Voortrekkers on the banks of the

Klein Olifants River Klein may refer to: People *Klein (surname) * Klein (musician) Places *Klein (crater), a lunar feature * Klein, Montana, United States *Klein, Texas, United States * Klein (Ohm), a river of Hesse, Germany, tributary of the Ohm * Klein River, a r ...

. It was changed in

1872 Events January–March * January 12 – Yohannes IV is crowned Emperor of Ethiopia in Axum, the first ruler crowned in that city in over 500 years. * February 2 – The government of the United Kingdom buys a number of forts on ...

to Middelburg to mark its location between the

Transvaal Transvaal is a historical geographic term associated with land north of (''i.e.'', beyond) the Vaal River in South Africa. A number of states and administrative divisions have carried the name Transvaal. * South African Republic (1856–1902; af, ...

capital

Pretoria Pretoria () is South Africa's administrative capital, serving as the seat of the Executive (government), executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to South Africa. Pretoria straddles the Apies River and extends ...

, and the

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...

mining town of

Lydenburg Lydenburg, officially known as Mashishing, is a town in Thaba Chweu Local Municipality, on the Mpumalanga highveld, South Africa. It is situated on the Sterkspruit/Dorps River tributary of the Lepelle River at the summit of the Long Tom Pass. ...

. The Dutch Reformed church was built in 1890. The

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

built a large

concentration camp Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simply ...

in Middelburg during the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sout ...

. The Memorial Museum was built at the site next to the 1,381 graves of women and children who died in the concentration camp.

Geography

Communities

* Aerorand - the newest suburb in Middelburg * CBD - the oldest part of town * Groenkol - upmarket renovated houses * Dennesig - named after the conifer trees scattered through the suburb * Golfsig - upmarket suburb with a view of the golf course * Clubville - leafy suburb with a view of the golf course * Industrial Area - various industrial businesses * Kanonkop - translated as "Cannon Hill," referring to the days of the Anglo-Boer War, the site of the British concentration camp graveyard is to be found in the area * Mhluzi - Previously

African African or Africans may refer to: * Anything from or pertaining to the continent of Africa: ** People who are native to Africa, descendants of natives of Africa, or individuals who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa *** Ethn ...

suburb during the Apartheid era * Mineralia - suburb named after mineral deposits * Nasareth - Previously

Coloured Coloureds ( af, Kleurlinge or , ) refers to members of multiracial ethnic communities in Southern Africa who may have ancestry from more than one of the various populations inhabiting the region, including African, European, and Asian. South ...

suburb on the eastern side of Middelburg * Eastdene - Previously

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

suburb * Rockdale -a residential area on the Remaining Extent of the farm Rockdale 442 JS * Hlalmnandi

Demographics

Hundreds of expatriates and their families, mostly from the United Kingdom and parts of Europe, moved into the town in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s to avoid the slump of the post-World War II industrial and manufacturing sectors in those countries. These families were attracted by the need for industrial expertise in the plant, and were often rewarded with company-sponsored housing and discounted education. The children of those immigrant families have either moved to the larger nearby cities of Witbank, Pretoria and Johannesburg, seeking employment, or have remained to form part of the growing alternative economic activities in the area. Today, the town faces many issues typical to smaller towns in South Africa. These include challenges such as the incorporation, upliftment, and appropriate addressing of former inequalities of service provision and infrastructure in the large nearby townships and suburbs, that were created for the black and Indian populations, under apartheid laws. The cultural make up of the town is quite diverse, ranging from mainly

Afrikaans Afrikaans (, ) is a West Germanic language that evolved in the Dutch Cape Colony from the Dutch vernacular of Holland proper (i.e., the Hollandic dialect) used by Dutch, French, and German settlers and their enslaved people. Afrikaans gra ...

-speaking families, expatriates from the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

and

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

, as well as the indigenous

populations. Another challenge is addressing the general trend of the hastening migration of residents away from small towns to larger cities in search of greater economic opportunities. With a 2016 population of 278,000 and a growth rate of 4.9%, the municipal statistical department has estimated that the population will be 500,000 by 2030. The town has one of the largest police forces in the region, a government (public) hospital and clinic, as well as a private hospital, shopping mall and several public schools.

Religion

Middelburg has a deep Christian origin, for the oldest Dutch Reformed church is the one mentioned above which is better known as "Die Witkerk." Churches in the town are: * The Dutch Reformed (NG Kerk) * Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika (Nederduits Reformed Church of Africa) since 01.04.1864 - 2 parishes, Middelburg and Middelburg-Noord 28.08.1977 * AFM-AGS Apostolic Faith Mission (Lighuis Gemeente, Corpus Christi, AGS Sentraal) * Pentecostal Protestant Church(Lofdal Gesinskerk, Woord-en-Kruis Gemeente.) * Baptist *

New Independent Fundamentalist Baptist New Independent Fundamentalist Baptist churches (also known as the New IFB) or officially the New Independent Fundamental Baptist Movement are an association of conservative, King James Bible–only, independent Baptist churches. The New IFB beg ...

* Methodist *African Methodist Episcopal Church (Nazareth Chapel) * Catholic * Full Gospel Church (VEK Kruisgenerasie) * Zion Christian Church * Holy Trinity Anglican Church * Independent Churches * Evangelical Lutheran Church *Lutheran Bapedi Church *St Peter's Confessional Lutheran Church of South Africa * Presbyterian * ECF (Eastdene Christian Fellowship) 1988 *Shalom Christian Church * Solid Ground Church Various bazaars and markets are held by all churches in support of the community. Examples would be ''The Expo'' Art and craft market, which is held annually in the spring by ''Die Lighuis Gemeente''. ''Corpus Christi'' also have a world class market which is widely known in the area as the ''Kersmark''. The church community is closely involved in community upliftment and development.

Economy

Columbus Stainless, a large

stainless steel Stainless steel is an alloy of iron that is resistant to rusting and corrosion. It contains at least 11% chromium and may contain elements such as carbon, other nonmetals and metals to obtain other desired properties. Stainless steel's corros ...

plant, constructed in 1965, and Thos Begbie & Co, a company established in 1887 by Scotsman Thomas Begbie, are both situated here. For many years, the industrial activities of the steel plant and its peripheral activities, such as coal and transport, provided much of the employment and largely drove the economy of the town, although other sectors, such as agriculture, have gradually grown to be important.

Culture and contemporary life

Tourism

The town is situated conveniently close to one of the main routes to the

Kruger National Park Kruger National Park is a South African National Park and one of the largest game reserves in Africa. It covers an area of in the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga in northeastern South Africa, and extends from north to south and from ea ...

, and has a small but growing tourism industry. Some landmarks and notable features in or around the town include the Middelburg Dam, site of the annual Middelburg Mile swimming even

the Botshabel

mission station museum and associated Southern Ndebele people, Ndebele tourist village, several hiking trails, and the Dutch Reformed church in the town centre. Within the town itself, several popular night spots and family restaurants entertain the locals and visiting tourists. Middelburg Mall was recently built, just off the N4 on the Bethal-Middelburg road and has a wide range of shops and restaurants.

Sports

A well maintained country club provides facilities for tennis, bowls, a golf course, swimming pools, as well as a bar, hotel and dining and function rooms. Furthermore, you will find Kees Taljaard Park, which is primarily a rugby stadium, but also has hockey fields. A lot of the local festivals are hosted in this stadium as well.

Infrastructure

Passenger rail

This city has a railway station for the loading and unloading of passengers and cargo on the

Pretoria–Maputo railway Pretoria–Maputo railway, also called Delagoa Bay railway, Iron railway and Eastern railway, is a railway that connects the city of Maputo, Mozambique, to the city of Pretoria, in South Africa. It is 567 km long, in 1067 mm gauge.

.Mozambique Logistics Infrastructure: Mozambique Railway Assessment
Atlassian Confluence. 10 de dezembro de 2018.

Notable people

Wynand Claassen Wynand Claassen (born 16 January 1951, in Schweizer-Reneke) is a former South African rugby player and Springbok captain. Playing career He was selected as eighth-man for Northern Transvaal whilst studying architecture at the University of Pre ...

South Africa national rugby union team The South Africa national rugby union team, commonly known as the Springboks (colloquially the Boks, Bokke or Amabokoboko), is the country's national team governed by the South African Rugby Union. The Springboks play in green and gold jerse ...

captain of the

1981 South Africa rugby union tour of New Zealand and the United States The 1981 South African rugby tour (known in New Zealand as the Springbok Tour, and in South Africa as the Rebel Tour) polarised opinions and inspired widespread protests across New Zealand. The controversy also extended to the United States, wh ...

, more famously known as the ''Rebel tour of New Zealand'' *

Happy Jele Happy Quinton Jele (born 1 January 1987) is a South African association football retired player who played as a defender and captained the Orlando Pirates FC in the South African Premier Division. Mostly regarded as a club legend for the Sowe ...

- footballer. One time captain of

Orlando Pirates Orlando Pirates Football Club (often known as "The Buccaneers") is a South African professional football club based in the Houghton suburb of the city of Johannesburg and plays in the top-tier system of Football in South Africa known as DStv ...

, and one of the longest serving players of Orlando Pirates. *

Esther Mahlangu Esther Mahlangu (born 11 November 1935) is a South African artist. She is known for her bold large-scale contemporary paintings that reference her Ndebele heritage. She is one of South Africa's best known artists. Early life Esther Nikwambi Mah ...

- artist from the Southern Ndebele people, Ndebele nation. Known for her bold large-scale contemporary paintings that reference her Ndebele heritage. * Vincent Mahlangu - actor and singer *

Gerhardus Pienaar Gerhardus "Hardus" Pienaar (born 10 August 1981 in Rustenburg, North West) is a South African javelin thrower and former Junior World Champion from South Africa. His personal best throw is 84.50 metres, achieved in October 2003 in Hyderabad, Ind ...

- javelin thrower * Nothando Vilakazi - Spanish Primera División &

South Africa women's national football team The South Africa women's national soccer team, nicknamed ''Banyana Banyana'' (The Girls), is the national team of South Africa and is controlled by the South African Football Association. Their first official match was held on 30 May 1993 agai ...

player

References

External links

Botshabelo mission station

on places.co.za

{{Authority control Second Boer War concentration camps Populated places in the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality Populated places established in 1864 Populated places founded by Afrikaners