Odendaalsrus is the oldest

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 ...

mining town in the Lejweleputswa District Municipality in the

goldfields Goldfield or Goldfields may refer to: Places * Goldfield, Arizona, the former name of Youngberg, Arizona, a populated place in the United States * Goldfield, Colorado, a community in the United States * Goldfield, Iowa, a city in the United Sta ...

of the Free State province in

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 coun ...

History

It started out in

1912 Events January * January 1 – The Republic of China is established. * January 5 – The Prague Conference (6th All-Russian Conference of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party) opens. * January 6 ** German geophysicist Alfred ...

as a ramshackle collection of farms and a central church that became a town. In April

1946 Events January * January 6 - The first general election ever in Vietnam is held. * January 7 – The Allies recognize the Austrian republic with its 1937 borders, and divide the country into four occupation zones. * January 10 ** The ...

gold was struck on the farm ''Geduld'' near the town. This discovery was mentioned in Alan Paton's novel ''

Cry, the Beloved Country ''Cry, the Beloved Country'' is a 1948 novel by South African writer Alan Paton. Set in the prelude to apartheid in South Africa, it follows a black village priest and a white farmer who must deal with news of a murder. American publisher Benn ...

''. On 5 December 2000, Odendaalrus was incorporated into the

Matjhabeng Local Municipality Matjhabeng Local Municipality is a local government serving an administrative area in the Lejweleputswa District of the Free State in South Africa. The municipality services Welkom, Virginia, Odendaalsrus and Allanridge. The name is a Sesotho ...

along with the city of

Welkom Welkom () is the second-largest city in the Free State province of South Africa, located about northeast of Bloemfontein which is the provincial capital. Welkom is also known as Circle City, City Within A Garden, Mvela and Matjhabeng. The ci ...

and the towns of Allanridge,

Hennenman Hennenman is a town in the Free State goldfields in the Lejweleputswa District Municipality of the Free State province of South Africa. The settlement is unusual for the district as being supported by agriculture rather than the mining industr ...

Ventersburg Ventersburg is a small town in the Lejweleputswa District Municipality of the Free State province in South Africa, 148 km north of Bloemfontein. History It was established on the farm Kromfontein which was owned by PA Venter who died in 18 ...

and

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

. Odendaalsrus celebrated its 100th anniversary in

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...

, it is a town located on the Goldfields close to a couple of mines, and a large Harcos farm producing chickens and eggs.

Kutlwanong

''Kutloanong Location'' is a township located about 10 km outside Odendaalsrus, between

and Allanridge, established to house black people during the

apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...

era. Kutlwanong is divided into 16 sections, namely: k1, k2, k3, k4, k5, k6, k7, k8, k9, k10 and block 1, block 2, block 4, block 5, block 6, and block 7.First people to live there were group of Black people from Hospital Park; 2 km from Odendaalsrus. Where they were evicted and forced to live in separate sections according to their ethnicity creating conflict between tribes. Reason for eviction is said to be the closeness of the black suburb to the town. It falls under the Municipality of Lejweleputsa. It is well known for political such as Sipho Mutsi the youth activist of all time, and producing soccer stars such as Kamohelo Mokotjo, Khotso Moleko and Abram "Wire" Nteo Vuyisile Wana as well as the musical artist, Neo Matla popularly known as Snaker Da Ray and Kegomoditswe Modimola popular known as Trxppyego, producer Millz Mc Jordan many more upcoming stars.

References

External links

* Populated places in the Matjhabeng Local Municipality Mining communities in South Africa Populated places established in 1912 1912 establishments in South Africa {{FreeState-geo-stub