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Randfontein is a
gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
mining town in the West Rand,
Gauteng Gauteng ( , ; Sotho-Tswana languages, Sotho-Tswana for 'place of gold'; or ) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. Situated on the Highveld, Gauteng is the smallest province by land area in South Africa. Although Gauteng accounts f ...
, South Africa, west of
Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...
. With the
Witwatersrand The Witwatersrand (, ; ; locally the Rand or, less commonly, the Reef) is a , north-facing scarp in South Africa. It consists of a hard, erosion-resistant quartzite metamorphic rock, over which several north-flowing rivers form waterfalls, w ...
gold rush in full swing, mining financier JB Robinson bought the farm Randfontein and, in 1889, floated the Randfontein Estates Gold Mining Company. The town was established in 1890 to serve the new mine and was administered by
Krugersdorp Krugersdorp (Afrikaans for ''Kruger's Town'') is a mining city in the West Rand, Gauteng Province, South Africa founded in 1887 by Marthinus Pretorius and Abner Cohen. Following the discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand, a need arose for a ...
until it became a municipality in 1929.


History


Early history

Randfontein's existence dates back to the 1550s when the AmaNdebele lived as one nation at Emhlangeni (today's Randfontein area) under King Mhlanga approximately between 1550 and 1580. The name of Emhlangeni is translated today into the
Sesotho language Sotho (), also known as ''Sesotho'' (), Southern Sotho, or ''Sesotho sa Borwa'' is a Southern Bantu language spoken in Lesotho as its national language and South Africa where it is an official language. Like all Bantu languages, Sesotho is ...
as Mohlakeng, which is one of the southeastern suburbs of the town.


Formation

Randfontein was established formally on 3 March 1890 and proclaimed a municipality in 1929. Some important dates in Randfontein's history: *1857: Bootha and Jonker families arrive in the area. (They owned the farm ''Groot Elandsvlei'' where the suburbs of Randgate, Loumarina, and Wilbotsdal are today.) *1874: Gold discovered in Blaauwbank stream near Magaliesburg by Henry Lewis an Australian prospector. *1886: Discovery of gold on the Rand by Harrison and Walker; start of the Reef gold rush. *1886: JB Robinson arrives on the Reef; starts prospecting in the Randfontein area. *1889: Randfontein Estates Gold Mining Company (REGM) registered. *1890: JB Robinson buys properties and farms in the Randfontein district. *1894: The first shop, Fedlers, opens. *1901: The first car, owned by Hector Mackay, arrives in town. *1904: Chinese miners arrive in Randfontein. *1929: Randfontein Municipality established; independent from Krugersdorp which managed the town from 1903. *1979: Randfontein celebrates 50 years as an independent municipality.


Jameson Raid

Remnants of the Jameson Raid (29 December 1895 – 2 January 1896) can be found in Randfontein. Various graves of those killed are scattered around the West Rand. In Randfontein, the graves of troopers William Charles Beatty-Powell, John Bernard Bletsoe, Harry Davies, John Foster, and C.E. Hennessy, are hidden amongst the trees in what was originally known as the Randfontein Estates Gold Mine Military Cemetery. The graves are beside the railway line diagonally opposite where Uncle Harry's Roadhouse is currently located at the northern entrance to town from Krugersdorp. Randfontein War Memorial: This really pretty memorial can be found next to the roadhouse on the corner of Randfontein and Main Reef Roads, Surprisingly the components of the memorial are all in a reasonably good condition and it is fenced off. On 11 June 2015, a hidden graveyard with about 80 to 100 graves dating back to the 1800s was discovered near the grain silos off Main Reef Road. It's not known yet whether these are connected to the graves of the Jameson Raid.


Kruger Millions

Paul Kruger Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger (; 10 October 1825 – 14 July 1904), better known as Paul Kruger, was a South African politician. He was one of the dominant political and military figures in 19th-century South Africa, and State Preside ...
and JB Robinson enjoyed a warm friendship which has led to rumours that the Kruger Millions (millions of gold coins minted for the Zuid Afrikaanse Republiek, or the
South African Republic The South African Republic (, abbreviated ZAR; ), also known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer republics, Boer republic in Southern Africa which existed from 1852 to 1902, when it was annexed into the British Empire as a result ...
) were buried in the Homestead's grounds to stop them from falling into British hands during the
Second Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...
. The Homestead is the home that Robinson lived in which is now situated along Homestead Avenue next to Riebeeck Lake and owned by well-known local businessman and racing driver, Ben Morgenrood. Over the years, many have searched here for the Kruger Millions, but either nothing has been found, or the finder has kept very quiet about it.


Geography


Communities

Central Suburbs: *Aureus (industrial area); *Culemborg Park; *Eike Park; *Finsbury *Greenhills; *Hectorton; *Helikon Park; *Homelake; *Randgate; *Randpoort; *Robinpark; *Uitvalfontein; *West Porges; *Westergloor. Outlying and Surroundings: *Azaadville; *Bhongweni; *Bootha Plots; *Brandvlei; *Dennydale; *Dwarskloof; *Elandsvlei; *Hillside; *Loumarina; *Kocksoord; *Middelvlei; *Mohlakeng; *Pelzvale; *Randridge; *Rietvallei; *Rikasrus; *Tenacres; *Toekomsrus; *Vleikop; *Wheatlands; *Wilbotsdal.


Monuments

From what can be established these are some of the oldest buildings in Randfontein: *1857: Homestead of Barend Bootha on the original farm called ''Randfontein'' *1859: Jonkerhuis (on the grounds of Riebeeck Lake) *1889: Mining Commissioner and Telegraph Office in Kocksoord (now a library)


Environment

Robinson Lake is situated between the Randfontein Golf Course and the suburb of Robin Park. The lake was a former recreational lake filled from water that has been pumped from the Robinson Deep gold mine. The lake has a pH of 2.6. Water has a natural
uranium Uranium is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol U and atomic number 92. It is a silvery-grey metal in the actinide series of the periodic table. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons. Ura ...
concentration of 0.0004 mg/L. The Department of Water and Sanitation considers a concentration of 0.07 mg/L safe to drink. Robinson Lake has a uranium concentration of 16 mg/L which is more than 220 times safe levels. This has resulted in Robinson Lake being declared a radioactive area and it is closed off to the public. The general consensus is that this has been caused by
acid mine drainage Acid mine drainage, acid and metalliferous drainage (AMD), or acid rock drainage (ARD) is the outflow of acidic water from metal mines and coal mines. Acid rock drainage occurs naturally within some environments as part of the rock weatherin ...
. It is also however now a dangerous area and nothing is being done about the number of people accessing it.


Climate

Randfontein lies at 1,709 m above mean sea level. (By comparison, Johannesburg is at 1,733 m AMSL at the entrance to the Carlton Centre in the CBD, and Pretoria is 1,320 m AMSL in the middle of Church Square in the CBD). The climate here is mild in winter (sunny clear days and cold nights), and generally warm and wet in summer, dominated by thunderstorms. When compared with winter, the summers have much more rainfall. This location is classified as Cwb by Köppen and Geiger (dry winter, subtropical highland climate). The average annual temperature is . The rainfall average is per year.


Demographics

As of 2011, Randfontein has a population of 149,286, which incorporates Mohlakeng and Toekomsrus. (In 2001, the population was 128,731.) The average elevation of the town is 1709m
above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...
. The total municipal area, after recent restructuring, is . According to the ''Randfontein Socio-Economic Survey'' of 2006, Randfontein's population is divided into Black (79.2%), White (10.6%), Coloured (10.1%), and Asian/Indian (0.1%). The local immigrant population is made up mainly of Mozambiquans (Portuguese), Angolans (Portuguese), Malawians (Chichewa), Ethiopians (Amharic), and Chinese (Chinese). A fair portion of shops in the CBD are run by Ethiopians and Chinese. Randfontein differs slightly from other parts of the West Rand, in that it is slightly female dominant (50.6%). This trend is throughout the gender structure with the exception of the age group younger than 14 which is slightly male dominant. The working age-group (15 to 64) is the largest and makes up 65.5% of the local population. The elderly group (above 65 of age) constitutes only 6.1% of the population. During
apartheid Apartheid ( , especially South African English:  , ; , ) was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. It was characterised by an ...
, Randfontein was mostly
Afrikaner Afrikaners () are a Southern African ethnic group descended from predominantly Dutch settlers who first arrived at the Cape of Good Hope in 1652.Entry: Cape Colony. ''Encyclopædia Britannica Volume 4 Part 2: Brain to Casting''. Encyclopæd ...
. The racial makeup and language distribution changed dramatically from the 2001 census to the 2011 census. The Black population grew from around 16% of the total population to around 41% of the population. Dominant languages now are Tswana, Sesotho, English, and Afrikaans, with many other languages being spoken, both local and international. English serves as the lingua franca for the town.


Religion

Most local religions are catered for in Randfontein with the following being represented: *various Christian denominations: **AGS; **Dutch Reformed; **Roman Catholics; **Methodists; **Baptists; **Hervormde Kerk; **Jehovah's Witnesses; **Anglicans; **Gereformeerde Kerk; **St Paul of the Cross; **Afrikaans Protestante Kerk; **Volle Evangelie Kerk; **St Martin de Porres; **Our Lady of Africa; **Presbyterians; **NG Kerk; **Betesda Bedieninge; **Judaism; **Islam; and **Azaadville Jaamea Masjid Trust. **Old Apostolic Church of Africa


Economy


Mining

Randfontein owes its existence to
gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
. JCI was greatly involved with mining ventures around Randfontein. In the 1960s mining in the area came to a virtual standstill, but in the 1970s new gold deposits were discovered to the south of Randfontein and the Cooke Section was opened up in 1976. Cooke Section produced gold and uranium, the uranium being used for the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station in the
Western Cape The Western Cape ( ; , ) is a provinces of South Africa, province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the List of South African provinces by area, fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , an ...
. Randfontein Estates had the largest
stamp mill A stamp mill (or stamp battery or stamping mill) is a type of Mill (grinding), mill machine that crushes material by pounding rather than Mill (grinding), grinding, either for further processing or for extraction of metallic ores. Breaking materia ...
in the world, with 600 stamps.


Industry

A large industrial area, Aureus, serves greater Randfontein and many industries are scattered throughout the municipal area including the more rural areas. Notable industries, in addition to those related to mining, include the following: Nola (dog food, mayonnaise, sandwich spread, cooking oil), Tiger Brands (butter, peanut butter), and Aranda (blankets for the hotel industry and home use). Aranda Textile Mills (Pty) Ltd is a fourth generation Italian owned family business and has been producing quality blankets and throws since 1951. Their blankets can be seen in most hotels in South Africa. A factory shop, open to the public, is located on the grounds of the factory in Homelake. Shutterlock was established in Randfontein in 1987, the company manufactures, supplies and imports safety critical lifting and rigging equipment including mine winding rope to the mining industry in South Africa as well as SADC countries. Other large national companies have their head offices, or main branches, in Randfontein: *Massyn Moves, Aureus *Hendrik van Wyk Transport, Aureus *Grain Carriers, Aureus *Continental Oils, Hectorton *Harmony Gold, Randfontein Office Park, Main Reef Road *Wearne Readymix Plant, Aureus and Brandvlei *Forever Fuels, Aureus *Cargo Logistics, Aureus *Busmark (Pty) Ltd, Aureus


Technology

In a 2013 Ookla Net Index report, it was found that Randfontein has the fastest broadband access in South Africa. Randfontein has a download speed of 10 Mbit/s, followed by Bryanston,
Midrand Midrand is a town in central Gauteng, South Africa. It is situated in-between Centurion, Gauteng, Centurion and Sandton. Formerly an independent municipality, Midrand now forms part of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality. History ...
and
Randburg Randburg is an area located in the Gauteng province of South Africa. Formerly a separate municipality, its administration devolved to the newly created City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, along with neighbouring Sandton and Roodepoort ...
, which are also all in the Gauteng province.


Culture and contemporary life


Shopping

Shopping in Randfontein is characterized by typical High Street shopping with the majority of the shops situated along Main Reef Road and surrounds. The main mall, Village Square, is also along the main street and provides comfortable access to 72 shops (GLA approximately 20,500m2). Other centres around town include: Randfontein Station Mall (20 shops) and Greenhills Spar Centre (20 shops). Numerous shops are also found along Randgate's main street, Union Street. The proposed Lakeview Mall was abandoned due to a lack of funding. However, this development was replaced by the new Tambotie Mall (initially 20,000m2) with anchor tenants Checkers, Woolworths (Foods and Fashion), and Dischem, under the management of Broll. This shopping centre is on the corner of Tambotie and Malan streets, around the southern end of Riebeeck Lake. Excavation and groundworks started in February 2016 and it opened to the public on 27 April 2017. Municipal proposals for this precinct include a housing development and a new office park to be developed later. (The first recorded armed robbery occurred at the Dischem on Friday 7 July 2017, just three months after the centre opened.) Another shopping centre, Umphakathi Mall (12,500m2), opened on 29 April 2021. This is bordered by the R28, R559, and Ralerata Street between Randfontein Central/Toekomsrus and Mohlakeng. The inclusion of a new taxi rank and a filling station will attract critical mass by creating a prominent transport node, and limiting the shopping outflow. A residential phase around the complex is being built.


Factory shops

A few factories sell directly to the public where goods can be obtained. Some of these include: * Aranda: blankets (Tulbagh Street extension, Homelake) * Nola/Foodcorp: rusks, Bobtail, Catmore (Desert Street, Homelake; opposite the grain silos)


Tourism

The West Rand of Gauteng is a particularly pretty part of the province flanked to the west by the Magaliesburg mountain range and to the northwest the Cradle of Humankind. Places of interest and of noteworthy historical value in the immediate vicinity include: * Graves of the fallen British soldiers during the culmination of the Jameson Raid. * Mining Commissioner and Telegraph Offices in Kocksoord. The Randfontein Show is an annual event that was first held in February 1987 and is now held in February/March of each year. The largest show of its kind in western Gauteng, it plays host to live entertainment, family fun, and many things to taste, see and do. The Randfontein Show is the fifth largest event of its kind in South Africa and reaches attendances of over 110,000 annually. The show takes place at the Greenhills Sport Stadium to the west of the Randfontein Golf Course. The Show was cancelled for the first time in 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions. In 2022 the Show was also cancelled due to COVID-19, and as of 2023 there is no longer a Randfontein Show. The Golf Course fell into disrepair and has not been functioning since 2020. Talk of being renovated and upgraded to a Golf Estate have been heard. There is a new show being held yearly in the place of the Randfontein show. This is at Tuinhekkie and been growing every year. There are also wonderful 4x4 days held on the plots. Wonderful places to have some drinks and meet friends include: **Twee Wilgers **Windpomp **Balke Toe **Oribi **Spur Slightly further afield are: * Krugersdorp Game Reserve, Krugersdorp West (15 km) * Hector Pieterson Memorial Museum, Orlando West (16 km) * Sterkfontein Caves, Hekpoort (19 km) * Walter Sisulu Bontanical Gardens, Roodepoort (19 km) * Maropeng Visitor Centre, Hekpoort (26 km) * Blaauwbank Historical Gold Mine, Magaliesburg (26 km) * Magaliesburg town centre (26 km) * Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, Hekpoort (26 km) * Hartbeespoort Dam and surrounds (75 km) * Hartbeespoort Cableway, Hartbeespoort (80 km) There is no reason not to come experience Randfontein at its best


Law and Government


Government

A number of government departments have their regional offices in Randfontein. This includes SARS (Stubbs Street), SASSA (Stubbs Street), Department of Labour (Main Reef Road), and Department of Home Affairs (Main Reef Road). Being smaller offices than those in the bigger centres they are relatively efficient and used by members of the public from far afield.


Transport

The R28 is a regional route connecting
Krugersdorp Krugersdorp (Afrikaans for ''Kruger's Town'') is a mining city in the West Rand, Gauteng Province, South Africa founded in 1887 by Marthinus Pretorius and Abner Cohen. Following the discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand, a need arose for a ...
with
Vereeniging Vereeniging ( ; ) is a city located in the south of Gauteng province, South Africa, situated where the Klip River empties into the northern loop of the Vaal River. It is also one of the constituent parts of the Vaal Triangle region and was forme ...
that passes through Randfontein (called Main Reef Road through central Randfontein) while the R41 connects Randfontein with
Roodepoort Roodepoort ( ) is a city in the Gauteng province of South Africa. Formerly an independent municipality, Roodepoort became part of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, Johannesburg municipality in the late 1990s, along with Randburg ...
and
Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...
. The R559 connects Randfontein with Carletonville and
Lenasia Lenasia, also known as Lenz, is a Suburbs of Johannesburg, suburb south of Soweto in the Gauteng Province, Gauteng province, South Africa, originally created to house Indian South Africans, Indians. It is located in Region G of the City of Joha ...
. Randfontein is served by two international airports, namely the
OR Tambo International Airport O. R. Tambo International Airport is an international airport serving the twin cities of Johannesburg and the main capital of South Africa, Pretoria. It is situated in Kempton Park, Gauteng. It serves as the primary airport for domestic and ...
in Kempton Park to the east and Lanseria International Airport north-east. The main national
Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...
/
Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...
railway line cuts through Randfontein although the daily train does not stop at the Randfontein station. This line also doubles as the metro rail line which serves the
Witwatersrand The Witwatersrand (, ; ; locally the Rand or, less commonly, the Reef) is a , north-facing scarp in South Africa. It consists of a hard, erosion-resistant quartzite metamorphic rock, over which several north-flowing rivers form waterfalls, w ...
between Randfontein in the west and Springs in the east, a road distance of about .


Health Systems

Two primary hospitals serve the Randfontein area, Robinson Hospital and Sir Albert Medical Centre. Robinson Hospital (Hospital Street) is a private hospital and part of the Lifecare Health group. The hospital boasts 109 beds and 4 theatres with a 24-hour accident and emergency unit. Sir Albert Medical Centre (Ward Street Extension) is also a private hospital and was initially focused on mine-related illnesses and diseases but has subsequently become a general private hospital. In July 2013, it was renovated and renamed the Lenmed Health Randfontein Private Hospital. Most road signs call it just Randfontein Private Hospital.


Notable people

* Thapelo Morena:
Mamelodi Sundowns Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club (simply known as Sundowns) is a South African professional football club based in Mamelodi, Pretoria in the Gauteng province that plays in the Premiership, the first tier of South African football league syste ...
footballer playing in the
PSL PSL may refer to: Sport *Pakistan Super League, a Twenty20 cricket league *Palau Soccer League, top division association football league in Palau *Pilipinas Super League, a professional basketball league *Philippine Super Liga, a defunct profes ...
*
David Goldblatt David Goldblatt HonFRPS (29 November 1930 – 25 June 2018) was a South African documentary Photographer noted for his dedicated portrayal of the South African peoples within the political landscape of the apartheid era.Weinberg, Paul.David ...
: photographer born in Randfontein 29 November 1930; died 25 June 2018. * Jaco van der Walt: professional rugby player for Scottish side Edinburgh Rugby * Patrick Ntsoelengoe: OIS (26 February 1952 – 8 May 2006) was a South African football (soccer) player who is widely considered as one of the greatest the country has ever produced. He is also a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame in the United States. * Ace Khuse: retired professional soccer player, he played for Kaizer Chiefs and also played abroad in Turkey for Gençlerbirliği. * Neil Sandilands: actor, director, screenwriter, producer, film editor, and cinematographer.


References


External links


Randfontein Municipality Official website
{{Authority control Populated places in the Rand West City Local Municipality Mining communities in South Africa West Rand