Viljoensdrif

Viljoensdrif is a coal-mining village 8 km south of Vereeniging and part of the Fezile Dabi District Municipality in the Free State province of South Africa.

Viljoensdrif
Viljoensdrif
Viljoensdrif
Coordinates: 26.73333°S 27.916667°E / -26.73333; 27.916667
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceFree State
DistrictFezile Dabi
MunicipalityMetsimaholo
Area
  Total63.30 km2 (24.44 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[1]
  Total751
  Density12/km2 (31/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
  Black African73.8%
  Coloured1.5%
  Indian/Asian0.7%
  White6.9%
  Other17.2%
First languages (2011)
  Sotho28.5%
  Zulu20.1%
  Xhosa17.4%
  Afrikaans10.2%
  Other23.8%
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
Area code016

It takes its name from ford (Afrikaans drif) which was closed to ox-wagons by President Paul Kruger in 1895 to prevent goods reaching the Witwatersrand, thus forcing people to use the Netherlands-South African Railway Company (NZASM)'s Pretoria-Delagoa Bay railroad. Named after the owner of the place, J H Viljoen, who established a ferry in 1857.[2]

References

  1. "Main Place Viljoensdrif". Census 2011.
  2. "Dictionary of Southern African Place Names (Public Domain)". Human Science Research Council. p. 459.
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