Dewetsdorp

Dewetsdorp
Dewetsdorp  Dewetsdorp shown within Free State
Coordinates: 29°35′S 26°40′E / 29.583°S 26.667°ECoordinates: 29°35′S 26°40′E / 29.583°S 26.667°E
Country	South Africa
Province	Free State
District	Xhariep
Municipality	Naledi
Established	1880[1]
Government
• Type	Municipality
• Mayor	Rose Mompati [2] (ANC)
Area[3]
• Total	25.77 km^2 (9.95 sq mi)
Population (2011)[3]
• Total	9,498
• Density	370/km^2 (950/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)[3]
• Black African	91.9%
• Coloured	1.1%
• Indian/Asian	0.3%
• White	6.4%
• Other	0.4%
First languages (2011)[3]
• Sotho	84.6%
• Afrikaans	7.5%
• Xhosa	3.1%
• English	1.5%
• Other	3.3%
Postal code (street)	9940
PO box	9940
Area code	051

Dewetsdorp is a small town in the Free State province of South Africa. The town was set up, without approval of the Volksraad, by field-cornet Jacobus de Wet, father of the Boer War general Christiaan de Wet. Eventually recognized officially, the town became a municipality and named De Wet in 1890. General Christian de Wet successfully attacked English forces stationed there in November 1900.

Town 68 km south-east of Bloemfontein, on the road to Aliwal North. It was laid out on the farm Kareefontein in 1876 and at first bore this name. Applications to the Volksraad in 1876 for the establishment of a village failed, but another request in 1879 led to recognition in 1880 under the name Dewetsdorp, after Field-Cornet Jacobus Ignatius de Wet, father of General C R de Wet, who took the initiative in its establishment. Municipal status was attained in 1890. Dewetsdorp was the scene of heavy fighting in the Second Anglo-Boer War. In 1927 three officials died when the town hall was blown up by one Huibrecht Jacob de Leeuw in an attempt to cover up evidence of his embezzlement of town funds.^[4][5] The new Town Hall built in 1928 was declared a South African Heritage Site in 1995.^[6]

References

1. "Chronological order of town establishment in South Africa based on Floyd (1960:20-26)" (PDF). pp. xlv–lii.
2. Free State Tourism.org
3. "Main Place Dewetsdorp". Census 2011.
4. "Dictionary of Southern African Place Names (Public Domain)". Human Science Research Council. p. 137.
5. "Blew Up Town Hall". The Sunday Mail, Brisbane. 4 November 1934.
6. "Town Hall, Voortrekker Street, Dewetsdorp". South African Heritage Resources Agency.