North West (South African province)

North West Bokone Bophirima (Tswana) Noordwes (Afrikaans)
Province of South Africa
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Kagiso le Tswelelopele (Peace and Prosperity)
Location of North West in South Africa
Country	South Africa
Established	27 April 1994
Capital	Mafikeng
Largest city	Rustenburg
Districts	List Bojanala Platinum Ngaka Modiri Molema Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati Dr Kenneth Kaunda
Government
• Type	Parliamentary system
• Premier	Supra Mahumapelo (ANC)
Area[1]^:9
• Total	104,882 km^2 (40,495 sq mi)
Area rank	6th in South Africa
Highest elevation	1,805 m (5,922 ft)
Population (2011)[1]^:18[2]
• Total	3,509,953
• Estimate (2015)	3,707,000
• Rank	7th in South Africa
• Density	33/km^2 (87/sq mi)
• Density rank	7th in South Africa
Population groups[1]^:21
• Black African	89.8%
• White	7.3%
• Coloured	2.0%
• Indian or Asian	0.6%
Languages[1]^:25
• Tswana	63.4%
• Afrikaans	9.0%
• Sotho	5.8%
• Xhosa	5.5%
• Tsonga	3.7%
Time zone	SAST (UTC+2)
ISO 3166 code	ZA-NW
Website	www.NWPG.gov.za

North West is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Mahikeng. The province is located to the west of the major population centre of Gauteng.

History

North West was created after the end of Apartheid in 1994, and includes parts of the former Transvaal Province and Cape Province, as well as most of the former Bantustan of Bophuthatswana. It was the scene of political violence in Khutsong, Merafong City Local Municipality in 2006 and 2007, after cross-province municipalities were abolished and Merafong Municipality was transferred entirely to North West. Merafong has since been transferred to Gauteng province in 2009.

Law and government

The provincial government consists of a premier, an executive council of ten ministers, and a legislature. The provincial assembly and premier are elected for five-year terms, or until the next national election. Political parties are awarded assembly seats based on the percentage of votes each party receives in the province during the national elections. The assembly elects a premier, who then appoints the members of the executive council.

The premier of North West Province as of 21 May 2014 is Supra Mahumapelo^[3] of the African National Congress. He replaced Thandi Modise as premier after the 2014 general election.

Geography

Hamerkop Kloof between Rustenburg and Pretoria on north-facing slopes of Magaliesberg

Much of the province consists of flat areas of scattered trees and grassland. The Magaliesberg mountain range in the northeast extends about 130 km (about 80 miles) from Pretoria to Rustenburg. The Vaal River flows along the southern border of the province.

Climate

Temperatures range from 17° to 31 °C (62° to 88 °F) in the summer and from 3° to 21 °C (37° to 70 °F) in the winter. Annual rainfall totals about 360 mm (about 14 in), with almost all of it falling during the summer months, between October and April.

Borders

North West borders the following districts of Botswana:

• Kgatleng – far northeast
• South-East – northeast
• Southern – north
• Kgalagadi – northwest

Domestically, it borders the following provinces:

• Limpopo – northeast
• Gauteng – east
• Free State – southeast
• Northern Cape – southwest

North West Province is traversed by the northwesterly line of equal latitude and longitude.

Municipalities

The North West province has 4 district municipalities and 19 local municipalities, listed below.

Bojanala Platinum District Moretele Madibeng Rustenburg Kgetlengrivier Moses Kotane Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Naledi Mamusa Greater Taung Kagisano-Molopo Lekwa-Teemane

Ngaka Modiri Molema District Ratlou Tswaing Mahikeng Ditsobotla Ramotshere

Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Ventersdorp Tlokwe Matlosana Maquassi Hills

Cities and towns

Population 500,000+

Rustenburg

Population 100,000+

Klerksdorp

Potchefstroom

Population 50,000+

Brits Orkney

Lichtenburg Mahikeng

Population 10,000+

Bloemhof Christiana Coligny Koster Letsopa

Mogwase Ottosdal Pampierstad Schweizer-Reneke Stilfontein

Ventersdorp Vryburg Wolmaransstad Zeerust

Population < 10,000

Mmakau Mothibistad Reivilo

Economy

The Bridge of Time facing the Entertainment Centre

The mainstay of the economy of North West Province is mining, which generates more than half of the province's gross domestic product and provides jobs for a quarter of its workforce. The chief minerals are gold, mined at Orkney and Klerksdorp; uranium, mined at Klerksdorp; platinum, mined at Rustenburg and Brits; and diamonds, mined at Lichtenburg, Christiana, and Bloemhof. The northern and western parts of the province have many sheep farms and cattle and game ranches. The eastern and southern parts are crop-growing regions that produce maize (corn), sunflowers, tobacco, cotton, and citrus fruits. The entertainment and casino complex at Sun City and Lost City also contributes to the provincial economy.

Demographics

Population density in the North West

<1 /km²   1–3 /km²   3–10 /km²   10–30 /km²   30–100 /km²

100–300 /km²   300–1000 /km²   1000–3000 /km²   >3000 /km²

Dominant home languages in the North West

Afrikaans   English   Ndebele   Xhosa   Zulu

Northern Sotho   Sotho   Tswana   Tsonga   No language dominant

The majority of the province's residents are the Tswana people who speak Tswana. Smaller groups include Afrikaans, Sotho, and Xhosa speaking people. English is spoken primarily as a second language. Most of the population belong to Christian denominations. (Figures according to Census 2001 released in July 2003).

According to the 2007 community survey 90.8% of the province's population was Black (mostly Tswana-speaking), 7.2% as White (mostly Afrikaans speaking), 1.6% as Coloured and 0.4% as Asian. The 2007 community survey showed the province had a population of just over 3 million. The province's white population is very unevenly distributed. In the southern and eastern municipalities, the white percentage in double figures such as the Tlokwe and Matlosana where the white percentages were 27% and 12% respectively.

The province has the lowest number of people aged 35 years and older (5.9%) who have received higher education. Since 1994 the number of people receiving higher education has increased. After the disbanding of the bantustans, many people migrated to the economic centres of Cape Town and Gauteng.

Education

The province had two universities: the University of North West, which was formerly called the University of Bophuthatswana (founded in 1979), in Mmabatho; and Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education (founded in 1869; became a constituent college of the University of South Africa in 1921 and an independent university in 1951). These two universities have now merged and the new institution is called North-West University.

There is also a private university found in Klerksdorp: Centurion Akademie Klerksdorp, which caters mainly to Afrikaans students. Because it is a private institution classes may be in Afrikaans and the foundation of education gained at Centurion Akademie is based on the Christian faith. It is also the largest institution of its kind in existence.

As part of the Department of Education's proposed plans for higher education, the existing four higher learning institutions will be merged to form two. During 2003, as part of the Year of Further Education and Training project, three mega institutions, Taletso, ORBIT and Vuselela, were established to provide technical and vocational training to the youth. These institutions have been incorporated into many of the former education and technical colleges and manpower centres.

Sports

• Rugby union
  • Platinum Leopards (Rustenburg)
• Soccer
  • Platinum Stars (Rustenburg)

See also

• List of cities and towns in the North West Province
• List of Speakers of the North West Provincial Legislature
• Provinces of South Africa

References

1. Census 2011: Census in brief (PDF). Pretoria: Statistics South Africa. 2012. ISBN 9780621413885.
2. Mid-year population estimates, 2015 (PDF) (Report). Statistics South Africa. 31 July 2014. p. 3. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
3. North West Provincial Government Official Website

External links

• North West Provincial Government
• North West Parks and Tourism Board

Coordinates: 27°S 26°E / 27°S 26°E