Vrede

Vrede
Vrede  Vrede shown within Free State
Coordinates: 27°25′48″S 29°9′36″E / 27.43000°S 29.16000°ECoordinates: 27°25′48″S 29°9′36″E / 27.43000°S 29.16000°E
Country	South Africa
Province	Free State
District	Thabo Mofutsanyane
Municipality	Phumelela
Established	1876[1]
Government
• Councillor	Motaung (ANC)
Area[2]
• Total	50.1 km^2 (19.3 sq mi)
Elevation	1,675 m (5,495 ft)
Population (2011)[2]
• Total	17,689
• Density	350/km^2 (910/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)[2]
• Black African	93.1%
• Coloured	0.4%
• Indian/Asian	0.5%
• White	5.7%
• Other	0.4%
First languages (2011)[2]
• Zulu	53.4%
• Sotho	36.5%
• Afrikaans	6.0%
• English	1.1%
• Other	3.1%
Postal code (street)	9835
PO box	9835
Area code	058

Vrede is a town in the Free State province of South Africa that is the agricultural hub of a 100 km² region. Maize, wheat, mutton, wool, beef, dairy products and poultry are farmed in the region.

The town lies 60 km south of Standerton and 216 km south-east of Johannesburg. It was founded on the Krynauwslust farm in 1863 and proclaimed a town in June 1879. The name is Afrikaans for ‘peace’, which refers to the settlement of a dispute over the proposed site of the town.^[3]

Education among the youth (even from poorer background) of Vrede is on the rise, especially due to high schools such as Katleho and Evungwini.

Notable people

• André Brink (1935–2015), novelist, born in Vrede but moving to Lydenburg in childhood
• Sid Kiel (1916–2007), doctor, athlete, and cricketer, born on a Vrede sheep farm but moving to Cape Town in childhood
• Brand de Villiers

References

1. "Chronological order of town establishment in South Africa based on Floyd (1960:20-26)" (PDF). pp. xlv–lii.
2. Sum of the Main Places Thembalihle and Vrede from Census 2011.
3. "Dictionary of Southern African Place Names (Public Domain)". Human Science Research Council. p. 463.