Botshabelo, meaning "a place of refuge", is a large
township
A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries.
Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Ca ...
set up in 1979 by the then
apartheid
Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...
government. It is located 45 km east of
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein, ( ; , "fountain of flowers") also known as Bloem, is one of South Africa's three capital cities and the capital of the Free State (province), Free State province. It serves as the country's judicial capital, along with legisla ...
in the present-day
Free State province of
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
. Botshabelo is now the largest township in Free State.
History
As many people moved away from the farms in the Free State, they looked for places to stay in the region of
Thaba Nchu
Thaba 'Nchu is a town in Free State, South Africa, 63 km east of Bloemfontein and 17 km east of Botshabelo. The population is largely made up of Tswana and Sotho people. The town was settled in December 1833 and officially established ...
, another homeland under the old
Bophutatswana
Bophuthatswana (, meaning "gathering of the Tswana people"), officially the Republic of Bophuthatswana ( tn, Riphaboliki ya Bophuthatswana; af, Republiek van Bophuthatswana), was a Bantustan (also known as "Homeland"; an area set aside for mem ...
government.
The policy governing Bophutatswana at the time clearly stated that Bophutatswana belongs to those who are of
Tswana
Tswana may refer to:
* Tswana people, the Bantu speaking people in Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and other Southern Africa regions
* Tswana language, the language spoken by the (Ba)Tswana people
* Bophuthatswana, the former ba ...
tribe. As a result, all other tribes, mainly
Sotho Sotho may refer to:
*Sotho people (or ''Basotho''), an African ethnic group principally resident in South Africa, Lesotho and southern Botswana
* Sotho language (''Sesotho'' or ''Southern Sotho''), a Bantu language spoken in southern Africa, an off ...
and
Xhosa
Xhosa may refer to:
* Xhosa people, a nation, and ethnic group, who live in south-central and southeasterly region of South Africa
* Xhosa language, one of the 11 official languages of South Africa, principally spoken by the Xhosa people
See als ...
, were housed at a squatter camp named “Kromdraai”. Kromdraai was initiated by a man who was only referred to as "Khoza". He was selling a stand for only 50 cents around the year of 1976.
Later on the government of Bophutatswana started to strongly condemn the development of that area and worked hard through their police force during the day and night, striving to dispatch everybody living in the region and who is not a Tswana. As the pressure mounted for the people of Kromdraai, Khoza fled and he was no longer to be seen.
In 1979, the then Prime Minister of
QwaQwa
QwaQwa was a bantustan ("homeland") in the central eastern part of South Africa. It encompassed a very small region of in the east of the former South African province of Orange Free State, bordering Lesotho. Its capital was Phuthaditjhaba. It ...
,
Kenneth Mopeli
Tsiame Kenneth Mopeli (20 September 1930 – 1 October 2014)http://www.express-news.co.za/articles/articledetails.aspx?id=193545 was the former Chief Minister of the South African bantustan of QwaQwa.
Born in Namahadi, Mopeli earned a Bachelor ...
together with the apartheid government found a place for all the people of Kromdraai at a farm called Onverwacht. All the people who were not Tswana started to move to Onverwacht for free, and later on when they started to settle in the area paid ZAR80 for a stand. Late in 1980 to early 1981 the name Onverwacht started to disappear and people started to call their place by the name of Botshabelo, this name given by Julius Nkoko.
Economy
Botshabelo has a large industrial park with large companies located there. The economy of this township is based on production of food, clothing and other goods. The poultry producing company
upreme poultry Pty (Ltd)is located here.
Capitec Bank
Capitec Bank is a South African retail bank. As of August 2017 the bank was the second largest retail bank in South Africa, based on number of customers, with 120,000 customers opening new accounts per month.
Overview
The bank maintains 850 ...
and
Shoprite has three branches and supermarkets in this township respectively.
Transport
Botshabelo is served by 'Interstate Bus Lines' commuter buses and 'Big Sky Coaches', both traveling local and long distances on a daily basis. The township is located on the main railway line between
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein, ( ; , "fountain of flowers") also known as Bloem, is one of South Africa's three capital cities and the capital of the Free State (province), Free State province. It serves as the country's judicial capital, along with legisla ...
and
Maseru
Maseru is the capital and largest city of Lesotho. It is also the capital of the Maseru District. Located on the Caledon River, Maseru lies directly on the Lesotho–South Africa border. Maseru had a population of 330,760 in the 2016 census. The ...
, as well as on the main road between the two towns. The township still has unnamed streets, but the development of upgrading and naming of streets and roads are underway. There is also a new taxi rank at the newly built
Botshabelo Mall
Botshabelo, meaning "a place of refuge", is a large township set up in 1979 by the then apartheid government. It is located 45 km east of Bloemfontein in the present-day Free State province of South Africa. Botshabelo is now the largest t ...
.
Shopping
Botshabelo has a new regional shopping mall near the industrial park. The mall is anchored by
Shoprite,
Pick n Pay,
Cashbuild,
Truworths
Truworths is a Cape Town-based, South African clothing retailer, with 728 stores in South Africa, and 49 elsewhere in Africa.
Founded as The Alliance Trading Company in 1917, Truworths sells clothing under a number of different brands, including ...
and
Foschini Group
TFG Limited, also known as The Foschini Group, is a South African JSE listed retail clothing group, which trades under various brands and has more than 3,000 stores within its portfolio. It is headquartered in Parow East near Cape Town.
In 201 ...
stores. This new shopping destination has over 80 stores including banks and restaurants like KFC and Hungry Lion. The mall is owned by the Liberty Property Group and Khora investments. It is located at Cnr
N8 road &
Jazzman Mokhothu highway
Jazzman Mokhothu highway is the main road entering and leaving the town of Botshabelo near Bloemfontein in the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality
Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality is a metropolitan municipality which governs Bloemfontein an ...
. Other shopping centres are: Northern centre, Shoprite centre, Addy's Plaza, and Rea-hola shopping centre also known as Fairways.
Education
Botshabelo has over 65 primary and secondary schools. Motheo FET College has a satellite campus in this township.
Sports
Botshabelo is one of the towns that have produced soccer players for the
Premier Soccer League
Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier.
A premier will normally be a head of governm ...
(PSL), especially for Bloemfontein
Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
, players such as
James Madidilane
James Madidilane (born 22 August 1986 in South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the ...
, Ditheko Mototo, the late Abram Raselemane, Ntho Moshe, Motseothata November, Ace Gulwa, Lefu Nyapuli, Moeketsi Sekola, Teboho Salemane and others. Kaizer Sebothelo Stadium is the main sporting venue in Botshabelo with a capacity of 20 000 seats, including a sporting arena where indoor sports are played, as well as a newly revamped recreational swimming pool open to the public.
And also there is a Football Tournament That has been established by Ba2cada namely BA2CADA Soccer tournament taking place at Section "H”
Notable people
*
Fikile Mbalula
Fikile April Mbalula (born 1 April 1971 in the Free State) is a South African politician who is currently serving in the cabinet as Minister of Transport. He previously served as both Minister and Deputy Minister of Police and Minister of Sport ...
, politician, born in Botshabelo
Nyakallo Leine ba2cada radio personality
References
External links
{{Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality
Populated places in Mangaung
Townships in the Free State (South African province)