Ladybrand is a small agricultural town in the 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 ...

, situated 18 km from

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 ...

, the capital of

Lesotho Lesotho ( ), officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a country landlocked country, landlocked as an Enclave and exclave, enclave in South Africa. It is situated in the Maloti Mountains and contains the Thabana Ntlenyana, highest mountains in Sou ...

. Ladybrand is one of five towns that forms the Mantsopa Local Municipality. Founded in 1867 following the Basotho Wars, it was named after Lady (Catharina) Brand, the wife of the president of the

Orange Free State The Orange Free State ( nl, Oranje Vrijstaat; af, Oranje-Vrystaat;) was an independent Boer sovereign republic under British suzerainty in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, which ceased to exist after it was defeat ...

, Johannes Brand. The settlement of Ladybrand was created by Voortrekkers to give them control over the territories conquered and captured after the above-mentioned Basotho war. In 1900, during the

Second Anglo-Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the South ...

, Ladybrand came under the control of the British.

Notable residents

*Nico Diederichs - State President of South Africa#List of State Presidents, State President of South Africa from 1975 to 1978. *Arthur Setaba Pitso, an SACP supporter who was stabbed to death by unidentified persons at his home in Ladybrand, OFS, on 28 October 1972. Mr Pitso had organised stayaways, boycotts and other political activities, and was labelled a troublemaker by police in the area. *Kobie Coetsee -

n lawyer, National Party (South Africa), National Party politician and administrator as well as a negotiator during the country's transition to democracy. *Lehlohonolo Majoro - Cape Town City F.C. (2016), Cape Town City FC Striker 1986–present *Lefa Tsutsulupa - Moroka Swallows F.C., Morokwa Swallows Midfielder 1975-2013 * Dulcie van den Bergh (born Smit) (1928–97),the actress, lived in Ladybrand as a child with her brother Stefaans (Stephanus Johannes Petrus) and sister Annemie. Parents were Anna Elisabeth (Venter) and Stephanus Johannes Smit. *Relebohile Pitso born 21 April 1993, Top 16 finalist for Miss Bachelorette South Africa. A top 10 finalist of the face of Miss Signature and a founder of an NGO called Hands Of Pure Hope and also a founder of Mr and Miss Ladybrand teen. She was born and bred in Ladybrand. Started school at Yeshua pre-primary, went to Ladybrand Primary and completed matric at Ladybrand high school in the year 2011. *Wagga Wagga Likoebe - Kaizer Chiefs F.C., Kaizer Chiefs Winger 1977-1982 *Pule Lechesa - Poet, literary critic, essayist.

References

External links

* Populated places in the Mantsopa Local Municipality Populated places founded by Afrikaners Populated places established in 1868 1868 establishments in the Orange Free State {{FreeState-geo-stub