Senwabarwana, previously known as Bochum, is a town in the
Blouberg Local Municipality
Blouberg Municipality () is a Local municipality (South Africa), local municipality within the Capricorn District Municipality, in the Limpopo province of South Africa, bordering Botswana. It takes its name from the Blouberg (range), Blouberg (li ...
of
the Capricorn District Municipality in the
Limpopo
Limpopo () is the northernmost Provinces of South Africa, province of South Africa. It is named after the Limpopo River, which forms the province's western and northern borders. The term Limpopo is derived from Rivombo (Livombo/Lebombo), a ...
province of South Africa. The town is the seat of the
Blouberg Local Municipality
Blouberg Municipality () is a Local municipality (South Africa), local municipality within the Capricorn District Municipality, in the Limpopo province of South Africa, bordering Botswana. It takes its name from the Blouberg (range), Blouberg (li ...
. It is located about 93 km northwest of the city
.
Etymology
The colonial name may refer to the German industrial city of
Bochum
Bochum (, ; ; ; ) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia. With a population of 372,348 (April 2023), it is the sixth-largest city (after Cologne, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Essen and Duisburg) in North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous German federa ...
or be a corruption of
Bochim, a biblical name (
Judges
A judge is an official who presides over a court.
Judge or Judges may also refer to:
Roles
*Judge, an alternative name for an adjudicator in a competition in theatre, music, sport, etc.
*Judge, an alternative name/aviator call sign for a membe ...
2:1 and 5). The place was named by the German missionary Carl Franz and his wife Helene to a mission station they established here in 1890.
The majority language group of the area is
Northern Sotho people and they refer to themselves as Bahananwa. They call the town Senwabarwana, a commemorative name for an incident that took place in a pond where the Khoi people found and drank water in their travelling, thus passing by. Due to their height they are proclaimed dwarfs by natives which literally means Morwana in Northern Sotho (Sepedi) and in a plural form is Barwana, hence "Sen-wa-barwana".
History
German
missionary
A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thoma ...
Carl Franz and his wife Helene founded a hospital that used to cater for people with leprosy. The missionary station was part of the attempts of the
Berlin Missionary Society The Berlin Missionary Society (BMS) (German: ''Berliner Missionsgesellschaft'' (BMG)) was a Berlin-based German Protestant (Lutheran) Christianity, Christian missionary society, active from 1824 to 1972 in South Africa, East Africa and China. In 197 ...
to Christianize Southern Africa in the 19th century. The hospital is now known as Helene-Franz hospital. It has a bad reputation because of its high mortality rates and it is often referred to by old people as "the hospital of death".
The place is also known for its diverse people from chieftaincies such as Ga-Manthata, Ga-Matlala, Ga-Mmalebogo, Makgababeng, Moletši and the small town of
Mogwadi.
Institutions of Higher Education
TVET Colleges
*Capricorn TVET College Senwabarwana Campus.
Training Colleges
*New Life Computer Training College.
Institutions of Basic Education
Secondary
*Radira secondary school
*Phala Secondary School.
*Dikoloi Secondary School
*Seiphi Secondary School
*Phagamang Secondary School.
*Kgolothwane Secondary School.
*Tema Secondary School
*Matthew Phosa Secondary School
*Maleboho Senior Secondary School.
*My Darling Secondary School
Primary
*Kgebetli.
*Mophamamona
*Senwabarwana.
*Tefu Primary School.
*Kawene High Primary School
*Hosea mochemi primary school
*Maphetsa Primary School, in Witten Village, Blouberg Rural, Limpopo
*Raseasala Primary School, Buffelshoek
Special Needs Schools
*Ratanang.
*Helen Franz.
Health Institutions
*Helen Franz Hospital.
*Blouberg Hospital.
Shopping Centers
*Blouberg Mall.
*Bochum Plaza.
Notable people
*
Punch Masenamela
Punch Jan Masenamela (born 17 October 1986) is a South African footballer who currently plays for Mamelodi Sundowns and South Africa as a defender.
International career
Born in Bochum, Transvaal, Masenamela made his debut for South Africa
...
, a professional soccer player.
*
Clement Maosa, a popular
SABC TV actor.
*
Mamphela Ramphele
Mamphela Aletta Ramphele (; born 28 December 1947) is a South African politician, anti-apartheid activist, medical doctor and businesswoman. She was a partner of anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko, with whom she had two children. She is a form ...
, an
anti-apartheid activist and politician.
*
Tefu Mashamaite, former Bidvest Wits and Kaizer Chiefs defender
References
{{Capricorn District Municipality
Populated places in the Blouberg Local Municipality
1890 establishments in the South African Republic