Krugersdorp (

Afrikaans Afrikaans is a West Germanic languages, West Germanic language spoken in South Africa, Namibia and to a lesser extent Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and also Argentina where there is a group in Sarmiento, Chubut, Sarmiento that speaks the Pat ...

for ''Kruger's Town'') is a mining city in the

West Rand The West Rand is the urban western part of the Witwatersrand that is functionally merged with the Johannesburg conurbation. This area became settled by Europeans after a gold-bearing reef discovered in 1886 and sparked the gold rush that ga ...

Gauteng Province Gauteng ( , ; Sotho-Tswana for 'place of gold'; or ) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. Situated on the Highveld, Gauteng is the smallest province by land area in South Africa. Although Gauteng accounts for only 1.5% of the coun ...

, South Africa founded in 1887 by

Marthinus Pretorius Marthinus Wessel Pretorius (17 September 1819 – 19 May 1901) was a South African political leader. An Afrikaner (or "Boer"), he helped establish the South African Republic (''Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek'' or ZAR; also referred to as Transvaa ...

and

Abner Cohen The Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland (RAI) is a long-established anthropological organisation, and Learned Society, with a global membership. Its remit includes all the component fields of anthropology, such as biolo ...

. Following the discovery of gold on the

Witwatersrand The Witwatersrand (, ; ; locally the Rand or, less commonly, the Reef) is a , north-facing scarp in South Africa. It consists of a hard, erosion-resistant quartzite metamorphic rock, over which several north-flowing rivers form waterfalls, w ...

, a need arose for a major town in the west of the reef. The government bought part of the Paardekraal farm and named the new town after the

Transvaal Transvaal is a historical geographic term associated with land north of (''i.e.'', beyond) the Vaal River in South Africa. A number of states and administrative divisions have carried the name ''Transvaal''. * South African Republic (1856–1902; ...

president,

Paul Kruger Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger (; 10 October 1825 – 14 July 1904), better known as Paul Kruger, was a South African politician. He was one of the dominant political and military figures in 19th-century South Africa, and State Preside ...

. Krugersdorp no longer has a separate municipal government after it was integrated into

Mogale City Local Municipality Mogale City Local Municipality (; ; ) is a local municipality within the West Rand District Municipality, in the Gauteng province of South Africa. Main places The 2001 census divided the municipality into the following main places: Politic ...

along with surrounding towns. It is now the seat of government for Mogale City.

History

Krugersdorp is the site of a December 1880 gathering at which more than 6,000 men vowed to fight for the Transvaal's independence. Founded in 1887 by Marthinus Pretorius after the discovery of gold on his farm, ''Paardekraal'', thereafter the mining industry played an important role in the development of the city. Two important events in the history of South Africa: the Transvaal War of Independence (1881) and the discovery of the Witwatersrand Goldfields (1886) took place in Krugersdorp. These events had far-reaching political and economic consequences for the country's development. In April 1887, the

South African Republic The South African Republic (, abbreviated ZAR; ), also known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer republics, Boer republic in Southern Africa which existed from 1852 to 1902, when it was annexed into the British Empire as a result ...

's (ZAR) Executive Council purchased part of the farm ''Paarderkraal'' to build a town called Krugersdorp. By the time the town was founded, the existence of the gold reef along the Witwatersrand had become common knowledge, and thousands seeking their fortunes pitched their tents and pegged claims. In 1888, Krugersdorp was proclaimed a separate gold field. By 1895, the proclaimed goldfields was separated from Krugersdorp, and the town and Distriksdorp, near the monument, were merged in April that year. By 1903, Krugersdorp became a municipality. During the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...

(1899-1902), the British built a concentration camp in the valley that is now occupied by the Centenary Dam. This camp was overlooked by the "D" Shaft of the Luipardsvlei Estate Gold Mining Company, which was shut down in 1929 when mining shifted to deeper ore bodies that offered the prospect of larger tonnages. this shaft is being brought back into production. Part of the heritage of the area will feature in a museum to be built post-closure. An essential part of the museum's content will be the Boer War legacy. In 1952, the West Rand Consolidated Mine was the first in the world to extract uranium as a byproduct of the gold refining process.

Demographics

Krugersdorp is home to the South African Branch of

Jehovah's Witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses is a Christian denomination that is an outgrowth of the Bible Student movement founded by Charles Taze Russell in the nineteenth century. The denomination is nontrinitarian, millenarian, and restorationist. Russell co-fou ...

, The Watchtower Bible, and Tract Society. In 2010, the town's Coronation Park area received international exposure for the depiction of Afrikaner poverty by

Finbarr O'Reilly Finbarr O'Reilly (born 1971) is a Welsh-born Irish/CanadianFinbarr O’Reilly
Reportage Atri Festival ...

. In 2014, the area was exposed again as a subject of the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

documentary '' Reggie Yates' Extreme South Africa: White Slums''.

Economy

West Rand Cons Dump from Coronation Park

Gold, manganese, iron, asbestos and

lime Lime most commonly refers to: * Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit * Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide * Lime (color), a color between yellow and green Lime may also refer to: Bo ...

are all mined in the area.Krugersdorp
''www.gauteng-info.co.za''. Retrieved on 7 September 2019. Krugersdorp has a modern business centre and shopping malls alongside many smaller shops, schools, and necessary amenities. There are also game reserves and a nearby bird sanctuary. Krugersdorp is served by the Jack Taylor Airfield north-west of the town centre (adjacent to the game reserve) and

Lanseria International Airport Lanseria International Airport is a privately owned international airport that is situated north of Randburg and Sandton to the northwest of Johannesburg, South Africa. The airport can handle aircraft up to the size of a Boeing 757-300 an ...

28 kilometres to the north-east.

O. R. Tambo International Airport O. R. Tambo International Airport is an international airport serving the twin cities of Johannesburg and the main capital of South Africa, Pretoria. It is situated in Kempton Park, Gauteng, Kempton Park, Gauteng. It serves as the primary air ...

is 50 kilometres to the east. The nearby

Krugersdorp Game Reserve Krugersdorp Game Reserve is a 1500 Ha Game Reserve, located near the town of Krugersdorp, South Africa, approximately 40 minutes drive from central Johannesburg. It is a "small, intimate reserve that offers visitors a true African safari expe ...

in the dense bush of the

veld Veld ( or , Afrikaans language, Afrikaans and Dutch language, Dutch: ''veld'', field), also spelled veldt, is a type of wide-open, rural landscape in Southern Africa. Particularly, it is a flat area covered in grass or low scrubland, scrub, ...

holds a large quantity of game and is one of the city's major tourist attractions. Also in close proximity are various provincial heritage sites including the

Cradle of Humankind The Cradle of Humankind is a paleoanthropological site that is located about northwest of Johannesburg, South Africa, in the Gauteng province. Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999, the site is home to the largest known concentrat ...

and its

Sterkfontein Sterkfontein (Afrikaans for ''Strong Spring'') is a set of limestone caves of special interest in paleoanthropology located in Gauteng province, about northwest of Johannesburg, South Africa in the Muldersdrift area close to the town of K ...

Caves and the Wonder Cave.

Law and government

Government

Name change

Although the city's municipality changed its name from Krugersdorp to Mogale City, the assumption that the city's name has been officially changed to Mogale City has been refuted by the Mogale City Municipality.

Coat of arms

Krugersdorp was proclaimed a municipality in 1903. By 1931, the municipal council had assumed a pseudo-heraldic coat of arms. The shield was divided by a horizontal line, the upper half subdivided by a vertical line, the three sections depicting (1) the Paardekraal monument, (2) a mining landscape, and (3) a plough. The motto was ''Labor omnia vincit improbus''.The arms were depicted on
cigarette card
issued in 1931. A proper coat of arms was designed in the 1960s. It was registered with the Transvaal Provincial Administration in November 1965Transvaal ''Official Gazette'' 1381 (17 November 1965). and at the

Bureau of Heraldry The Bureau of Heraldry is the South African heraldic authority, established in Pretoria on 1 June 1963. It is headed by a State Herald (known unofficially as the National Herald since 2004) and its functions are to register arms, badges, flags ...

in January 1969.http://www.national.archsrch.gov.za The arms were : ''Per chevron ploye Azure and Or, dexter two mine hammers in saltire and sinister a cogwheel all Or, and in base the Paardekraal Monument Gules''. In layman's terms, the shield was divided by a curved chevron-shaped line into blue and gold, displaying two crossed mine hammers and a cogwheel at the top, and the Paardekraal monument at the bottom. The crest was three horses' heads issuing from a golden mural crown; the supporters were an eland and a gemsbok; and the motto was '' Labor omnia vincit improbus''.

Attractions

Krugersdorp has popular tourist attractions such as Krugersdorp Game Reserve, Maropeng Visitor Centre, Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens and Sterkfonten Caves. The town is the host of the annual Gauteng Beach Party held at Coronation Park. In recent years the event has featured performances by: *DJ Sbu *

DJ Cleo Tlou Cleopas Monyepao (born December 24, 1979), professionally known as DJ Cleo, is a South African Kwaito, House music and Hip hop producer. He was born in Gauteng. DJ Cleo has enjoyed a long and fruitful career in the South African music indu ...

Winnie Khumalo Winnifred Khumalo (20 July 1973 – 7 January 2025) was a South African Kwaito and Afropop singer, actor and television personality. She was known as one of the country's most prolific musical artists and for her collaborations with other South ...

*TBo Touch *TKZee *Brown Dash Afropop sensation

Mafikizolo Mafikizolo is a South African Afro-pop music group formed in 1996, consisting of composer Theo Kgosinkwe, lead singer Nhlanhla Mafu and Composer Tebogo Madingoane, who was shot and killed 14 February 2004. The group rose to fame after they relea ...

and Ntando Bangani are noted acts that hail from Krugersdorp.

Sports

Krugersdorp also has an 18-hole golf course and many facilities for extreme sports.

Infrastructure

Health

Local clinics

*Central Clinic *Kagiso Clinic B *Azaadville Clinic *Munsieville Clinic A *Dr Kaka Clinic

Provincial hospitals

*Dr Yusuf Dadoo Hospital (Paardekraal) *Sterkfontein Hospital *Leratong Hospital

Private hospitals

*Krugersdorp Private Hospital *Bell Street Day Hospital *Netcare Pinehaven Hospital *Medi-Cross Clinic

Education

The schools in Krugersdorp include: *Alma Mater International School * Krugersdorp High School *Town View High School
Thuto-Lefa Secondary School
*

Hoërskool Monument Hoërskool Monument (; also known by the nickname Monnas) is a parallel medium (formerly purely Afrikaans medium) strictly Afrikaans as a first language high school situated in Krugersdorp, Gauteng, South Africa. The cultural activities offere ...

*Hoërskool Jan De Klerk *HTS Nic Diederichs *St Ursula's School *

Hoërskool Noordheuwel Hoërskool Noordheuwel is an Afrikaans medium co-educational high school located in the upscale neighborhood of Noordheuwel in Johannesburg, in the Gauteng province of South Africa. It is one of the most expensive Afrikaans medium schools, the ...

*Hoërskool Bastion *Laerskool Muldersdrif
Laerskool Kenmare
*Rant en Dal School for learners with Autism and SID *Hoërskool Pro-Practicum *Laerskool Millennium *Laerskool Ebenhaeser *Curro Krugersdorp Private School *Laerskool Paardekraal *Monument Primary School *Laerskool Krugersdorp Noord *Ahmed Timol Secondary School *Azaadville Muslim School *Silverfields Primary School *Tina Cowley Reading Centre Krugersdorp

Notable people

Brad Binder Brad Binder (born 11 August 1995) is a South African Grand Prix motorcycle racing, Grand Prix motorcycle racer competing for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. He is the 2016 Moto3 season, 2016 Moto3 World Champion. Previously, he had competed in the ...

* Trevor Blokdyk *

Yusuf Dadoo Yusuf Mohamed Dadoo OMSG (5 September 1909 – 19 September 1983) was a South African Communist and an anti-apartheid activist. During his life, he was chair of both the South African Indian Congress and the South African Communist ...

Johannes de Klerk Johannes "Jan" de Klerk, (22 July 1903 – 24 January 1979) was a South African politician. He was the father of F. W. de Klerk, the last apartheid State President of South Africa. As a member of the National Party, de Klerk served as inte ...

* Hanno Dirksen *

Jaque Fourie Jaque Fourie (born 4 March 1983) is a South African former professional rugby union player. He was a versatile backline player whose usual position was in the centres. He was a member of the 2007 Rugby World Cup winning team, playing at outside ...

* Costa Gazi *

Allan Heyl George Allan Heyl (died April 17, 2020) was a South African criminal, member of the Andre Stander, Stander Gang. Heyl met his accomplices André Stander and Lee McCall in 1977, while they were in prison together (Heyl had been sentenced in 1977 ...

Mmusi Maimane Mmusi Aloysias Maimane (born 6 June 1980) is a South African politician, businessman, and leader of Build One South Africa, a political party. Maimane is also the former Leader of South Africa, South Africa's opposition Democratic Alliance (So ...

Nomvula Mokonyane Nomvula Paula Mokonyane (born 28 June 1963) is a South African politician who is currently the First Deputy Secretary-General of the African National Congress (ANC). She was the first female Premier of Gauteng from 2009 to 2014 and subsequently ...

* Scott Spedding *

Lucien van der Walt Lucien van der Walt (born 8 September 1972) is a South African writer, professor of Sociology and labour educator. His research engages the anarchist/syndicalist tradition of Mikhail Bakunin and Peter Kropotkin; trade unionism and working class ...

* Cindy Swanepoel

References

External links

The Big Picture photo essay on white squatters in Krugersdorp

Meet the white squatters of Munsiville, Gauteng
{{Authority control Populated places in the Mogale City Local Municipality Uranium mining Populated places founded by Afrikaners Mining communities in South Africa Second Boer War concentration camps Populated places established in 1887 1887 establishments in the South African Republic West Rand