Marikana

Last updated

Marikana (Maretlwane)
Rooikoppies
Koppies
South Africa North West location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Marikana (Maretlwane)
South Africa adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Marikana (Maretlwane)
Coordinates: 25°41′53″S27°28′19″E / 25.698°S 27.472°E / -25.698; 27.472
Country South Africa
Province North West
District Bojanala Platinum
Municipality Rustenburg
Area
[1]
  Total17.54 km2 (6.77 sq mi)
Population
 (2011) [1]
  Total19,522
  Density1,100/km2 (2,900/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
[1]
   Black African 98.3%
   Coloured 0.1%
   Indian/Asian 0.5%
   White 0.9%
  Other0.2%
First languages (2011)
[1]
   Tswana 30.0%
   Xhosa 29.7%
   Tsonga 18.1%
   Sotho 14.4%
  Other7.9%
Time zone UTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)
0284
PO box
0284
Area code 014

Marikana, also known as Rooikoppies, is a town in the Rustenburg Local Municipality, Bojanala Platinum District Municipality in the North West province of South Africa.

The name Rooikoppies means 'red hills' in Afrikaans.

Neighbouring localities include Marikana train station (1 km; 0.62 mi to the north-east), Wonderkop (4 km; 2.5 mi), Ramala, Rietfontein, Rustenburg (29 km; 18 mi); Swaershoek (30 km; 19 mi); Mooinooi (31 km; 19 mi); Brits (36 km; 22 mi); Monakato (38 km; 24 mi); Hartbeespoort (43 km; 27 mi); Kosmos (48 km; 30 mi). [2]

History

The town was laid out in 1870 on the farm Rooikoppies, and the settlement later expanded into seven white-owned farms. In 1933, the Buffelspoort Dam was built, allowing the local farmers to irrigate their crops. [3]

The farming community grew in the 1960s on the back of lucrative tobacco farming, but other diversified farming practices i.e. cattle, maize, chillies, paprika, soya, lusern and sunflower amongst the main groups was the main economic driver of the area. In the 1970s mining was introduced and grew to become the main industry in the region. The main mining activities are PGMs and chrome. Since the introduction of mining activities, the informal and formal population had a growth explosion.

The Marikana massacre of 16 August 2012 and the subsequent killing of 34 workers by police made headlines in the international media. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North West (South African province)</span> Province in South Africa

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Klerksdorp</span> City in North West, South Africa

Klerksdorp is located in the North West Province, South Africa. Klerksdorp, the largest city in the North West Province, is located 165 km (103 mi) southeast of Mahikeng, the provincial capital. Klerksdorp was also the first capital of the then Transvaal Republic and used to be the home of the first Stock Exchange in the region. It became an important trading town linking Kimberley to Johannesburg. It became home to a mix of farmers, miners and immigrants servicing the two industries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brakpan</span> Town in Gauteng, South Africa

Brakpan is a mining town on the East Rand of Gauteng, South Africa, approximately 38 kilometres east of Johannesburg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cullinan, South Africa</span> Place in Gauteng, South Africa

Cullinan is a small town in the Gauteng province of South Africa. It is located 30 km (19 mi) east of the city of Pretoria along the diamond route and is heavily reliant on tourism and the mine that dominates the skyline. The town is named after diamond magnate Sir Thomas Cullinan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Breyten</span> Place in Mpumalanga, South Africa

Breyten is a small farming town in Mpumalanga, South Africa. It is situated at the foot of Klipstapel, the highest point on the watershed between the westward-flowing Vaal River system and the eastward-flowing Olifants and Komati River systems. The town is located 25 km (15 mi) west of Chrissiesmeer, 30 km (19 mi) north of Ermelo, 32 km (20 mi) southwest of Carolina, and 35 km (21 mi) southeast of Hendrina. The main spoken languages are Zulu, Swati and Afrikaans.

Bethal is a farming town in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The farms in the region produce maize, sunflower seeds, sorghum, rye and potatoes. The town lies 155 km (96 mi) east of Johannesburg on the N17 National Route.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rustenburg</span> City in North West province, South Africa

Rustenburg is a city at the foot of the Magaliesberg mountain range. Rustenburg is the most populous city in North West province, South Africa. In 2017, the city's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) reached ZAR 63.8 billion, accounting for 21.1% of the GDP of the North West Province, and 1.28% of the GDP of South Africa. Rustenburg was one of the official host cities of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, being in close proximity to Phokeng, the capital of the Royal Bafokeng Nation, where the Royal Bafokeng Stadium is located. The England national football team also used this as their base camp for the tournament.

Lonmin plc, formerly Lonrho plc, was a British producer of platinum group metals operating in the Bushveld Complex of South Africa. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange. Its registered office was in London, and its operational headquarters were in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Koster is a small farming town situated on the watershed between the Orange and Limpopo Rivers in North West Province of South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swartruggens</span> Place in North West, South Africa

Swartruggens is a small farming town in North West Province, South Africa that was established in 1875.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bushveld Igneous Complex</span> Large early layered igneous intrusion

The Bushveld Igneous Complex (BIC) is the largest layered igneous intrusion within the Earth's crust. It has been tilted and eroded forming the outcrops around what appears to be the edge of a great geological basin: the Transvaal Basin. It is approximately 2 billion years old and is divided into four different limbs: the northern, southern, eastern, and western limbs. The Bushveld Complex comprises the Rustenburg Layered suite, the Lebowa Granites and the Rooiberg Felsics, that are overlain by the Karoo sediments. The site was first publicised around 1897 by Gustaaf Molengraaff who found the native South African tribes residing in and around the area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">N4 (South Africa)</span> National road in South Africa

The N4 is a national route in South Africa that runs from Skilpadshek on the Botswana border, past Rustenburg, Pretoria, eMalahleni and Mbombela, to Komatipoort on the Mozambique border. It forms the South African section of the Trans-Kalahari Corridor, which runs from Walvis Bay to Maputo, meaning that it links the east and west coasts of Southern Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rustenburg Local Municipality</span> Local municipality in North West, South Africa

Rustenburg Municipality is a local municipality within the Bojanala Platinum District Municipality, in the North West province of South Africa. Rustenburg is situated at the foot of the Magalies mountain range. Rustenburg was proclaimed a township in 1851. The city of Rustenburg is situated some 112 km northwest from both Johannesburg and Pretoria. It is a malaria-free area. Rustenburg is the fastest growing municipality in South Africa, with the population rising from 387,096 in 2001 to 449,776 in 2007. It is the most populous municipality in the North West province.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loeriesfontein</span> Place in Northern Cape, South Africa

Loeriesfontein is a small town in the Northern Cape of South Africa. It falls within what is known as the Hantam region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lagamar</span> Town and municipality in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil

Lagamar is a municipality in the north of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. Its population in 2020 was 7,600 inhabitants in a total area of 1,425 km2 (550 sq mi). It is a large producer of cattle and grains and there is extraction of phosphates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Impala Platinum</span> Multinational mining corporation based in South Africa

Impala Platinum Holdings Limited or Implats is a South African holding company that owns several companies which operate mines that produce platinum and platinum group metals, as well as nickel, copper and cobalt. Its most significant mine is the Impala mine in the North West province of South Africa. The company also owns or has interest in the Two Rivers mine and the Marula mine in the South Africa Bushveld Igneous Complex and the Mimosa mine and Zimplats in Zimbabwe, as well as the Impala Refining Services which smelts and refines metals for other companies. In December 2019, Impala Canada was formed, owned by the holding company, out of the acquisition of North American Palladium and its mine in Ontario, Canada.

The Constitution of South Africa protects all basic political freedoms. However, there have been many incidents of political repression, dating back to at least 2002, as well as threats of future repression in violation of this constitution leading some analysts, civil society organisations and popular movements to conclude that there is a new climate of political repression or a decline in political tolerance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Workers and Socialist Party</span> Political party in South Africa

The Workers and Socialist Party (WASP) is a Marxist and Trotskyist political party in South Africa affiliated to International Socialist Alternative.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sibanye-Stillwater</span> The largest individual producer of gold from South Africa

Sibanye-Stillwater is a multinational mining and metals processing Group with a diverse portfolio of mining and processing operations and projects and investments across five continents. The Group is also one of the foremost global PGM auto catalytic recyclers and has interests in leading mine tailings retreatment operations.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Main Place Marikana (Maretlwan)". Census 2011.
  2. Travel distances from Marikana Archived 2013-11-14 at the Wayback Machine
  3. "Marikana". North West History. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  4. "South Africa's ANC to discuss mine shootings row". BBC News. 27 August 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2012.