Wolmaransstad

27°13′0″S 25°58′28″E / 27.21667°S 25.97444°E / -27.21667; 25.97444CountrySouth AfricaProvinceNorth WestDistrictDr Kenneth KaundaMunicipalityMaquassi HillsArea • Total41.68 km² (16.09 sq mi)Population • Total3,633 • Density87/km² (230/sq mi)Racial makeup (2011) • Black African35.4% • Coloured2.6% • Indian/Asian2.8% • White57.4% • Other1.8%First languages (2011) • Afrikaans71.6% • Tswana13.0% • English8.2% • Sotho2.5% • Other4.7%Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)Postal code (street)PO boxArea code018

Wolmaransstad (Afrikaans for "Wolmarans City") is a maize-farming town situated on the N12 between Johannesburg and Kimberley in North West Province of South Africa. The town lies in an important alluvial diamond-mining area and it is the main town of the Maquassi Hills Local Municipality.

Town 245 km south-west of Johannesburg and 56 km north-east of Bloemhof. It was laid out on the farms Rooderand and Vlakfontein in 1888, and proclaimed a town in 1891. Named after Jacobus M. A. Wolmarans, then member of the Executive Council.^[2]

Wolmaransstad originated in 1891 on the banks of the Makwasi River (San word for a type of wild spearmint) and takes its name from J. M. A. Wolmarans, a volksraad councilman.

Wolmaransstad serves a large community and is an important diamond buying center.

The Dutch Reformed church building was designed by Gerard Moerdijk.

Anglo Boer war

Tourist attractions

• Broadbent Mission Station ^[3]
• Digger's Diamond route ^[4]
• Makwassierante Conservation Area
• Wolwespruit Dam Nature Reserve

Notable native

• Bernardus Gerhardus Fourie (also known as Brand Fourie; 1916–2008), South African politician

See also

• Wolmaransstad Commando, a former light infantry regiment of the South African Army based in Wolmaransstad

References