Witbank
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| Witbank | |
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| Coordinates: 25°52′36″S 29°12′04″E / 25.876579°S 29.200974°E | |
| Country | South Africa |
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| Province | Mpumalanga |
| District Municipality | Nkangala |
| Local Municipality | Emalahleni |
| Time zone | SAST (UTC+2) |
Witbank is situated on the highveld of Mpumalanga, South Africa, within the Emalahleni Local Municipality, Mpumalanga.[1][2][3] The name Witbank is Afrikaans for White Ridge and is named after a white sandstone outcrop where wagon transport drivers rested. Witbank is in the coal mining area with 22 collieries in an area no more than 40 km in any direction. There are a number of power stations (such as the Duvha Power Station), as well as a steel mill, Highveld Steel and Vanadium Corporation, nearby which all require coal. The farm land surrounding Witbank and nearby Middelburg is fast being eaten up by coal mines which are a blight on the horizon. With the increase in mining activity pollution has become a major problem with many wetlands, streams and rivers now clogged with coal dust.
Witbank was established in 1890 and early attempts to exploit the coal deposits failed until the railway from Pretoria reached the area in 1894. It was proclaimed a town in 1903 and became a municipality in 1914 .
In the 1994 AWB invasion of Bophuthatswana Witbank was one of the right- wing strongholds where AWB commandos were called in from.[citation needed]
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[edit] Trivia
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This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2008) |
- Winston Churchill, then a young soldier-journalist, hid in a colliery near Witbank after his escape from Pretoria during the Second Boer War.
- Witbank Dam is the biggest municipal dam in the southern hemisphere.
[edit] References
- ^ "Emalahleni FAQ". http://www.emalahleni.gov.za/faq.html. Retrieved on 2008-07-04.
- ^ "Witbank". Official South African Geographical Names System. http://sagns.dac.gov.za/public/PlaceNameInfo.aspx?id=60959. Retrieved on 2009-06-22.
- ^ "Nkangala District Municipality map indicating Witbank within Emalahleni Local Municipality". Nkangala District Municipality. http://www.nkangaladm.org.za/. Retrieved on 2009-06-22.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
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Municipalities and Communities of Nkangala District Municipality, Mpumalanga District Seat: Middelburg |
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| Local municipalities |
Delmas • Emalahleni • Steve Tshwete • Emakhazeni • Thembisile • Dr JS Moroka |
| Cities and towns |
Middelburg • Witbank |
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