Welkom

Welkom ( Welcome in Afrikaans and Dutch) is a Ville center of the South Africa, located in the north-western part of the province of the State-Free .

Located at 160 kilometers in the North-East of Bloemfontein, the capital of the province, it is the center of the exploitation of the Or and the Uranium in the area. Welkom is also a production center of Acier and production of bovine meat and structural timber. The city is also known for its road racing set which accommodates Grands Prix of Formule 1.

In 2001, its population was of 408.173 inhabitants, which makes the second provincial town of it behind Bloemfontein.

Its name is that of the farm on which gold was discovered.

History

Welkom was founded rather late, in 1947, following the discovery of a gold seam the previous year. It was set up according to a plan of Urbanisme which was to be a model, with a center town for the administrations and the trade built in arc of circle around a park of 45 ha. More than one million trees were planted with this intention.

Welkom acquired the statute of commune ( municipality ) in 1961 and that of city ( city ) in 1968.

In spite of the fall of the Apartheid in the Nineties, the majority of the black population, poorest, continues to live in the township of Thabong. Contrary to other mining cities, the wells continue to function and the city attracts labor thus.

The December 5th 2000, Welkom loses its municipal statute to be amalgamated with the communes of Allanridge, Hennenman, Odendaalsrus, Ventersburg and Virginia in the new local municipality of Matjhabeng, itself located in the municipal district of Lejweleputswa.

Personalities

the current bishop of Kroonstad, Mgr Stephen Brislin was born in Welkom in 1956.

External bond

Images and history of the exploitation of gold with Welkom (in English)

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