Sasolburg

Sasolburg
Sasolburg  Sasolburg shown within Free State
Coordinates:
Country	South Africa
Province	Free State
District	Fezile Dabi
Municipality	Metsimaholo
Established	{{#property:P571}}
Area
• Total	79.9 km2 (30.8 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total	113,038
• Density	1,400/km2 (3,700/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
• Black African	80.8%
• Coloured	0.6%
• Indian/Asian	0.3%
• White	18.0%
• Other	0.2%
First languages (2011)
• Sotho	58.0%
• Afrikaans	18.1%
• Xhosa	8.1%
• Zulu	5.7%
• Other	10.1%
Postal code (street)	1947
PO box	1947
Area code	016

Sasolburg is a large industrial town in the far north of the Free State province of South Africa. Sasolburg is further sub-divided into three areas: Sasolburg proper, Vaalpark (a more affluent cluster of suburbs located about 5 km north of the Sasolburg CBD) and Zamdela (a 'township' or area formerly reserved for Black people). Most White residents of Sasolburg speak Afrikaans as a first language, while most Black people speak Sesotho as a first language. The Sasol corporation has sponsored extensive infrastructural developments in Sasolburg, such as an Olympic size swimming pool. World class athletics facilities and a large number of churches can also be found in Sasolburg. The Ettienne Rousseau Theatre plays host to a wide range of Afrikaans and other artists throughout the year. It is served by various secondary schools, including Sasolburg High School.

History

The town was established in 1954 in order to provide housing and other facilities for Sasol employees. The initial installation (Sasol 1) was a pilot plant to refine oil from coal, due to the lack of petroleum reserves. The coal reserves of the country were and still are extensive. The political developments of the late 1960s and early 1970s (specifically the trade embargoes against the apartheid government) made the operation of the pilot plant a priority to the government. Plans were made for a production plant to be built in the Eastern Transvaal to produce approximately 25% of the national fuel requirements. The new town of Secunda was built to house the construction and operations staff of what became known as SASOL 2 and SASOL 3 (Secunda CTL).

Sasolburg was the subject of an attack by Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) - the African National Congress's military wing - in 1980. The attack proved to be largely ineffectual in terms of sabotaging the manufacturing processes of the Sasol plant. However the propaganda impact of the attack was significant. This event was depicted in the 2006 film Catch a Fire.

When the Free State Province was still known as Orange Free State, the motor vehicle registration prefix for Sasolburg was OIL.

Geography

Sasolburg is at a high altitude with a fairly dry climate and large seasonal temperature variation. It is situated on the banks of the Vaal River, which separates the Free State from the former Transvaal Province, and is not far from the Vaal Dam where excellent windsurfing spots can be found.

External links

• Official site
• Vaal Triangle Info
• Fighting for scraps in the Republic of Sasol(burg), Stephen Sparks, Mail & Guardian, 21 January 2013