Prieskais a town on the south bank of theOrange River,in the province of theNorthern Cape,in westernSouth Africa.It is located on the southern bank of theOrange River,130 km north-west ofBritstownand 75 km south-east ofMarydale.
Prieska | |
|---|---|
 Prieska | |
  Prieska  Prieska  Prieska | |
| Coordinates:29°40′6″S22°44′38″E/ 29.66833°S 22.74389°E | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Northern Cape |
| District | Pixley ka Seme |
| Municipality | Siyathemba |
| Area | |
• Total | 195.52 km2(75.49 sq mi) |
| Population (2011)[1] | |
• Total | 14,246 |
| • Density | 73/km2(190/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2011) | |
| •Black African | 23.6% |
| •Coloured | 67.4% |
| •Indian/Asian | 0.5% |
| •White | 8.0% |
| • Other | 0.4% |
| First languages(2011) | |
| •Afrikaans | 92.6% |
| •Xhosa | 4.4% |
| •English | 1.0% |
| • Other | 2.0% |
| Time zone | UTC+2(SAST) |
| Postal code(street) | 8940 |
| PO box | 8940 |
| Area code | 053 |
History
editIt developed from a place to which farmers migrated when the pans were full, after rains. It was originally namedPrieschap,the name is derived fromKoranaand means ‘place of the lost she-goat’.[2][3]: 41 It was administered by a village management board from 1882 and attained municipal status in 1892. In 2011 the town had a population of 14,246.
The 1878 murders
editIn October 1878 at Luisdraai near Koegas a group of Korana and San indigenous people were savagely attacked by a 'military patrol' and 46 were killed. It later came to light that the indigenous people were killed in cold blood, after being disarmed and taken prisoner, eleven of the slain were women and children. The perpetrators were mounted militia, consisting of several white and Griqua farmers.
Koegas Asbestos Mine
editMany residents, historically, worked at the nearbyKoegas minewhich extracted and processedblue asbestos.[4]
The town is 240 km south ofKimberleyand lies on theR357road.
Notable natives and residents
edit- Gert Thys- marathon runner
- Dricky Beukes- writer
References
edit- ^abcd"Main Place Prieska".Census 2011.
- ^"Dictionary of Southern African Place Names (Public Domain)".Human Science Research Council. p. 375.
- ^"Copper by the Ton".South African Panorama.19(1). Information Service of South Africa. 1974 – via Internet Archive.
- ^Steele, Jonathan (15 September 2001)."Blue death".The Guardian.Retrieved6 February2021.
External links
edit
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