Sterkspruit | |
---|---|
![]() Bridge over the Orange River near Sterkspruit | |
Coordinates: 30°31′26″S 27°22′12″E / 30.524°S 27.370°E | |
Country | South Africa |
Province | Eastern Cape |
District | Joe Gqabi |
Municipality | Senqu |
Government | |
• Councillor | Chief Magadla |
Area | |
• Total | 4.02 km2 (1.55 sq mi) |
Population (2011)[1] | |
• Total | 1,893 |
• Density | 470/km2 (1,200/sq mi) |
Racial makeup (2011) | |
• Black African | 96.2% |
• Coloured | 0.9% |
• Indian/Asian | 2.1% |
• White | 0.4% |
• Other | 0.4% |
First languages (2011) | |
• Xhosa | 73.5% |
• Sotho | 14.2% |
• English | 4.3% |
• Afrikaans | 1.0% |
• Other | 7.0% |
Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
Postal code (street) | 9762 |
PO box | 9762 |
Area code | 051 |
Sterkspruit is a town in the Senqu Local Municipality in the Joe Gqabi District Municipality in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.
The town is located about 45 km south-east of Zastron, 80 km north-east of Aliwal North, and 24 km from the Lesotho border.[2] It takes its name from the Sterkspruit, the watercourse on which it is situated. The name is Afrikaans and means ‘strong stream’.[3]
Health
[edit]The town houses the Empilisweni District Hospital, a public government-funded and managed district hospital. It is a level 1 hospital with 93 usable beds. As it is situated close to Lesotho and Free State borders, it also renders health services to cross-border citizens visiting Sterkspruit.
Water quality has been a problem, with 140 babies dying in 2008 after drinking contaminated water.[4]
Protests
[edit]In 2013, the town was shut down for two weeks in protests led by the Sterkspruit Civic Association, with the goal of forming its own, separate, municipality.[5]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "Main Place Sterkspruit". Census 2011.
- ^ "Saexplorer.co.za".
- ^ "Dictionary of Southern African Place Names (Public Domain)". Human Science Research Council. p. 416.
- ^ "Why Sterkspruit wants to secede". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
- ^ "Sterkspruit protests condemned". News24. Retrieved 29 December 2021.