Sterkspruit

Sterkspruit
Bridge over the Orange River near Sterkspruit
Sterkspruit
Sterkspruit
Sterkspruit
Coordinates: 30°31′26″S 27°22′12″E / 30.524°S 27.370°E / -30.524; 27.370
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceEastern Cape
DistrictJoe Gqabi
MunicipalitySenqu
Government
 • CouncillorChief Magadla
Area
 • Total
4.02 km2 (1.55 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Total
1,893
 • Density470/km2 (1,200/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
 • Black African96.2%
 • Coloured0.9%
 • Indian/Asian2.1%
 • White0.4%
 • Other0.4%
First languages (2011)
 • Xhosa73.5%
 • Sotho14.2%
 • English4.3%
 • Afrikaans1.0%
 • Other7.0%
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)
9762
PO box
9762
Area code051

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

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

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

References

There are high crime issues in Sterkspruit

  1. ^ a b c d "Main Place Sterkspruit". Census 2011.
  2. ^ "Saexplorer.co.za".
  3. ^ "Dictionary of Southern African Place Names (Public Domain)". Human Science Research Council. p. 416.
  4. ^ "Why Sterkspruit wants to secede". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  5. ^ "Sterkspruit protests condemned". News24. Retrieved 29 December 2021.

Chief Justice of Traditional Law : Lwazi Mbobo