Sterkspruit is a town in the Senqu Local Municipality in the Joe Gqabi District Municipality in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.
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 | |
| 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 |
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
editThe 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
editIn 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
editReferences
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.
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