48-454: Springfontein is a small mixed farming town in the south Free State province of South Africa . The town was established in 1904 on the farm Hartleydale, which was part of the farm Springfontein. The name Springfontein, which is Afrikaans for "jumping fountain", stems from the existence of a spring on the farm. A village management board was established in 1904 and the town attained municipal status in 1912. Farming with sheep, cattle and maize
96-561: A Commission on the Demarcation/Delimitation of Regions created by CODESA , and were broadly based on planning regions demarcated by the Development Bank of Southern Africa in the 1980s, and amalgamated from existing magisterial districts , with some concessions to political parties that wished to consolidate their power bases, by transferring districts between the proposed provinces. The definitions of
144-591: A minority) and as a second or third language by Sesotho, Setswana and Xhosa speakers. Although there are relatively few native English speakers, English is becoming increasingly important as the language of business and government. This is evidenced by the shift of tertiary institutions such as the University of the Free State from solely using Afrikaans as the medium of instruction to using both Afrikaans and English, and eventually only English. The population of
192-576: A national, provincial and local level. Nationally, there is the National Council of Provinces, one of the houses of Parliament. Then there is the provincial government and, below that, the administration of district and metropolitan municipalities. South Africa has two houses of parliament: the National Assembly, and the National Council of Provinces. The second exists to ensure that the interests of each province are protected in
240-493: A substantial minority in Bloemfontein (45.7%) and Winburg (36.3%). In the 2022 census, 72.3% of the population reported their first language as Sotho , 10.3% as Afrikaans , 5.5% as Xhosa , 5.3% as Setswana , and 1.5% as English . The Free State is the only province in which native Sotho-speakers form a majority of the population. It is also the province with the third-highest proportion of Afrikaans speakers, after
288-579: A system of party-list proportional representation and meets at the Vierde Raadsaal in Bloemfontein . The politics of the Free State has been dominated by the ANC since the end of Apartheid. The ANC has won a majority of the vote in every provincial election since 1994. The most recent provincial election was held in 2024 . The ANC again won the election, albeit with a sharply reduced majority. The Democratic Alliance (DA) retained its position as
336-468: A system of party-list proportional representation ; by convention, they are all elected on the same day, at the same time as the National Assembly election. The provincial legislature elects, from amongst its members, a Premier , who is the head of the executive. The Premier chooses an Executive Council consisting of between five and ten members of the legislature, which is the cabinet of
384-634: A thriving agricultural industry. The province is high-lying, with almost all land being 1,000 metres above sea level. The Drakensberg and Maloti Mountains foothills raise the terrain to over 2,000 m in the east. The Free State lies in the heart of the Karoo Sequence of rocks, containing shales , mudstones , sandstones and the Drakensberg Basalt forming the youngest capping rocks. Mineral deposits are plentiful, with gold and diamonds being of particular importance, mostly found in
432-415: Is also South Africa's leader in the production of biofuels, or fuel from agricultural crops, with a number of ethanol plants under construction in the grain-producing western region. South Africa is one of the top ten Maize producers in the world (12,365,000 tons as of 2013 ). Field crops yield almost two-thirds of the gross agricultural income of the province. Animal products contribute a further 30%, with
480-401: Is asparagus, both white and green varieties. Although horticulture is expanding and becoming increasingly export-orientated, most produce leaves the province unprocessed. The Free State's advantage in floriculture is the opposing seasons of the southern and northern hemispheres. The Free State is also rich in mineral wealth, gold representing 20% of the world's total gold production. Mining is
528-542: Is divided into one metropolitan municipality and four district municipalities . The district municipalities are in turn divided into 19 local municipalities : The Free State's major towns include: The Free State provincial government is based in Bloemfontein , the provincial capital. The Free State Division of the High Court of South Africa also sits in Bleomfontein. Like South Africa's other provinces,
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#1732791759305576-691: Is prevalent in the district, and in the early part of the twentieth century the Springfontein Creameries were one of the main employers. The town is an important railway junction on the main line to Johannesburg, being the point where the Bloemfontein line converges with the East London and Port Elizabeth lines and where a westward line to other Free State towns commences. During the Second Boer War /Anglo-Boer War, there
624-445: Is traversed by the northwesterly line of equal latitude and longitude. As of the 2022 census , the Free State had a population of 2,961,864, an increase of 8.0% from the prior census in 2011 . It recorded the slowest population growth among South Africa's nine provinces between 2011 and 2022. It is also the second-least populous and second-least densely populated province. The median age is 28, an increase of 3 years from 2011. In
672-655: The Orange Free State , is a province of South Africa . Its capital is Bloemfontein , which is also South Africa 's judicial capital. Its historical origins lie in the Boer republic called the Orange Free State and later the Orange Free State Province . The current borders of the province date from 1994 when the Bantustans were abolished and reincorporated into South Africa. It is also
720-686: The Soetdoring Nature Reserve near Bloemfontein . The South African cheetahs were reintroduced in the Free State for the first time in June 2013 after a hundred years of regional extinction, at Laohu Valley Reserve near Philippolis . Following the reintroduction of an adult female South African cheetah in early 2016, three wild cheetah cubs were born for the first time in Laohu Valley Reserve in February 2017, making
768-605: The Western Cape and the Northern Cape . Sesotho is the dominant home language in most of the province. Zulu is the major language in the far eastern municipality of Phumelela . Setswana is the main language in Tokologo in the northwest, and in and around the area of Thaba Nchu . Afrikaans is widely spoken throughout the province, as a first language for the majority of whites and coloureds (who constitute
816-409: The black population started as early as 1913, with ownership of land by the black majority being restricted to certain areas totalling about 13% of the country. From the late 1950s, these areas were gradually consolidated into " homelands ", also called " bantustans ". Four of these homelands were established as quasi-independent nation states of the black population during the apartheid era. In 1976,
864-413: The 2022 census, 88.9% of the population described themselves as Black African , 8.0% as White , 2.6% as Coloured , and 0.4% as Indian/Asian . The majority of the population are black Africans who speak Sotho as a first language. The vast majority of White people in the Free State are Afrikaners . The proportion of whites in the province has shrunk considerably since the nineteenth century. In 1880
912-559: The British military base camps that were in constant need of water, and who therefore monopolised the dams initially meant for the Springfield Concentration Camp. The camp was initially built to house only 500 people, but by April 1901 the pressure of the war brought in almost 2000 more people from various military sweeps. This resulted in a shortage of tents for the incoming inmates. As a result, Bethulie camp
960-465: The British soldiers stationed there. The hospital was therefore moved to Springfontein, which was also a strategically important railway junction in the southern Free State. The hospital was opened in May 1900, but by the following month many of the key medical personnel started getting ill with dysentery. This created a challenge for the staff as they were also struggling to contain a typhoid break out from
1008-544: The Eastern Highlands, while decoratively painted Sotho houses dot the grasslands. Some of South Africa's most valued San (Bushman) rock art is found in the Free State, particularly in the regions around Clarens , Bethlehem , Ficksburg , Ladybrand and Wepener . Provinces of South Africa South Africa is divided into nine provinces. On the eve of the 1994 general election , South Africa's former homelands, known as Bantustans , were reintegrated into
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#17327917593051056-581: The Free State has a parliamentary system of government, with the provincial premier elected by the Free State Provincial Legislature . The premier then selects the members of the provincial Executive Council (cabinet). The current premier is Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae of the African National Congress (ANC), who has held the position since 2024. The provincial legislature is elected every five years by
1104-496: The Free State is overwhelmingly Christian . As of the 2022 census, 92.7% of the population described themselves as Christians , the third-highest proportion among South Africa's provinces. Among other religions, 4.9% of the population stated that they practiced Traditional African religions, and 0.5% of the population described themselves as Muslim . 1.4% of the population described themselves as being atheist, agnostic, or having no religious affiliation. The Free State Province
1152-488: The balance generated by horticulture. Ninety percent of the country's cherry crop is produced in the Ficksburg district, which is also home to the country's two largest asparagus canning factories. Soya, sorghum, sunflowers and wheat are cultivated in the eastern Free State, where farmers specialise in seed production. About 40% of the country's potato yield comes from the province's high-lying areas. The main vegetable crop
1200-654: The borders of seven of the provinces. The Union of South Africa was established in 1910 by combining four British colonies: Cape Colony ; Natal Colony ; Transvaal Colony ; Orange River Colony . The last two were, before the Second Boer War , independent republics known as the South African Republic and the Orange Free State . These colonies became the four original provinces of the Union: Cape Province ; Transvaal Province ; Natal Province ; Orange Free State Province . Segregation of
1248-406: The camps. During the war a number of private initiatives were set up to provide medical infrastructure, most notably by a fund acquired through subscriptions from Welsh citizens. The Welsh Hospital was founded by Professor Alfred W. Hughes , from Corris . The hospital was initially meant to be stationed in Bloemfontein , but the area was in the grip of a great typhoid outbreak, which was killing
1296-542: The country, and the four provinces were increased to nine. The borders of Natal and the Orange Free State were retained, while the Cape Province and Transvaal were divided into three provinces each, plus North West Province which straddles the border of and contains territory from both these two former provinces. The twelfth, thirteenth and sixteenth amendments to the Constitution of South Africa changed
1344-516: The end of March the camp in Springfontein took on hundreds more inmates, including a large number of black people, many of whom were from the Thaba’Nchu district. These inmates were placed in a separate camp. It is reported that the mortality rate was extremely high within the blacks’ concentration camp. During this time, Springfontein struggled to secure a steady supply of water. This was due to
1392-410: The fleet. The Free State has many public and private hospitals. The province is the granary of South Africa, with agriculture central to its economy, while mining on the rich goldfields reef is its largest employer. Agriculture dominates the Free State landscape, with cultivated land covering 32,000 square kilometres, and natural veld and grazing a further 87,000 square kilometres of the province. It
1440-581: The gold-bearing conglomerates of the goldfields are extracted as a byproduct. Bituminous coal is also mined, and converted to petrochemicals at Sasolburg. The Free State also produces high-quality diamonds from its kimberlite pipes and fissures, and the country's largest deposit of bentonite is found in the Koppies district. Since 1989, the Free State economy has moved from dependence on primary sectors such as mining and agriculture to an economy increasingly oriented towards manufacturing and export. Some 14% of
1488-636: The homeland of Transkei was the first to accept independence from South Africa, and although this independence was never acknowledged by any other country, three other homelands – Bophuthatswana (1977), Venda (1979) and Ciskei (1981) – followed suit. On 27 April 1994, the date of the first non-racial elections and of the adoption of the Interim Constitution , all of these provinces and homelands were dissolved, and nine new provinces were established. The boundaries of these provinces were established in 1993 by
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1536-439: The hospital. In 1930, an unfortunate accident happened when Charles Rowan lost his life during a daredevil magic trick to escape a straight coat. He was run over a car and died from his injuries. Free State (South African province) The Free State ( Sotho : Freistata ; Afrikaans : Vrystaat [ˈfrɛistɑːt] ; Xhosa : iFreyistata ; Tswana : Foreistata ; Zulu : iFuleyisitata ), formerly known as
1584-533: The laws passed by the National Assembly. Each one of South Africa's nine provinces sends 10 representatives to the National Council of Provinces. Six of these are permanent members of the council, and four are special delegates. Each province is governed by a unicameral legislature . The size of the legislature is proportional to population, ranging from 30 members in the Northern Cape to 80 in KwaZulu-Natal . The legislatures are elected every five years by
1632-656: The new provinces in terms of magisterial districts were found in Schedule 1 of the Interim Constitution . On 11 July 2003, the 11th amendment to the fifth constitution renamed the Northern Province to Limpopo . On 1 March 2006, the 12th and 13th amendments altered the boundaries of 7 provinces. On 3 April 2009 the 16th amendment altered the boundaries of the North West and Gauteng provinces. South Africa's provinces are governed, in different ways, on
1680-435: The north and west of the province. The flats in the south of the reserve provide ideal conditions for large herds of plain game such as black wildebeest and springbok . The ridges, koppies and plains typical of the northern section are home to kudu , red hartebeest , southern white rhinoceros and buffalo . The Southern African wildcat , black wildebeest , zebra , eland , white rhinoceros and wild dog can be seen at
1728-488: The only one of the four original provinces of South Africa not to undergo border changes, apart from the reincorporation of Bantustans, and its borders date from before the outbreak of the Boer War . The Free State is situated on a succession of flat grassy plains sprinkled with pastureland, resting on a general elevation of 3,800 feet only broken by the occasional hill or kopje . The rich soil and pleasant climate allow for
1776-487: The province's major employer. The province has 12 gold mines, producing 30% of South Africa's output and making it the fifth-largest producer of gold in the world. The Harmony Gold Refinery and Rand Refinery are the only two gold refineries in South Africa. Gold mines in the Free State also supply a substantial portion of the total silver produced in the country, while considerable concentrations of uranium occurring in
1824-432: The province's manufacturing is classified as being in high-technology industries – the highest of all provincial economies. The northern Free State's chemicals sector is one of the most important in the southern hemisphere. Petrochemicals company Sasol , based in the town of Sasolburg , is a world leader in the production of fuels, waxes, chemicals and low-cost feedstock from coal. In the northeastern Free State, nestled in
1872-538: The province's second largest party and official opposition , with a significant increase in its share of the vote. The results of the 2024 provincial election are as follows: The Free State is the only province in South Africa that operates a free 24-hour dedicated rotor-wing aeromedical service from a public hospital. They are able to reach far-flung areas in only 45 minutes and deliver a high level of care on scene. On 31 October 2018, Free State Emergency Medical Service launched an additional 65 road ambulances to augment
1920-540: The provincial government. The Members of the Executive Council (MECs) are the provincial equivalent of ministers . The powers of the provincial government are limited to specific topics listed in the national constitution . On some of these topics – for example, agriculture, education, health and public housing – the province's powers are shared with the national government, which can establish uniform standards and frameworks for
1968-410: The provincial governments to follow; on other topics the provincial government has exclusive power. The provinces do not have their own court systems, as the administration of justice is the responsibility of the national government. Footnotes: HASC: Hierarchical administrative subdivision codes ISO: Province codes from ISO 3166-2 . For full identification in a global context, prefix "ZA-" to
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2016-563: The rolling foothills of the Maluti mountains, the Golden Gate Highlands National Park is the province's prime tourist attraction. The park gets its name from the brilliant shades of gold cast by the sun on the spectacular sandstone cliffs, especially the imposing Brandwag or Sentinel Rock, which keeps vigil over the park. The sandstone of this region has been used for the lovely dressed-stone buildings found on
2064-531: The summer months as brief afternoon thunderstorms , with aridity increasing towards the west. Areas in the east around Harrismith , Bethlehem and Ficksburg are well watered. The capital, Bloemfontein , experiences hot, moist summers and cold, dry winters frequented by severe frost. In the southeast, the Free State borders seven districts of Lesotho : Domestically, it borders the following provinces: The Free State borders more districts of Lesotho and more provinces of South Africa than any other province. It
2112-412: The three new cubs the first cheetahs born in the wild since their disappearance from the Free State province in over a century. The Free State experiences a continental climate , characterised by warm to hot summers and cool to cold winters. Areas in the east experience frequent snowfalls, especially on the higher ranges, whilst the west can be extremely hot in summer. Almost all precipitation falls in
2160-502: The white population made up 45.7% of the total population. In 1904 this had fallen to 36.8%. Of the 142,679 people in 1904, only 60% were born in the province. Of the 2,726 European immigrants born in non- British states, 1,025 came from the Russian Empire , mainly Jews . In 1904 whites made up a majority in most settlements, namely Ficksburg (52.3%), Wepener (60.2%), Ladybrand (60.0%), and Kroonstad (51.6%), and made up
2208-525: The wounded soldiers they were helping. By July of that year, the Welsh hospital in Springfontein was regarded as the best run military hospital during the war, and orders were given for the hospital to relocate its base to Pretoria. It's approximated that the total number of cases treated at the Welsh Hospital amounted to 1107. The hospital's founder, Hughes, died of typhoid he contracted while working at
2256-507: Was a British concentration camp in the district. The camp was started in February 1901, initially with an estimated total of 411 inmates being held there. William Gostling, who was a magistrate in Philippolis , was appointed superintendent of the camp. The majority of the inmates that arrived at the camp were bywoners, or poor Boer farm labourers. Many arrivals had little clothing, were barefoot and improvised with what little they had. By
2304-557: Was established to help ease the pressure experienced by the Springfontein Camp. Five hundred and sixty eight people of all ages are recorded in the Springfontein Grave Register as having died there between April the fourth and the end of 1901. Their graves can be seen in the concentration camp cemetery. During the war the camp was visited by Emily Hobhouse during her investigations of conditions in
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