Geskiedenis_Van_Witbank

Witbank is ‘n stad geleë op die hoëveld van Mpumalanga. Die naam van Witbank is afgelei van ‘n wit sandsteen uitspanplek waar transportdrywers voorheen gerus het. Witbank sou nooit bestaan het as dit nie vir die Pretoria-Maputo spoorlyn was nie. Witbank was oorspronklik ‘n boere gemeenskap. Hulle het meestal kos voorsien vir reisigers na Pelgrims rus en die laeveld. Wol was ook ‘n belangrike produk in die Witbank omgewing. Die skeersels is een maal per jaar na durban vervoer waar dit uitgevoer is. Thomas Bains het so ver terug as 1872 berig dat die mense kool uitgehaal het en as branstof gebruik het. Die settelaars het dan ook die kole uit rivierbeddings gehaal. Die eerste werklike uithaal van kool was is in 1896 toe Samuel Stanford die eerste skag gesink het. Hy het saam met die maatskappy Neumann Limited die Witbank Collery myn maatskappy gestig. Die eerste skag is gesink op die plaas Witbank. Die plaas was voorheen bekend as Swartbosch alhoewel die amptelike naam Leraatsfontein was. As gevolg van die swak landbougrond op die plaas, het dit bekend gestaan as “Hongerplaas” onder die boere. Ons kan sê dat Witbank in 1890 ontstaan het. Die myn van kole was egter nie suksesvol vir die groter mark tot en met 1894 toe die spoorlyn van Pretoria Witbank bereik het nie. In 1903 het Witbank amptelik ‘n dorp geword en op 13 Mei 1910 het Witbank ‘n Munisipaliteit geword. Die Administrateur het op 8 November 1914 Munisipale status aan Witbank gegee. In 1921 was Witbank, se inwonertal 1 901. I n 1916 het Mnr O.H. Frewin die Witbank Nuus begin. In 1926 het Eskom die Doornpoort dam gebou. Hulle het ook die eerste kragstasie in Witbank begin. Die munisipaliteit het 600 000 000 liter per dag van Eskom gekoop. In 1938 het Witbank Engineering en SA Cyanimid in Witbank geopen. In 1954 is Witbankdam voltooi en dit is steeds vandag die grootste munisipale dam in die Suidelike halfrond. Witbank het in 1994 Stadstatus verkry. The year 1938 saw the establishment of the S A Cyanamid factory and the opening of the Witbank Engineering (Pty) Ltd. During the following years, the white population grew to 9 232. Once again water became a problem. In 1954, a municipal dam on the great Olifants River was completed. The wall of the dam was heightened two years later, giving a storage capacity of millions of litres of water. Growth accelerating By 1960, Witbank's future as an industrial hub was set. In 1973, the elevated embankment of the dam was completed and the total length was 533 meters. The dam is still the biggest municipal in the Southern Hemisphere. In 1994 Witbank was granted city status. Today, Emalahleni (Witbank) is a leader in the province and is boasting a population of 350 000 to 400 000 residents based on a projection of households. *Mr S Stanford - November 14, 1924. Mr Samuel Stanford gave Mr Jacob Taljaard full power of attorney to sell the farm on which Witbank originated. in 1926 when Eskom build the Doornpoort Dam and erected its first power station in Witbank. The municipality purchased 6000 000 000 litres of water a day from Eskom. Cheap power now available, Rand Carbide Corporation decided to manufacture carbide in the area. Growing up The year 1938 saw the establishment of the S A Cyanamid factory and the opening of the Witbank Engineering (Pty) Ltd. During the following years, the white population grew to 9 232. Once again water became a problem. In 1954, a municipal dam on the great Olifants River was completed. The wall of the dam was heightened two years later, giving a storage capacity of millions of litres of water. Growth accelerating By 1960, Witbank's future as an industrial hub was set. In 1973, the elevated embankment of the dam was completed and the total length was 533 meters. The dam is still the biggest municipal in the Southern Hemisphere. In 1994 Witbank was granted city status. Today, Emalahleni (Witbank) is a leader in the province and is boasting a population of 350 000 to 400 000 residents based on a projection of households. * Witbank, ook bekend as eMalahleni, is 'n stad geleë op die hoëveld van Mpumalanga, Suid-Afrika. Die Witbank-naam is afgelei van 'n wit sandsteen uitspanplek waar transportdrywers voorheen gerus het. In Maart 2006 word die stad herdoop na eMalahleni, die Nguni woord vir "die plek van kool". Die stad is in 'n steenkoolmyngebied met 22 mynmaatskappye in 'n gebied met 'n radius van kleiner as 40 km. Daar is verskeie steenkoolaangedrewe kragstasies naby, as ook 'n staalfabriek wat steenkool gebruik, naamlik Highveld Steel and Vanadium Corporation Witbank is gestig in 1890. Vroeëre pogings om steenkool te myn was onsuksesvol totdat die spoorlyn van Pretoria in 1894 die gebied bereik het. Emalahleni het 'n dorp geword in 1903, 'n munisipaliteit op 13 Mei 1910, en daarna stadstatus verkry Witbank is 1 646 meters above sea level and situated on the main railway route from Johannesburg to Maputo,the railway line to Richards Bay, and the freeways from Pretoria and the Witwatersrand to the Kruger National Park and Mocambique - the N4. It is approximately 150 kilometers north-east of Johannesburg and 100 km east of Pretoria. Because of its highveld location, Witbank has a reasonably moderate climate.The lowest temperature, 17.7 ° C is measured in June,while the highest is measured in December when the mercury rises to a level of 25.9 ° C. In 1889, Lucas Cornelius van Niekerk settled on a lonely farm in the Witbank district, near to Balmoral, and shortly thereafter whites occupied many farms in the area. Land values were very low until 1875. Because of the poor quality of the soil, farmers turned to cattle breeding in favour of agriculture. The settlers knew, even in those early days that there was coal in the district as many of the outcrops were plainly visible along riverbanks. Farmers extracted coal for their own use. Prosperity The Pretoria/Delagoa bay Railway line, completed in 1895, brought new prosperity to the area. On a large scale, mining of the coal became an economical proposition. Seven mines were soon in operation, six being on and around the present site of Witbank. Leraatsfontein, where the town was originally established, was the property of Mr Jacob Taljaard. Full power of attorney to sell the farm was given to him by Mr Samuel Stanford. He set about prospecting and worked a small plot of land from which a fair tonnage of coal was obtained. Early days In 1896, Stanford eventually sold the property. It changed hands a number of times before the Corner House Group took over mining operations and Witbank Colliery came into being. It was from the large outcrop of white sandstone on Leraatsfontein that Witbank derived its name. Initially, growth was very slow. Witbank Colliery and Transvaal and Delagoa Bay (T&DB) Colliery were able to mine coal and show reasonable profit while the Old Coronation and Middelburg Steam Collieries struggled to make ends meet. On April 9, 1906 a health committee was appointed to take over the management of the town from Witbank Colliery. On May 13, 1910 a village council was elected for and the administrator finally granted municipal status on November 8, 1914. Witbank had a population of 1 901 in 1921, having felt only a slow growth due largely to the lack of water. This precious commodity was carted into the village every day and every household was allowed to draw off 210 litres. Middelburg Observer (catering for Witbank and Middelburg) had in this time, already been in existence for 18 years. In 1916, Mr OH Frewin took a giant step in the future of Witbank. He decided to start a separate newspaper for Witbank called the WITBANK NEWS. His confidence was well founded. Although the slow growth existed for a number of years, matters changed in 1926 when Eskom build the Doornpoort Dam and erected its first power station in Witbank. The municipality purchased 6000 000 000 litres of water a day from Eskom. Cheap power now available, Rand Carbide