Bethlehem, South Africa Explained

Bethlehem
Pushpin Map:South Africa Free State#South Africa#Africa
Coordinates:-28.224°N 28.311°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:South Africa
Subdivision Type1:Province
Subdivision Name1:Free State
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name2:Thabo Mofutsanyane
Subdivision Type3:Municipality
Subdivision Name3:Dihlabeng
Subdivision Type4:Main Place
Established Title:Established
Leader Title:Counseller
Area Footnotes:[1]
Area Total Km2:27.8
Elevation M:1700
Population Total:16,236
Population As Of:2011
Population Density Km2:auto
Demographics Type1:Racial makeup (2011)
Demographics1 Title1:White
Demographics1 Info1:56.0%
Demographics1 Title2:Black African
Demographics1 Info2:32.7%
Demographics1 Title3:Coloured
Demographics1 Info3:8.7%
Demographics1 Title4:Indian/Asian
Demographics1 Info4:2.1%
Demographics1 Title5:Other
Demographics1 Info5:0.5%
Demographics Type2:First languages (2011)
Demographics2 Title1:Afrikaans
Demographics2 Info1:66.7%
Demographics2 Title2:Sotho
Demographics2 Info2:19.4%
Demographics2 Title3:English
Demographics2 Info3:7.2%
Demographics2 Title4:Zulu
Demographics2 Info4:2.7%
Demographics2 Title5:Other
Demographics2 Info5:4.0%
Timezone1:SAST
Utc Offset1:+2
Postal Code Type:Postal code (street)
Postal Code:9701
Postal2 Code Type:PO box
Postal2 Code:9700
Area Code Type:Area code
Area Code:058

Bethlehem is a city in the eastern Free State province of South Africa that is situated on the Liebenbergs River (also called Liebenbergs Vlei) along a fertile valley just north of the Rooiberg Mountains on the N5 road. It is the fastest growing city in the Free State province, with its target of being the third largest city after Bloemfontein and Welkom.

It is a wheat growing area and named after the biblical Bethlehem, from Hebrew: בֵּית לֶחֶם ("Beit Lechem"), meaning "house of bread".[2]

The city lies at an altitude of, which contributes to its cool climate, with frosty winters and mild summers. The average annual temperature is around .

Bethlehem is situated approximately north-east of Bloemfontein, east of Kroonstad and north-west of Harrismith. The city is strategically situated in the heart of the picturesque north-eastern Free State and originally developed as a service centre. [3]

Bethlehem is the seat of the Dihlabeng Local Municipality, which forms part of the Thabo Mofutsanyana District Municipality.

The township associated with Bethlehem is called Bohlokong in Sesotho by Basotho. It named after the hloko/bohloko grass found in the area Diheteropogon filifolius.[4]

History

Bethlehem was founded in 1864. In 1900, during the Second Boer War, Bethlehem temporarily served as the seat of the Orange Free State government.[5]

Society and culture

Museums, provincial heritage sites and memorials

See also: List of heritage sites in Free State. A number of heritage sites are located in Bethlehem:

Schools

Shopping

Bethlehem has many shopping centres like any other town in the Free State. Bethlehem is the main center of the eastern Free State where people from other towns do their shopping, the main shopping malls are:

With the shopping in this town also characterized by typical high street shopping with majority of shops situated along the Muller, Cambridge, Louw, Church, High and other surrounding streets.

Sport

Premier Soccer League and National First Division clubs Free State Stars and Super Eagles F.C. are based in Bethlehem and plays their home games at Goble Park.[20] Bethlehem is also the birthplace of several notable rugby union players, including Tom van Vollenhoven,[21] Jannie du Plessis, Bismarck du Plessis, Frans Steyn, and Bongi Mbonambi, who was born in nearby Bohlokong.

Economy

thumb|right|The Saulspoort Dam receives water from the As River via the Lesotho Highlands Water SchemeBethlehem is a retail, medical, and educational hub for the Eastern Free State. It has three private hospitals and four star Frontier hotel, Casino and Entertainment Centre located near the Dihlabeng Mall and Bethlehem Aerodrome.

Industry

Bethlehem hosts several industries including Coca-Cola, South African Breweries and Nestlé, as well as petroleum and engineering companies.

Health

Media

Newspapers

Radio

Transportation

Road

Bethlehem is located on the N5 to the provincial capital Bloemfontein via Senekal and Winburg to the N1. Other roads in the town are R76 to Kroonstad (north-west) and the R26 to Reitz and Fouriesburg (north-east and south) respectively, and just outside the town, the R712 and R714 to Clarens (south) and Warden (east) respectively.

Rail

Bethlehem is located on the main railway line between Bloemfontein and Durban. This railway line transports passengers and freight.

Air

Bethlehem is served by a small airport (Bethlehem Airport) with chartered daily flights to Bloemfontein and Johannesburg.

Coats of arms

Municipal (1)

By 1931, the municipal council had assumed a coat of arms.[22] The arms were registered with the Orange Free State Provincial Administration in October 1958.[23]

The arms were: Party per chevron Azure and Gules, a chevron Or, in chief between two springboks couped at the neck respecting each other, proper, a mullet of the third, and in base three maize cobs, the outer ones pilewise, all proper. In layman's terms, the shield depicted a golden chevron between a gold star and two springboks' head on a blue background, and three maize cobs on a red background.

Municipal (2)

A new coat of arms was designed in the 1980s. It was registered at the Bureau of Heraldry in June 1989.[24]

The arms were: Per chevron, Azure and Gules, a chevron Or between in chief a mullet and in base two bars wavy, Argent (i.e. a golden chevron between a silver star on a blue background and two wavy silver stripes on a red background).

The crest was three golden ears of wheat with blue stalks and leaves, tied together with a red band; the motto was Conjuncti prosperamus.

Notable people

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://census2011.adrianfrith.com/place/470005 Bethlehem
  2. Book: Raper, RE. Dictionary of Southern African Place Names . Human Science Research Council .
  3. Web site: Dihlabeng Local Municipality Website - About Us. dihlabeng.gov.za. 8 May 2023.
  4. Rodney Moffet, Grasses of the Eastern Free State: Their descriptions and uses, UNIQWA, Phuthaditjhaba, 1997
  5. Web site: Bethlehem, Free State . 15 August 2024 . South African History Online.
  6. Web site: 14 President Burgers Street Bethlehem. South African Heritage Resources Agency. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303205842/http://196.35.231.29/sahra/HeritageSitesDetail.aspx?id=27237. 2016-03-03.
  7. Web site: A B Baartman Wagon House Muller and Landdros Streets Bethlehem. https://archive.today/20121128232207/http://196.35.231.29/sahra/HeritageSitesDetail.aspx?id=27435. dead. 2012-11-28. South African Heritage Resources Agency.
  8. Web site: Loch Athlone Dam Wall Pretoriuskloof Nature Reserve Bethlehem. https://archive.today/20121128160012/http://196.35.231.29/sahra/HeritageSitesDetail.aspx?id=25742. dead. 2012-11-28. South African Heritage Resources Agency.
  9. Web site: Main Building Technical College Bethlehem Wessels Street Bethlehem. South African Heritage Resources Agency. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303194519/http://196.35.231.29/sahra/HeritageSitesDetail.aspx?id=27249. 2016-03-03.
  10. Web site: Nederduitse Gereformeerde Mother Church Church Square Bethlehem. South African Heritage Resources Agency. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303170446/http://196.35.231.29/sahra/HeritageSitesDetail.aspx?id=27381. 2016-03-03.
  11. Web site: Old Magistrates Court Louw Street Bethlehem. South African Heritage Resources Agency. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303201529/http://196.35.231.29/sahra/HeritageSitesDetail.aspx?id=27124. 2016-03-03.
  12. Web site: Old Nederduitse Gereformeerde Mission Church parsonage President Boshoff Street Bethlehem. South African Heritage Resources Agency. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304022625/http://196.35.231.29/sahra/HeritageSitesDetail.aspx?id=27768. 2016-03-04.
  13. Web site: Old Nederduitse Gereformeerde Mission Church Muller Street Bethlehem. https://archive.today/20121129200206/http://196.35.231.29/sahra/HeritageSitesDetail.aspx?id=27168. dead. 2012-11-29. South African Heritage Resources Agency.
  14. Web site: St Andrews Presbyterian Church 144 Cambridge Street Bethlehem. South African Heritage Resources Agency. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303212035/http://196.35.231.29/sahra/HeritageSitesDetail.aspx?id=27343. 2016-03-03.
  15. Web site: St Augustine Anglican Church 34 Louw Street Bethlehem. South African Heritage Resources Agency. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304022619/http://196.35.231.29/sahra/HeritageSitesDetail.aspx?id=27671. 2016-03-04.
  16. Web site: Strapps Shop 18 Church Street Bethlehem. South African Heritage Resources Agency. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303180214/http://196.35.231.29/sahra/HeritageSitesDetail.aspx?id=27327. 2016-03-03.
  17. Web site: The Seminary Wessels Street Bethlehem. https://archive.today/20121128200055/http://196.35.231.29/sahra/HeritageSitesDetail.aspx?id=27254. dead. 2012-11-28. South African Heritage Resources Agency.
  18. Web site: Town Hall 20-22 Muller Street Bethlehem. South African Heritage Resources Agency. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304022607/http://196.35.231.29/sahra/HeritageSitesDetail.aspx?id=27116. 2016-03-04.
  19. Web site: Wooden Spoon Braairestaurant 12 Church Street Bethlehem. South African Heritage Resources Agency. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304022559/http://196.35.231.29/sahra/HeritageSitesDetail.aspx?id=26452. 2016-03-04.
  20. Web site: Aperdia . Goble Park • OStadium.com . 2024-08-15 . OStadium.com . fr-fr.
  21. Encyclopedia: Tom Van Vollenhoven . Encyclopædia Britannica Online . britannica.com . 20 March 2011 . Nauright . John.
  22. The arms were depicted on a cigarette card issued in 1931.
  23. Orange Free State Official Gazette 41 (10 October 1958).
  24. http://www.national.archsrch.gov.za{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

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