| Morgenzon | |
| Pushpin Map: | South Africa Mpumalanga#South Africa |
| Coordinates: | -26.7331°N 29.6153°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | South Africa |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | Mpumalanga |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | Gert Sibande |
| Subdivision Type3: | Municipality |
| Subdivision Name3: | Lekwa |
| Subdivision Type4: | Main Place |
| Established Title: | Established |
| Leader Title: | Councillor |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 4.19 |
| Population Total: | 1893 |
| Population As Of: | 2011 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Demographics Type1: | Racial makeup (2011) |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Black African |
| Demographics1 Info1: | 53.1% |
| Demographics1 Title2: | Coloured |
| Demographics1 Info2: | 1.4% |
| Demographics1 Title3: | Indian/Asian |
| Demographics1 Info3: | 1.6% |
| Demographics1 Title4: | White |
| Demographics1 Info4: | 43.2% |
| Demographics1 Title5: | Other |
| Demographics1 Info5: | 0.6% |
| Demographics Type2: | First languages (2011) |
| Demographics2 Title1: | Zulu |
| Demographics2 Info1: | 48.4% |
| Demographics2 Title2: | Afrikaans |
| Demographics2 Info2: | 38.0% |
| Demographics2 Title3: | South African English |
| Demographics2 Info3: | 5.5% |
| Demographics2 Title4: | Swazi |
| Demographics2 Info4: | 1.9% |
| Demographics2 Title5: | Other |
| Demographics2 Info5: | 6.2% |
| Timezone1: | SAST |
| Utc Offset1: | +2 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code (street) |
| Postal Code: | 2315 |
| Postal2 Code Type: | PO box |
| Postal2 Code: | 2315 |
| Area Code Type: | Area code |
| Area Code: | 017 |
Morgenzon (Dutch for morning sun) is a small farming town situated on the banks of the Osspruit River (Ox Stream) with an agricultural school in Mpumalanga province, South Africa. The town is 45 km south-west of Ermelo and 35 km south-east of Bethal.
The town was laid out in 1912 on the farm Morgenzon and has been administered by a village council since 1920. Named after the farm, Morgenzon is Dutch for ‘morning sun’.[2] It was established around the Marnico Hotel which was built in 1912 on a wagon stopover between Standerton and Ermelo, Mpumalanga.
During the early 1990s, Morgenzon was the site of a failed attempt to set up a homeland for white South Africans. The idea originated in the early 1980s, when Hendrik Verwoerd Jr, son of the former prime minister Hendrik Verwoerd, moved to Morgenzon along with a group known as Oranjewerkers.[3]
Ultimately only 20 families followed him, as his plans required them to give up their black servants and labourers, and most of Morgenzon's whites were reluctant to perform the menial tasks that were otherwise reserved for blacks.[3]