Amersfoort, Mpumalanga

Amersfoort
Amersfoort Amersfoort
Coordinates: 27°00′28″S 29°52′16″E
Country	South Africa
Province	Mpumalanga
District	Gert Sibande
Municipality	Pixley Ka Seme
Area
• Total	17.09 km2 (6.60 sq mi)
Population  (2011)
• Total	12,335
• Density	720/km2 (1,900/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
• Black African	93.2%
• Coloured	0.2%
• Indian/Asian	1.7%
• White	4.3%
• Other	0.5%
First languages (2011)
• Zulu	84.0%
• Afrikaans	4.4%
• Swazi	3.4%
• English	2.1%
• Other	6.1%
Time zone	UTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)	2490
PO box	2490
Area code	017

Amersfoort is a small town in Mpumalanga province, South Africa.

History

The town was established in 1888 around a Dutch Reformed Church which was built in 1876. Lying at 1,664 m above sea level in the upper reaches of the Vaal River basin on the banks of the Schulpspruit, the area was first settled by Europeans in 1876 when two farmers of the area donated land to the church, where Rev. Frans Lion Cachet proceeded to build a Dutch Reformed church. The new village was named after the hometown (in the Netherlands) of the Dutch farmers. When the area became too small for the growing village, more land was purchased from one of the original donors and the town was proclaimed in 1888. The bridge over the Vaal River was built in 1896 and is a national monument. The township of eZamokuhle (meaning "to make it beautiful") lies adjacent to the town and contributes greatly to its economy.

Name

It is named after Amersfoort, a Dutch city in the Netherlands.

Notable people

Pixley ka Isaka Seme, one of the founders of the South African Native National Congress, later renamed the African National Congress, maintained law offices in Amersfoort and spent time there in connection with his legal and political work for the community at Daggakraal, the Native Farmers Association, and the Swazi Royal family in Swaziland.