Burgersdorp
Burgersdorp is a medium-sized town in Walter Sisulu Local Municipality in the Joe Gqabi District Municipality of the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. In 1869 a Theological Seminary was established here by the Gereformeerde Kerk, but in 1905 it was moved to Potchefstroom, acting as an instrument in the formation of the PUK in 1919, then becoming the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education in 1951. The Afrikaner Bond political party was founded in Burgersdorp in 1881.
Burgersdorp
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- Burgersdorp
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Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Burgersdorp • Subdivision Type — Country • Subdivision Name — South Africa • Subdivision Type1 — Province • Subdivision Name1 — Eastern Cape • Subdivision Type2 — District • Subdivision Name2 — Joe Gqabi • Subdivision Type3 — Municipality • Subdivision Name3 — Walter Sisulu • Subdivision Type4 — Main Place • Established Title — Established • Established Date — 1846 • Government Type — Local Municipality • Leader Party — ANC • Leader Title — Mayor • Leader Name — Vania Davids • Area Total Km2 — 27.9 • Elevation M — 1405 • Population Total — 5241 • Population As Of — 2011 • Population Density Km2 — auto • Demographics Type1 — Racial makeup (2011) • Demographics1 Title1 — Black African • Demographics1 Info1 — 39.6% • Demographics1 Title2 — Coloured • Demographics1 Info2 — 31.0% • Demographics1 Title3 — Indian/Asian • Demographics1 Info3 — 0.7% • Demographics1 Title4 — White • Demographics1 Info4 — 28.7% • Demographics1 Title5 — Other • Demographics1 Info5 — 0.0% • Demographics Type2 — First languages (2011) • Demographics2 Title1 — Afrikaans • Demographics2 Info1 — 62.9% • Demographics2 Title2 — Xhosa • Demographics2 Info2 — 30.0% • Demographics2 Title3 — English • Demographics2 Info3 — 2.9% • Demographics2 Title4 — Sotho • Demographics2 Info4 — 1.7% • Demographics2 Title5 — Other • Demographics2 Info5 — 2.5% • Time Zone1 — SAST • Utc Offset1 — +2 • Postal Code Type — Postal code (street) • Postal Code — 9744 • Postal2 Code Type — PO box • Postal2 Code — 9744 • Area Code Type — Area code • Area Code — 051
Documentary record
Burgersdorp is a place documented in the authority records of the Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names. The authority records of the Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names record Burgersdorp as an inhabited place. The authority records of the Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names record Eastern Cape as the administrative unit of Burgersdorp.
Demographics
Demographics
According to the 2011 census, the town of Burgersdorp proper has a population of 5,240, while the adjacent townships of Mzamomhle and Tembisa have populations of 4,656 and 6,094 respectively, giving the urban area a population of 15,990. Of this population 78.1% described themselves as Black African, 11.98% as Coloured and 9.4% as White. 69.2% spoke Xhosa as their home language, 20.1% spoke Afrikaans, 3.3% spoke Sotho, 1.4% spoke English as their home language and 6.0% spoke some other language.
Rail
Rail
The first rail connection to Burgersdorp was opened on 19 March 1885. Today Shosholoza Meyl provides passenger rail service to Burgersdorp on its Johannesburg-Bloemfontein-East London route.
Road
Road
Burgersdorp is located on the junction of the R58 between Aliwal North and Venterstad; and the R391 leading to Hofmeyr, Molteno and Steynsburg.
Sport
Sport
Match 18 of the 1910 British Lions tour to South Africa was played in Burgersdorp.
Dutch Reformed Church
Dutch Reformed Church
This church was declared a provincial heritage site in 1996.
Blockhouse
Blockhouse
• Illustration — Anglo-Boer War blockhouse in spring A Second Boer War blockhouse overlooking the town, commonly known as the Sentinel was declared a provincial heritage site in 1939.
Dutch Language Monument
Dutch Language Monument
A monument to Dutch, built in 1893 is located in the town. The monument depicts a woman pointing her finger at a book in her hands. This monument was declared a provincial heritage site in 1937. Although the main inscription on that monument refers to the Hollandse taal (Dutch language), it can be understood to mean Afrikaans, because the Hollandse taal in South Africa was only split since 1925. But the monument is officially recognised as a monument to Dutch. The monument was damaged during the Anglo-Boer War, and Lord Milner had it removed. It was replaced with a replica in 1907. The original was later discovered in King William's Town in 1939, and moved back to stand next to the replica in Burgersdorp. Some sources claim Lord Milner had removed the original monument not because it was damaged, but because he was opposed to Dutch (and Afrikaans), and that the replica was built not by government but by a group of Afrikaners. • Illustration — The replica (left) and original (right) Dutch Language Monuments • Illustration — The Sentinel Blockhouse • Illustration — The Dutch Reformed Church
Education
Education
Burgersdorp has 5 primary schools and 2 high schools • PRIMARY SCHOOLS* Mzimkhulu Primary School Mpumelelo Mfundisi Public Primary School Maruping Primary School Eureka Primary School Burgersdorp Laerskool • HIGH SCHOOLS* Ethembeni Senior Secondary School Burgersdorp Hoerskool
Museums, monuments and memorials
Ten of the Eastern Cape's provincial heritage sites can be found in Burgersdorp. They include the Christ Church, the Coetzee House, the De Bruin House, the Jubilee Fountain, the Old Goal, the Old Reformed Church Parsonage, the Old Reformed Church Theological Seminary as well as the three listed below in more detail.
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Burgersdorp, revision 1375321513 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Robson, Linda Gillian. The Royal Engineers and settlement planning in the Cape Colony 1806–1872: Approach, methodology and impact. University of Pretoria. xlv–lii. 2011.
- 2.Main Place Burgersdorp from Census 2011.
- 3.Dodd, Mead and Company. From Capetown to Ladysmith; an unfinished record of the South African war. 25. 1900.
- 4.Main Place 'Burgersdorp'. Census 2011.
- 5.Main Place 'Mzamomhle'. Census 2011.
- 6.Main Place 'Tembisa'. Census 2011.
- 7.Theal, George McCall. History of South Africa, from 1873 to 1884, twelve eventful years, with continuation of the history of Galekaland, Tembuland, Pondoland, and Bethshuanaland until the annexation of those territories to the Cape Colony, and of Zululand until its annexation to Natal. Allen. 194, 287. 1919.
- 8.Shosholoza Meyl. Johannesburg-Bloemfontein-East London.
- 9.South African Heritage Resources Agency. Christ Church Church Street Burgersdorp.
- 10.South African Heritage Resources Agency. Coetzee House 51 Piet Retief Street Burgersdorp.
- 11.South African Heritage Resources Agency. De Bruin House 66 Van der Walt Street Burgersdorp.
- 12.South African Heritage Resources Agency. Jubilee Fountain Burger Square Burgersdorp.
- 13.South African Heritage Resources Agency. Old Gaol Van der Walt Street Burgersdorp.
- 14.South African Heritage Resources Agency. Old Reformed Church Parsonage Piet Retief Street Burgersdorp.
- 15.South African Heritage Resources Agency. Old Reformed Church Theological Seminary Burgersdorp.
- 16.South African Heritage Resources Agency. Dutch Reformed Church Coetzee Street.
- 17.South African Heritage Resources Agency. Anglo-Boer War Blockhouse No. 1 Burgersdorp.
- 18.South African Heritage Resources Agency. Taal Monument Burger Square Burgersdorp.
- 19.Burgersdorp.
- 20.May 2016.
Makers, houses and production
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Makers, houses and production
The people, houses and objects recorded in connection with this place.
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1- Gordon ForbesAuthor
Established from a fact already recorded on a verified source.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 27 September 2026.
Elsewhere in General
22,760 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
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