Koffiefontein
Municipality
Municipality: Letsemeng Municipality
District Municipality: Xhariep District Municipality
Attractions
Also see the neighbouring towns
A tourism route, Horizon Tourism Route, is in the process of being established.
To honor the coffee drinking tradition of the transport riders, there is a fountain on the eastern side of town that resembles a coffee pot pouring out a drink.
San rock paintings can be seen in the area.
The remains of walls painted (murals) by Italian Prisoners Of War (Second World War) can still be seen.
The barracks in which prisoners were interned can be visited, and form part of an open end museum.
Koffiefontein Bird Park
The bird park contains indigenous bird species, as well as som exotic species.
Arts and culture
The Afrikaans author, Etienne le Roux (nom de plume of Stephanus Daniël Petrus le Roux - 1922-1989), had a farm (called Ja-Nee, the meaning of which refers to a stoic sigh of acceptance) in the Koffiefontein region, and was buried at Wamakersdrift. Le Roux was born in Oudtshoorn, but farmed at Koffiefontein from 1946. He was one of the avant garde group of literary writers of the 1960s. His first acclaimed work was Die eerste lewe van Colet (1955). Several of his works were translated into other languages, and he achieved international acclaim.
Sport
There is a golf club at Koffiefontein.
Vanderkloof Dam
The Vanderkloof Dam is the second largest dam in South Africa, and has the highest dam wal (107m). It was originally called the PK le Roux Dam and is on the Orange (or Gariep River, the largest in South Africa), about 80Km south of Koffiefontein. Vanderkloof Dam is about 130km down stream from Gariep Dam. The Vanderkloof Dam stretches eat up to 100km, when it is full.
The annual Universities Sprint Regatta takes place on this dam.
History
In 1870 a transport rider picked up a diamond near the fountain. A mine was established soon afterwards, which was in operation until 2005. The find caused a diamond rush and by 1882 a town developed around mining activities. It became a municipality in 1892.
During World War II Koffiefontein served as a POW (Prisoner Of War) camp for about 2'000 Italian soldiers, who were captured in north Africa (Somalia and Ethiopia). There were also some German prisoners.
About 800 pro-Nazi South Africans were also detained here. One of them, John Vorster, became a president of South Africa, who was interned in 1942 due to his paramilitary opposition to South African involvement in the Second World War, and pro-Nazi stance.
John Vorster (1915-1983)
Balthazar Johannes Vorster was a right-wing Nationalist politician. South Africa declared independence from Britain in 1961. The first Prime Minister of the Republic of South Africa was Dr Hendrik Verwoerd, who was assasinated in 1966, after which John Vorster became the Prime Minister (1966–78). In 1978 he was elected president, but was forced to resign in 1979 because of a political scandal - the Muldergate Scandal. This involved the use of secret state funds to buy into the media for state propaganda. The newspaper The Citizen was then the only English newspaper not critical of the Nationalist government.
Economy
Diamond mining (Petra Diamonds) was the major economic activity until the mine closed down. Diamonds were of a high quality.
Agriculture is now the main economic activity, especially sheep. Other farming activities include the growing of potatoe and lucern.
About 20 km south-east of Koffiefontein on the way to Fauresmith, on the Riet River, lies the Kalkfontein Dam (339 million cubic metres). The dam supplies water to Koffiefontein and Jacobsdal.
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