 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2008) |
Harrismith | |
|---|---|
 View from the north | |
  Harrismith  Harrismith | |
| Coordinates: 28°17′0″S 29°08′0″E / 28.28333°S 29.13333°E | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Free State |
| District | Thabo Mofutsanyana |
| Municipality | Maluti-a-Phofung |
| Established | 1849[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 138.80 km2 (53.59 sq mi) |
| Population (2021)[2] | |
• Total | 52,765 |
| • Density | 380/km2 (980/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2011) | |
| • Black African | 87.1% |
| • Coloured | 0.8% |
| • Indian/Asian | 1.3% |
| • White | 10.7% |
| • Other | 0.2% |
| First languages (2011) | |
| • Zulu | 49.4% |
| • Sotho | 32.6% |
| • Afrikaans | 10.4% |
| • English | 3.7% |
| • Other | 3.8% |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
| Postal code (street) | 9880 |
| PO box | 9880 |
| Area code | 058 |
| Website | Harrismith - Community Website |
Harrismith is a large town in the Free State province of South Africa. It was named for Sir Harry Smith, a 19th-century British governor and high commissioner of the Cape Colony.[3] It is situated by the Wilge River, alongside the N3 highway, about midway between Johannesburg, about 275 km to the north-west, and Durban to the southeast. The town is located at the junction of the N5 highway, which continues westward towards the provincial capital Bloemfontein, some 340 km to the south-west. This important crossroads in South Africa's land trade routes is surrounded by mesas and buttes. It is located at the base of one of these called Platberg (i.e. "flat / flat-topped mountain" in Afrikaans).
The municipality was placed under administration in 2018 after then-mayor Vusi Tshabalala was removed from office on the basis of corruption allegations.[4] Being situated halfway between Johannesburg and Durban, the town is generally very busy, especially the N3 freeway that runs past the town.[4]
- ^ Robson, Linda Gillian (2011). "Annexure A" (PDF). The Royal Engineers and settlement planning in the Cape Colony 1806–1872: Approach, methodology and impact (PhD thesis). University of Pretoria. pp. xlv–lii. hdl:2263/26503.
- ^ a b c d "Main Place Harrismith". Census 2011.
- ^ "Sir Harry Smith - An autobiography showing him to have seen warfare in four continents" (PDF). The New York Times. 1902-05-24. Retrieved 2008-10-21.
- ^ a b "Cosatu welcomes placing of Maluti-A-Phofung Municipality under administration".