Viljoensdrif

Viljoensdrif is a coal-mining village 8 km south of Vereeniging and part of the Fezile Dabi District Municipality in the Free State province of South Africa.

Viljoensdrif
Viljoensdrif Show map of Free State (South African province) Viljoensdrif Show map of South Africa
Coordinates: 26.73333°S 27.916667°E / -26.73333; 27.916667
Country	South Africa
Province	Free State
District	Fezile Dabi
Municipality	Metsimaholo
Area [1]
• Total	63.30 km^2 (24.44 sq mi)
Population  (2011)[1]
• Total	751
• Density	12/km^2 (31/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011) [1]
• Black African	73.8%
• Coloured	1.5%
• Indian/Asian	0.7%
• White	6.9%
• Other	17.2%
First languages (2011) [1]
• Sotho	28.5%
• Zulu	20.1%
• Xhosa	17.4%
• Afrikaans	10.2%
• Other	23.8%
Time zone	UTC+2 (SAST)
Area code	016

It takes its name from ford (Afrikaans drif) which was closed to ox-wagons by President Paul Kruger in 1895 to prevent goods reaching the Witwatersrand, thus forcing people to use the Netherlands-South African Railway Company (NZASM)'s Pretoria-Delagoa Bay railroad. Named after the owner of the place, J H Viljoen, who established a ferry in 1857.[2]

References

1. "Main Place Viljoensdrif". Census 2011.
2. "Dictionary of Southern African Place Names (Public Domain)". Human Science Research Council. p. 459.