Bronkhorstspruit

Bronkhorstspruit is a town 50 km east of Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa along the N4 highway towards eMalahleni. It also includes three townships called Zithobeni, Rethabiseng and Ekangala. On 18 May 2011, the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality took over the municipal administration from the abolished Kungwini Local Municipality, which makes Bronkhorstspruit part of Tshwane.

Bronkhorstspruit
The Nan Hua Temple Complex in Bronkhorstspruit
Bronkhorstspruit Show map of Gauteng Bronkhorstspruit Show map of South Africa Bronkhorstspruit Show map of Africa
Coordinates: 25°48′18″S 28°44′47″E
Country	South Africa
Province	Gauteng
Municipality	City of Tshwane
Area [1]
• Total	3.11 km2 (1.20 sq mi)
Elevation	1,375 m (4,511 ft)
Population  (2011)[1]
• Total	3,720
• Density	1,200/km2 (3,100/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)	1020
PO box	1020
Area code	013

History

In 1858, a group of Voortrekkers settled beside the Bronkhorst Spruit creek, which was originally called Kalkoenkransrivier ('turkey cliff river'). The town was laid out on land of the farm Hondsrivier in 1904 owned by C.J.G. Erasmus and was initially named after him.^[2][3]: 8 It adopted the name Bronkhorstspruit in 1935.^[4]: 296

On 20 December 1880 it was the scene of the Battle of Bronkhorstspruit, an important event in the early days of the First Boer War when a Boer Commando ambushed a British army column, 94th Regiment of Foot, near the present town en route from Lydenburg to Pretoria.^[4]: 296

There is disagreement about where the town got its name from. Some believe it was named after the farmer J.G. Bronkhorst, while others say that it was named after the plant, bronkors (Afrikaans for watercress), that grew in the region of the creek.^[4]: 296

Bronkhorstspruit was the seat of the Metsweding District Municipality as well as the Kungwini Local Municipality. Then, on the day of South Africa's 2011 general elections (18 May 2011), the entire Metsweding District ceased to be its own municipality and became part of the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality.

Parks and greenspace

Ten kilometers to the south of the town lies the Bronkhorstspruit Dam.^[4]: 296

Suburbs

• Erasmus
• Masada
• Riamar Park
• Bester Park
• Cultura Park
• Bronkhorstbaai

Economy

Agriculture

Being an agricultural area, maize, sorghum, groundnuts, sunflower seeds, sheep and cattle are grown and raised.^[4]: 296

Mining

Fire clay is as well as coal mined in the area.^[4]: 296

Places of interest

Cultura Park, a suburb of Bronkhorstspruit, hosts the largest Buddhist temple in Africa. Nan Hua Temple houses the South African headquarters of the Fo Guang Shan sect, a Humanistic Buddhist order.^[5]