Sanddrif is a town in Richtersveld Local Municipality in the Northern Cape province of South Africa, on the banks of the Orange River.[2] It is located 57 km east of Alexander Bay.[3]
Mining in the region began in the 1900s leading to the displacement of the indigenous Nama people. Diamond mines were again established in the 1970s, bringing a source of employment but also socio-economic upheaval, threatening the traditional Nama lifestyle.[3] The subsequent migration of Xhosa people who came to the area to work in the mines led Sanddrif to acquire the nickname of "Rainbow Town".[4] Sanddrif has nevertheless seen ethnic conflict between the indigenous Namas and the Xhosa migrants.[5]
The Baken diamond mine, located outside Sanddrif, was opened by Trans Hex Group in May 2001.[6]
Culture
References
- ^ a b c d "Main Place Sanddrif". Census 2011.
- ^ "Sanddrift". Richtersveld National Park. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
- ^ a b "Sanddrift". Explore the Richtersveld. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
- ^ François Odendaal; Helen Suich (1 January 2007). Richtersveld: The Land and Its People. Struik. p. 129. ISBN 978-1-77007-341-8.
- ^ Gitanjali Maharaj (1999). Between unity and diversity: essays on nation-building in post-Apartheid South Africa. Idasa. p. 50. ISBN 978-1-874864-90-5.
- ^ "Diamond plant throughput rises 67%". MiningWeekly.com. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
Municipalities and communities of Namakwa District Municipality, Northern Cape | ||
|---|---|---|
District seat: Springbok | ||
| Hantam |  | |
| Kamiesberg | ||
| Karoo Hoogland | ||
| Khâi-Ma | ||
| Nama Khoi | ||
| Richtersveld | ||
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