Laingsburg, Western Cape

Laingsburg is a town located in the Western Cape province in South Africa.

History

Laingsburg was first established in the 1870s by Stephanus Greeff. He bought the farm "Vischkuil-aan-de-Buffelsrivier" (fishing pond on the Buffalo River). The town only started developing when the railway line to it was completed. It was first named "Buffelsrivier" but this was later changed first to "Nassau" and finally to Laingsburg, after John Laing who was Commissioner of Crown Lands at the time.

The town was laid out in 1881 and became a municipality in 1904. The municipality has since been expanded to include Bergsig, Goldnerville and Matjiesfontein.

Flood disaster

On the 25 January 1981 abnormal rainfall in the catchments of both the Buffels and Baviaans Rivers, which have their confluence at the town, lead to a giant flood in Laingsburg and over 100 persons drowned. Most of the bodies were never recovered, even the railway line was swept off the bridge. Many people lost their jobs as farms were forced to close due to the devastation. In 2003, controversy arose over allegations that black victims were buried in a mass grave. After extensive investigations, these allegations were subsequently found to be false.

Geography

Laingsburg is situated along the N1 route, at Lat: -33.20, Long: 20.85, in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

The town is situated in the Great Karoo, a semi-desert region of South-Africa. The towns total rainfall is about 150mm per year. The main water supply is the Buffels River. Summers are extremely hot and dry, with temperatures usually exceeding 30°C. Winters are crisp to sometimes very cold, with snow occasionally occurring in the surrounding region.

Economy

Laingsburg's economy is mainly based on farming of goats, sheep, lucerne (Alfalfa) and fruit.

References