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Mmabatho | |
|---|---|
  Mmabatho  Mmabatho  Mmabatho | |
| Coordinates:25°51′S25°38′E / 25.850°S 25.633°E /-25.850; 25.633 | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | North West |
| District | Ngaka Modiri Molema |
| Municipality | Mahikeng |
| Area | |
• Total | 18.47 km2 (7.13 sq mi) |
| Population (2011)[1] | |
• Total | 38,297 |
| • Density | 2,073/km2 (5,370/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2011) | |
| • Black African | 95.9% |
| • Coloured | 2.0% |
| • Indian/Asian | 1.0% |
| • White | 1.0% |
| • Other | 0.1% |
| First languages (2011) | |
| • Tswana | 89.6% |
| • English | 1% |
| • Sotho | 3.6% |
| • Xhosa | 2.8% |
| • Other | 2% |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
| Postal code (street) | 2735 |
| PO box | 2790 |
| Area code | 018 |
Mmabatho (Tswana for "Mother of the People") is the former capital of theNorth-West Province ofSouth Africa. During theapartheid era, it was the capital of the former "Bantustan" ofBophuthatswana, separated from the adjacentMafeking which temporarily remained outside Bophuthatswana.
Following the end of apartheid in 1994, Bophuthatswana was integrated into the newly established North-West Province and Mmabatho was proclaimed the provincial capital. However, Mmabatho's status as the provincial capital was short-lived. Later in 1994, the North West provincial legislature voted to rename the capital toMahikeng (the town of Mafikeng having been merged with Mmabatho in 1980 and treated as a suburb of Mmabatho between 1980 and 1994[2][3]), reducing Mmabatho to a suburb of Mafikeng. The city is an enclave within the latter.
Mmabatho contains many provincial government buildings, a shopping complex called Mega City and a Sports Stadium formerly called the Independence Stadium. TheNorth-West University, formerly the University of Bophuthatswana, is located in Mmabatho.
Situated just south of the Botswana border, the town is connected by main roads to South Africa's national capital ofPretoria in the east and toGaborone, the capital ofBotswana, in the north. A railway runs north and south from the neighbouring town of Mafikeng. The city is served byMmabatho International Airport, handling flights to and fromJohannesburg.
Municipalities and communities ofNgaka Modiri Molema District Municipality,North West | ||
|---|---|---|
District seat:Mahikeng | ||
| Ratlou | .svg) | |
| Tswaing | ||
| Mahikeng | ||
| Ditsobotla | ||
| Ramotshere Moiloa | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
