Kraaifontein | |
|---|---|
  Kraaifontein  Kraaifontein | |
| Coordinates:33°50′39″S18°41′55″E / 33.84417°S 18.69861°E /-33.84417; 18.69861 | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Western Cape |
| Municipality | City of Cape Town |
| Established | 1869-Subdividing farms,1876- Railway station,1877-Town development |
| Area | |
• Total | 30.82 km2 (11.90 sq mi) |
| Population (2011)[1] | |
• Total | 154,615 |
| • Density | 5,000/km2 (13,000/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2011) | |
| • Black African | 43.3% |
| • Coloured | 40.2% |
| • Indian/Asian | 0.4% |
| • White | 14.4% |
| • Other | 1.7% |
| First languages (2011) | |
| • Afrikaans | 45.4% |
| • Xhosa | 33.4% |
| • English | 14.0% |
| • Sotho | 2.5% |
| • Other | 4.7% |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
| Postal code (street) | 7570 |
| PO box | 7569 |
| Area code | +27 (0)21 |
Kraaifontein is a town in theWestern Cape province ofSouth Africa and is located on the north-eastern outskirts of theCity of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality.
The name originated from the large number of crows (Kraai in Afrikaans) that nest in the region.[2]
In 1869 sub-division of farm land started in the area. A railway station was formed in 1876 called "Kraaifontein Junction", followed by formal town development in 1877. The first school was established on 20 January 1908. The Dutch Reformed Church was founded in 1948. In the same year Kraaifontein got its own local authority. In 1954 the "Volkskerk van Afrika (Translated- The nation's church of Africa)" was founded with BJE Appollis being the first preacher. On 16 September 1957, it became a municipality under the first mayor, JP Rossouw.[3][4][5]
Today, Kraaifontein has been incorporated into the Greater Cape Town metropolitan area and is located inCape Town'snorthern suburbs flanking theN1 towardsPaarl andWorcester to the east. Although being part of theCity of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality, Kraaifontein is still considered a town with its owncentral business district.
It comprises several residential areas, namely Windsor Park, Scottsville, Peerless Park, Eikendal, Scottsdene, Bloekombos, Wallacedene, Belmont Park, Bonny Brook, and Uitzicht. Libraries are funded and owned by theCity of Cape Town. These libraries are Kraaifontein Public Library, Scottsdene Public Library, and Eikendal Public Library. High Schools in the area areMonument Park,Eben Dönges, Bloekombos, Masibambane Secondary School, Simonsberg Primary School,[6] Scottsdene High School, Scottsville High School and Bernadino Heights High School.
Strategically located at the gateway to theCape Winelands, Kraaifontein is exactly halfway betweenCape Town (31 km) andPaarl (29 km) along theN1 highway and is flanked byDurbanville to the north-west andBrackenfell to the west.[7][8]
Kraaifontein, encompassing the areas of Bernardino Heights, Scottsdene, Scottsville, Wallacedene, Eikendal and Bloekombos, was once a separate municipality before the restructuring of all South African municipalities during the late '90s. These areas, however, are listed as separate suburbs by the City of Cape Town for planning and statistical purposes.[9] Forming part of theCity of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality, it is located in its Subcouncil 2 Area, Bergdal.[10]
Kraaifontein lies at a railway junction (historically known as "Kraaifontein Junction"), situated on the main commuter line betweenCape Town andWellington (Northern Line) and the branch line toMalmesbury, both operated byMetrorail. Metrorail currently operatescommuter railway services in Kraaifontein from the Kraaifontein Railway Station (north of the town centre) toCape Town,Bellville,Brackenfell,Paarl andWellington on the Northern Line and toFisantekraal,Klipheuwel andMalmesbury on the Malmesbury branch line.
TheN1 is the major freeway that runs through Kraaifontein, routing traffic heading north-west fromCape Town towardsPaarl. It enters the town fromBrackenfell, bisecting the town and passing through the M15 and M167 before heading towards theCape Winelands.
TheR101 is the original N1, and served the same function before the construction of the freeway. It enters Kraaifontein from Brackenfell as Old Paarl Road, runs through thecentral business district as Voortrekker Road and leaves Kraaifontein towardsKlapmuts andPaarl as Old Paarl Road again.
Kraaifontein is also served by manymetropolitan routes. TheM15 connects toDurbanville andStellenbosch (via the M23). TheM23 connects to Bellville andStellenbosch, and barely by-passes Kraaifontein to the south. TheM25 connects toBrackenfell andBellville. TheM73 connects to Brackenfell and Durbanville. TheM137 runs north–south from Brackenfell to Durbanville and by-passes Kraaifontein to the west.
Kraaifontein is also served internally by theM167 which links the eastern suburbs, namely Joostenberg Vlakte, Kraaifontein Industria and Bloekombos.
The Kraaifontein municipal council assumed a coat of arms, registered it with the Cape Provincial Administration in June 1964,[11] had it granted by the provincial administrator in March 1967,[12] and registered it at theBureau of Heraldry in September 1969.[13]The arms, designed by Schalk Pienaar, were:Argent, a chevron Gules between in chief two heraldic fountains and in base a bunch of grapes leaved proper (in layman's terms: a silver shield displaying, from top to bottom, two discs divided into wavy white and blue stripes, a red chevron, and abunch of grapes). The crest was a parson-crow, and the mottoNon auro sed virtute. Together the crow (kraai) and the fountains (fonteine) were a pun on the name of the town.
Communities ofCity of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality,Western Cape | |||||
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Seat:Cape Town | |||||
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| Cape Flats |
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| City Centre | |||||
| Helderberg | |||||
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| South Peninsula | |||||