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Thabazimbi | |
|---|---|
 Central Business Area in Thabazimbi | |
  Thabazimbi  Thabazimbi  Thabazimbi | |
| Coordinates:24°36′S27°24′E / 24.600°S 27.400°E /-24.600; 27.400 | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Limpopo |
| District | Waterberg |
| Municipality | Thabazimbi |
| Area | |
• Total | 160.89 km2 (62.12 sq mi) |
| Population (2011)[1] | |
• Total | 28,847 |
| • Density | 180/km2 (460/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2011) | |
| • Black African | 82.3% |
| • Coloured | 0.4% |
| • Indian/Asian | 0.2% |
| • White | 16.9% |
| • Other | 0.3% |
| First languages (2011) | |
| • Tswana | 53.8% |
| • Afrikaans | 17.2% |
| • Northern Sotho | 9.9% |
| • English | 3.8% |
| • Other | 15.3% |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
| Postal code (street) | 0387 |
| PO box | 0380 |
| Area code | 014 |
Thabazimbi is aniron mining town in theLimpopo province ofSouth Africa. The town is at the feet of the Ysterberg and is surrounded by the Witfonteinrand and Boshofberg with the majestic Kransberg in the background. The name Thabazimbi meansmountain of iron because of the largeiron ore reef that was discovered in 1919 by J. H. Williams. The mine boasts one of the largestmining shafts in Africa. More than two million tonnes of ore are mined every year and hauled by train toMittal's iron and steel works. Therailway line fromRustenburg reached the area in the 1930s and full scale iron andsteel production began. The town was proclaimed in 1953. Kumba Iron Ore, previouslyKumba Resources, is now the principal operator of the iron ore mine.
TheMarakele National Park about 20 km north-east of the town and in the heart ofWaterberg Mountains is characterised by contrasting mountain landscapes, hills and valleys, as well a variety of wildlife. Marakele National Park is also the home of some of the Tuli elephants that were caught up in controversy in 1999 involvinganimal cruelty in South Africa.[clarification needed]
In the post-apartheid era, the town made headlines in 2003 as the site ofKamp Staaldraad, theSpringboks' infamous training camp prior to theRugby World Cup. The excesses of Kamp Staaldraad helped lead to an almost complete housecleaning of the upper administrative levels of South Africanrugby union.
Municipalities and communities ofWaterberg District Municipality,Limpopo | ||
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District seat:Nylstroom (Modimolle) | ||
| Thabazimbi | .svg) | |
| Lephalale |
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| Modimolle–Mookgophong |
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| Bela-Bela |
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| Mogalakwena | ||
Authority control databases: National |
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