Springs, Gauteng

Springs
Springs Location of the town in Gauteng
Springs
Coordinates: 26°15′17″S 28°26′34″E
Country	South Africa
Province	Gauteng
Municipality	Ekurhuleni
Area
• Total	172.18 km2 (66.48 sq mi)
Population (2001)
• Total	80,776
• Density	469/km2 (1,210/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2001)
• Black African	39.4%
• Coloured	1.2%
• Indian/Asian	5.6%
• White	53.8%
First languages (2001)
• Afrikaans	39.2%
• English	21.2%
• Zulu	13.5%
• Xhosa	7.3%
• Other	18.8%
Time zone	SAST (UTC+2)

Springs is a city on the East Rand in the Gauteng province of South Africa.It lies 50 km east of Johannesburg. The name of the city derives from the large number of springs in the area; it has a population of more than 200,000,^{[citation needed]} and is situated at 5,340 ft a.s.l. It is part of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality.

History

The original 7 km² farm on which the city of Springs was later to be built, The Springs, was surveyed in 1883. Coal was discovered in the area in 1887 and three years later the Transvaal Republic's first railway was built to carry coal from the East Rand coalfields to the gold mines of the Witwatersrand.

Gradually, especially after coal was discovered further east in South Africa in Witbank, the Springs collieries were closed. In the meanwhile, however, gold had also been discovered in the area. A village was laid out in 1904 and in 1908 the first gold mining began. Springs was granted municipal status in 1912. By the late 1930s, there were eight gold mines near Springs, making it the largest single gold-producing area in the world.

Today

Springs is currently one of the industrial centers of the Witwatersrand. Mining has been replaced by manufacturing and engineering industries of economic importance; products of the region include processed metals, chemicals, paper and foodstuffs. The only Kelloggs factory in South Africa is situated in Springs. Springs is also home to Impala Platinum's precious and base metal refineries as well as PFG Building Glass, the only producer of float glass on the continent. Zincor, the only zinc producer in Africa, is also located here; its refinery produces all South Africa's requirement of this metal.

PAM Brink Stadium is a sports stadium currently used for soccer and rugby.

Springs is part of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, which includes much of the East Rand.

Springs was divided during the Apartheid era into the middle- and upper-income white suburbs around the city centre, the Indian area of Bakerton east of the CBD, while blacks were relocated to KwaThema, southwest of the CBD. This divide has faded since democracy, with mixed races in all areas. The influx of poor black families has given rise to informal settlements near all of the industrial areas, which has been blamed for higher crime rates and falling property prices.^{[citation needed]}

Education

There are several schools, ranging from pre-primary to secondary schools, and a tertiary college in Springs.

• Bakerton Primary School
• Job Maseko Primary School
• KwaThema Primary School
• Laerskool Christiaan Beyers
• Laerskool Jan van Riebeeck
• Laerskool Morester
• Laerskool PAM Brink
• Laerskool Selection Park
• Laerskool Welgedag
• Laerskool Werda
• Montessori School
• Olympia Park School
• Pinegrove Primary School
• Protea School
• Selcourt Primary School
• Selpark Primary School
• Steboo High School
• Springs Muslim School
• Strubenvale Primary School
• Eureka High School
• Hoer Tegniese Skool Springs
• Hoerskool Hugenote
• Hoërskool Dr Johan Jurgens High School
• Jameson High School
• Springs Boys' High School
• Springs Girls' High School
• Springs Secondary School
• Veritas College
• Ekurhuleni East College, Springs Campus

Notable residents

Famous people who are associated with Springs include:

• Roger Joyce Bushell RAF (30 August 1910 – 29 March 1944), a Springs-born British lawyer and Auxiliary Air Force pilot, organised and led the famous escape from the Nazi prisoner of war camp, Stalag Luft III in 1944.
• Ernest George Bock (17 September 1908 - 5 September 1961), a South African cricket player in one test (1935/ 1936), who once held one of the top Currie Cup bowling averages and was also a Griqualand West cricket and rugby player, relocated from Kimberley, Northern Cape, to Springs.
• Nadine Gordimer (born 20 November 1923), the first South African Nobel Laureate in Literature (1991) and recipient of the 1974 Booker Prize, was born in Springs and attended the local Our Lady of Mercy Convent school (now known as Veritas College).
• Ferdinand Chauvier (d.1985), a hydraulics engineer from the Belgian Congo who moved to Springs in 1951, invented the first automated pool cleaner - Kreepy Krauly - at his Springs home in 1974. Today, the Kreepy Krauly concept is used in over 90% of swimming pools worldwide.
• Koos du Plessis (10 May 1945 - 15 January 1984), a prominent South African singer-songwriter and poet, was born in Rustenburg, and grew up in Springs, attending PAM Brink Primary School and High School Hugenote.
• Andre Viljoen (born ?), former president and CEO of South African Airways (SAA) (2001-2004), grew up in Springs and attended Springs Boys' High School.
• Madi Phala (2 February 1955 - 2 March 2007), well-known artist, designer, and educator, was born and raised in KwaThema, Springs.
• James Phillips (22 January 1959 - 31 July 1995), a South African rock singer, songwriter and performer, grew up in Springs.
• Glenda Steyn (born 2 January 1964), notable liberal politician from the Democratic Party (now Democratic Alliance), grew up in Springs and is now a DA Member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, spokesperson on the Standing Committee On Public Accounts, former Chief Whip, as well as a former Provincial Chairperson of the Democratic Alliance.
• Fiona Coyne (22 June 1965 - 18 August 2010), a well-known theatre actress, playwright, writer, and television presenter (The Weakest Link, South Africa), was born, raised, and married in Springs, and attended the Springs Convent school (now Veritas College).
• Rudi Bryson (born 25 July 1968), a former South African cricketer who played seven One Day Internationals in 1997, and played for Northern Transvaal and Eastern Province cricket teams, was born and raised in Springs, and attended Springs Boys' High School.
• Brandon Auret (born ?), a well-known stage (Winnie), television (Isidingo, Angel's Song, One Way, Breathe), and film (Catch a Fire, Hansie - The Movie, District 9, Night Drive, The Race-ist) actor, rock singer, and songwriter, was born and raised in Springs and attended the local CBC (now Veritas College).
• Penny Heyns (born 8 November 1974), double Olympic gold medallist in swimming (1996 Atlanta Olympic Games), holder of 14 swimming world records, and the only woman in history to complete the Olympic double of winning both the 100 and 200 metre breaststroke, was born in Springs and attended a local primary school.
• Shirley Sutherland (born 17 December 1973), a well-known coloratura soprano opera singer, director, and performer in musicals, grew up in Springs and attended Springs Girls' High School.
• Eudy Simelane (11 March 1977 - 28 April 2008), a well-known former South Africa women's national football team ("Banyana Banyana") midfielder, future South African Football Association referee, and gay rights activist grew up in and was murdered in KwaThema, Springs.
• Dean Hall (born 2 September 1977), a former Springbok rugby, Lions rugby, and Sharks rugby player (winger), and once dubbed "the white Jonah Lomu" by the New Zealand media, was born and raised in Springs and attended Springs Boys' High School.
• Lawrence Sephaka (born 8 August 1978), a Springbok rugby player (prop) from 2001 to 2006 gaining 24 caps and playing in the 2003 Rugby World Cup, former Lions rugby player, and current professional player for Rugby Pro D2, the second level of the French professional league, for Toulon, attended Hoer Tegniese Skool in Springs.
• Justine Robbeson (born 15 May 1985), former world junior heptathlon champion (2004), current African record holder in the women's javelin (63.49m in February 2008), and participant in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, grew up in Springs and attended Springs Girls' High School.

External links

• Springs Personal Website
• Ekurhuleni Official Website
• History
• KwaThema
• Springs Map