Dysselsdorp

Dysselsdorp
Dysselsdorp Show map of Western Cape Dysselsdorp Show map of South Africa
Coordinates: 33°34′S22°26′E / 33.567°S 22.433°E / -33.567; 22.433
Country	South Africa
Province	Western Cape
District	Garden Route
Municipality	Oudtshoorn
Area [1]
• Total	12.45 km2 (4.81 sq mi)
Population  (2011) [1]
• Total	12,544
• Density	1,000/km2 (2,600/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011) [1]
•  Black African	3.9%
•  Coloured	94.9%
•  Indian/Asian	0.4%
•  White	0.4%
• Other	0.4%
First languages (2011) [1]
•  Afrikaans	96.6%
•  English	1.4%
• Other	1.9%
Time zone	UTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)	6628
PO box	6628
Area code	044

Dysselsdorp is a small town that lies between Oudtshoorn and De Rust in the Little Karoo. It was founded as missionary station in 1838 for the emancipated slaves and dispossessed Khoekhoen who lived in the area. Since 1996 Dysselsdorp has been used as a case study for multiple agricultural reform programmes. 12 544 People live in Dysselsdorp and it is a predominantly Afrikaans-speaking coloured community. Majority of Dysselsdorp’s workers are employed in the agricultural industry or work in the nearby town of Oudtshoorn. Dysselsdorp is located in two wards of the Oudtshoorn Local Municipality.

Name

There is no definite origin of the name Dysselsdorp. ^[2] Documents as early as 1838 record a settlement in the same area by the name of Dysal’s Kraal. ^[3] The name Dysseldorp is also found in reference to the same settlement in old documents. ^[4]

History

Human settlement in the area can be traced back as far as 1 700 years ago by the Khoekhoen. ^[5] This can be evidenced by the numerous rock art found in the surrounding Swartberg and Kammanassie Mountains. ^[6] Dysselsdorp was founded as a missionary station for the London Missionary Society in 1838 by Andrew Melvill. ^[7] It served as a place of religious instruction and refuge for emancipated slaves and Khoekhoen inhabitants in the Little Karoo. In 1873 residents of the Dysselsdorp Missionary Station became private landowners of property that was ceded by the London Missionary Society. ^[8] In 1892 a Town Council was established by Dysselsdorp residents, ^[9] however it later fell under the administration of the Oudtshoorn Divisional Council in 1926. ^[2]

In 1972, during the Apartheid era, residents inhabiting the area around Dysselsdorp were dispossessed of their residential and agricultural property. This made many residents impoverished and had to work as labourers on the surrounding farms. ^[10] In 1985 there was an arson attack on a municipal building and in 1991 there was illegal occupation of the Dysselsdorp Police Station by ANC members as part of their Struggle against Apartheid. ^[11] Since 1996 there have been multiple land reform programs launched in Dysselsdorp, although the socio-economic conditions have remained the same. ^{[10] [12]} In 2011 the former President Jacob Zuma visited the town to launch the National Rural Youth Service Corps, however this program has changed little the socio-economic conditions of many young people in Dysselsdorp. ^[13]

Geography

Dysselsdorp lies on the southern bank of the Olifants River, (Kwacao or “elephant river” in Khoekhoegowab) at the westernmost edge of the Kammanassie (“whirling waters” in Khoekhoegowab) Mountains. South of Dysselsdorp lies the Kammanassie River, and directly South lies the Kammanassie Dam. The Kammanassie River then confluences with the Doring (Kaukou or “thorny river” in Khoekhoegowab) before merging with the Olifants River between Dysselsdorp and Oudtshoorn. North of Dysselsdorp, across the Olifants river, lies the Cango (“wet mountains” in Khoekhoegowab) region, which are the foothills of the greater Swartberg Mountains. West of Dysselsdorp lies the town of Oudtshoorn and East of Dysselsdorp lies the smaller town of De Rust. ^[2]

Demographics

According to 2011 Census Dysselsdorp has a total population of 12 544. ^[14] Compared to the 2001 Census where Dysselsdorp had a population of 11 491, ^{[15] [16]} indicating a population growth of 8.39%. In 2011 in Dysselsdorp 94.9% self-identified as Coloured and 96.6% had Afrikaans as their home language. 38.6% of Dysselsdorp’s inhabitants stated that they have some secondary school education, while 52.6% of the residents are female. ^[14]

Economy

The median income of Dysselsdorp’s inhabitants is between R19 601 and 38 200. ^[14] Agriculture on the surrounding farms provides employment for certain residents, ^[17] there is a liquorice extracting factory ^[18] and nature reserves with private lodges surrounding the town. Dysselsdorp has also been described as a dormitory suburb for the nearby Oudtshoorn. ^[17] Economic upliftment programmes such as the Comprehensive Rural Development have been launched in Dysselsdorp, ^[19] however they end up failing. ^[12]

References

1. "Main Place Dysselsdorp". Census 2011.
2. Peter, P.E. (1987). Dictionary of Southern African Place Names (1st ed.). Johannesburg: Lowry Publishers.
3. Backhouse, J. (1844). A narrative of a visit to the Mauritius and South Africa. London: Hamilton, Adams and Company.
4. Horner, D.; Wilson, F. (2008). A Tapestry of People: the growth of population in the Province of the Western Cape. Cape Town: SALDRU Working Papers.
5. Rust, C. (2008). Meta-Tourism, Sense of Place and the Rock Art of the Little Karoo. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University.
6. Rust, R.; Van der Poll, J. (2011). Water, Stone and Legend - Rock Art of the Klein Karoo. Cape Town: Struik.
7. Sir Grey, G. (1840). The Report of the Directors to the Forty-Sixth General Meeting of the Missionary Society on Thursdday, May 14th, 1840. London: William Tyler, Bolt Court, Fleet Street.
8. Appel, A. (1988). Grondbessetting en grondbesit op Bethelsdorp, 1828 - 1945. Potchefstroom: North-West University.
9. De Klerk, P. (2009). Streeksgeskiedskrywing en koloniale verhoudinge: die Wes-Kaapse platteland en die Karoo. Potchefstroom: North-West University.
10. Stuurman, C. (2014). Class, Land and Poverty: a study of the class dynamics of land dispossession and land restitution in Dysselsdorp. Cape Town: University of the Western Cape.
11. Mokwena, M. (21 October 1999). "I was an outcast, former cop tells TRC". Independent Online.
12. Siyo-Pepeteka, T. (2014). The Comprehensive Rural Development Programme as a Vehicle for Enhancing Stakeholder Participation in Rural Governance: a case study of Dysselsdorp in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. Cape Town: University of the Western Cape.
13. City Press (6 May 2011). "Zuma launches youth corps". News24.
14. Statistics South Africa (2011). "Dysselsdorp". StatsSA.
15. Frith, A. (2001). "Dysselsdorp". Census 2001 - Adrian Frith.
16. Frith, A. (2001). "Dysselsdorp SH". Census 2001 - Adrian Frith.
17. Greater Oudtshoorn Spatial Development Framework (2013). Draft Status Quo Report. Oudtshoorn.
18. Speckman, A. (November 2007). "A Tale of Four Men, an Alien Plant and a Liquorice Factory". ScienceScope: 6–9.
19. Impact Economix (2014). Implementation Evaluation of the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme In Dysselsdorp, Oudtshoorn Western Cape: February 2010 – March 2013. Mowbray: Impact Economix.