Mafeteng

Last updated
Mafeteng
Likhoele.jpg
A view of Likhoele, Mafeteng's second highest mountain, from the reservoir by Kingsgate Primary School
Lesotho adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Mafeteng
Location in Lesotho
Coordinates: 29°49′S27°15′E / 29.817°S 27.250°E / -29.817; 27.250
CountryFlag of Lesotho.svg  Lesotho
District Mafeteng District
Constituency Mafeteng
Population
 (2016)
  Total39,754
Time zone UTC+2 (SAST)

Mafeteng is a city in Lesotho, and the Camptown (capital city) of the district of Mafeteng. It is located about 76 kilometres south of the country's capital, Maseru and has a population of approximately 61,000. [1] The South African border town to Mafeteng is Wepener.

The town is said to be named after an early visitor, Emile Roland, who was nicknamed "Lefeta," literally meaning "traveller" or "passer-by." Mafeteng translates to English as "The place of the passers-by."

During the Gun War of 1880/81 a great deal of fighting took place near Mafeteng. The cemetery, located near Mafeteng's Bantu Stadium, contains an obelisk in memory of members of the Cape forces who fell in action in the area.

Old Osborne Mill (upper left) Old Osborne Mill.jpg
Old Osborne Mill (upper left)

One of the sights in Mafeteng remains the Diphiring Mill, a fully working roller mill established outside the town by Mr. William S. Scott in 1912 and currently operated by the Osborne Family, millers by trade. [2] The whole mill is run off a single engine by an intricate pulley system. Basotho people use the mill to process maize, wheat, millet and other grains.

Mafeteng has several industrial developments including a Gap/Old Navy clothing factory and the Lesotho Pharmaceutical Company (LPC), which also exports to several countries in the region. Mafeteng has two hotels, the Golden Hotel located on the road to Maseru and the Mafeteng Hotel located on Hospital Road. The hotels are the center of the town's limited nightlife: each has a public and a private bar.

Mafeteng has little tourism although travelers occasionally stop at the Buy N Take en route to the Van Rooyen's Gate border crossing at Wepener or Malealea Lodge, a tourist destination in Mafeteng District.

The Famo musician Mosotho Chakela was born in Mafeteng in 1963.

Mafeteng is home to Bantu Stadium. In the past it has hosted district track and field, volleyball, netball and soccer tournaments. The winners proceed to national tournaments in Maseru to represent the district. In 2004, the St. Thomas High School soccer squad advanced out of the tournament in Bantu Stadium and captured the national title. Following the 2004 events, however, Bantu Stadium had to be closed due to renovation of the fences which surround the field and viewing areas.

29°49′S27°15′E / 29.817°S 27.250°E / -29.817; 27.250

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lesotho</span> Country in Southern Africa, within the border of South Africa

Lesotho, formally the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. As an enclave of South Africa, with which it shares a 1,106 km border, it is the only sovereign enclave in the world outside of the Italian peninsula. It is situated in the Maloti Mountains and contains the highest peak in Southern Africa. It has an area of over 30,000 km2 (11,600 sq mi) and has a population of about 2 million. Its capital and largest city is Maseru.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of Lesotho</span> Landlocked country in Africa

Lesotho is a mountainous, landlocked country located in Southern Africa. It is an enclave, surrounded by South Africa. The total length of the country's borders is 909 kilometres (565 mi). Lesotho covers an area of around 30,355 square kilometres (11,720 sq mi), of which a negligible percentage is covered with water.

This article concerns systems of transport in Lesotho. As a landlocked country, Lesotho has no seaports or harbours, but does have road, air transport, and limited rail infrastructure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maseru</span> Capital and largest city of Lesotho

Maseru is the capital and largest city of Lesotho. It is also the capital of the Maseru District. Located on the Caledon River, Maseru lies directly on the Lesotho–South Africa border. Maseru had a population of 330,760 in the 2016 census. The city was established as a police camp and assigned as the capital after the country became a British protectorate in 1869. When the country achieved independence in 1966, Maseru retained its status as capital. The name of the city is a Sesotho word meaning "red sandstones".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basutoland</span> British colony from 1884 to 1966

Basutoland was a British Crown colony that existed from 1884 to 1966 in present-day Lesotho, bordered with the Cape Colony, Natal Colony and Orange River Colony until 1910 and completely surrounded by South Africa from 1910. Though the Basotho and their territory had been under British control starting in 1868, the Cape Colony was unpopular and unable to control the territory. As a result, Basutoland was brought under direct authority of Queen Victoria, via the High Commissioner, and run by an Executive Council presided over by a series of British Resident Commissioners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Free State (province)</span> Province in South Africa

The Free State, formerly known as the Orange Free State, is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bloemfontein, which is also South Africa's judicial capital. Its historical origins lie in the Boer republic called the Orange Free State and later the Orange Free State Province.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mafeteng District</span> District in Lesotho

Mafeteng is a district of Lesotho. It has an area of 2,119 km2 and a population in 2016 of 178,222. Mafeteng is the capital or camptown, and only town in the district. In the west, Mafeteng borders on the Free State Province of South Africa. Domestically, it borders on the following districts Maseru District in the northeast and Mohale's Hoek District in the southeast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maseru District</span> District of Lesotho

Maseru is a district of Lesotho. Maseru is also the name of the district's capital, and is the only city in the district and also the capital of the country. It is the largest urban area in the country, and therefore the only city. The city of Maseru is located on Lesotho's western border with the Free State Province of South Africa, the frontier being the Caledon River. Maseru borders on Berea District in north, Thaba-Tseka District in the east, Mohale's Hoek District in south, and Mafeteng District in southwest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mohale's Hoek District</span> District in Lesotho

Mohale's Hoek is a district of Lesotho. Mohale's Hoek is the capital city or camptown, and only town in the district. In the southwest, Mohale's Hoek borders on South Africa, while domestically, it borders on Mafeteng District in northwest, Maseru District in north, Thaba-Tseka District in northeast, Qacha's Nek District in east, and Quthing District in southeast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mokhotlong</span>

Mokhotlong is a constituency, city and seat of Mokhotlong District in the mountainous northeastern part of Lesotho. It is the first major city with an airport along the road from South Africa across the Sani Pass, near the Maloti Mountains. The name of the city is a word in Sesotho, the language of the people of Lesotho, meaning "Place of the Bald Ibis." Thabana Ntlenyana, the highest point in southern Africa, is found in Mokhotlong.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basuto Gun War</span> Conflict between the Basuto and the Cape Colony

The Basuto Gun War, also known as the Basutoland Rebellion, was a conflict between the Basuto and the British Cape Colony. It lasted from 13 September 1880 to 29 April 1881 and ended in a Basuto victory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caledon River</span> Major river in Lesotho and South Africa

The Caledon River is a major river located in central South Africa. Its total length is 642 km (399 mi), rising in the Drakensberg Mountains on the Lesotho border, flowing southwestward and then westward before joining the Orange River near Bethulie in the southern Free State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wepener</span> Place in Free State, South Africa

Wepener is a town in the Free State, South Africa, located near the border of Lesotho.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teyateyaneng</span> Town in Lesotho

Teyateyaneng is a town located in the district of Berea in Lesotho. Usually abbreviated to T.Y., Teyateyaneng takes its name from the two twin rivers which run on the north and the South. Both rivers lead to the Mohokare, or the Caledon River which forms the western boundary with South Africa. They are both named for their vast quantities of sand which means rapid dipping of feet as one crosses them, leading to both names which may well suggest that this is a 'place of quick sands'. Teyateyaneng's name therefore comes from the southern Teja-tejana River, but the name later changed to Teyateyaneng, perhaps due to British influences as the country became a Protectorate in the late 1800s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Motheo District Municipality</span> Place in South Africa

Motheo was, until the municipal elections of 18 May 2011, a district of the Free State province of South Africa. At the time of the 2011 elections it was disestablished as a consequence of Mangaung Local Municipality being upgraded to a metropolitan municipality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lesotho Premier League</span> Football league

The Lesotho Premier League, also known as Econet Premier League for sponsorship reasons, is the top football division in Lesotho and was created in 1970. Econet Telecom Lesotho are the current league sponsor, since 2017/2018 season. Vodacom Lesotho were the previous league sponsor and were also the sponsor of the now cancelled Vodacom Soccer Spectacular knockout competition, which was the Lesotho's annual national cup tournament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thaba Bosiu</span>

Thaba Bosiu is a constituency and sandstone plateau with an area of approximately 2 km2 (0.77 sq mi) and a height of 1,804 meters above sea level. It is located between the Orange and Caledon Rivers in the Maseru District of Lesotho, 24 km east of the country's capital Maseru. It was once the capital of Lesotho, having been King Moshoeshoe's stronghold.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lesotho–South Africa border</span> International border

The border between Lesotho and South Africa is 909 kilometres (565 mi) long and forms a complete loop, as Lesotho is an enclave entirely surrounded by South Africa. The border follows the Caledon River, the drainage divide of the Drakensberg mountains, the Orange River, the Makhaleng River, and a series of hills joining the Makhaleng back to the Caledon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 COSAFA U-20 Cup</span> International football competition

The 2013 COSAFA U-20 Cup was the 22nd edition of the COSAFA U-20 Challenge Cup, an international youth competition open to national associations of the COSAFA region. It was the first time since 2011 that the competition took place, as the 2012 event was cancelled while COSAFA concentrated their effort into organising a football competition as part of the Zone Six Games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bantu FC</span> Football club

Bantu Football Club is a Lesotho football club based in Mafeteng.

References

  1. "Lesotho - Geography". Commonwealth Secretariat. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 23 March 2010.
  2. Gosselin, Paul (18 April 2007). "Mafeteng Roller Mill". Archived from the original on 24 March 2010. Retrieved 23 March 2010.