Watter ís die oudste dorp in Transvaal?

Abstract

Prof. G.N. van den Bergh's view in Contree 18 (July 1985) that Klerksdorp is not the oldest town in the Transvaal, is refuted in this article. It argues that although Klerksdorp was only officially declared a town on 12 September 1888, there was a town in existence at Schoonspruit (Elandheuwel) long before this date, a fact which has been acknowledged even in official correspondence. A comparison of the pioneering years of Klerksdorp, Potchefstroom and other old towns (dorps) is drawn. It is also shown that au Dorp and Nuwe Dorp in fact formed a unity and that Klerksdorp already in 1884 was regarded as the Transvaal's oldest town.