Naledi Local Municipality (FS164)
Geography, History & Economy
Naledi Local Municipality is part of Xhariep District Municipality.
MDB code: FS164
Description: Naledi Local Municipality is an administrative area in the Xhariep District of the Free State. It was incorporated into the Xhariep District following the 2011 local government elections. The name is a Sesotho word meaning ‘a star'.
The municipality is located in the eastern highland of the region and a border gate to Lesotho is just 7km from Wepener. It is a largely rural community, with almost a third of its land used for farming cattle, sheep and grain. The area is traversed by the N8 Maloti Tourism Route and the R26 route. It has become known as ‘The Adventurous Weekend Destination'.
Dewetsdorp lies 75km south-east of Bloemfontein on the R702. The town of Dewetsdorp is part of the Battlefields Route. One attraction is the British War Graves and Monument. The town has a beautiful nine-hole golf course and is also the home of the Osram Total Car Rally.
Wepener was founded in 1867 on the banks of Jammersbergspruit, a tributary of the Caledon River. The Caledon Nature Reserve is about 15km south of Wepener on the R701. The Caledon River flows through the reserve, and the Welbedacht Dam is located in the southern region of the reserve. Also of interest is the Louw Wepener Memorial statue, Thaba Bosiu Memorial stone and Jammerbergdrif Battlefield site. The sandstone street of Jammersberg Bridge over the Caledon River has been declared a national monument.
The town of Van Stadensrus is located between Wepener and Zastron, and is one of the frontier towns on the border of South Africa and Lesotho. It is in close proximity to the Egmont and Van Stadensrus Dams, and is on the Anglo-Boer War Route.
Area: 3 424km²
Cities/Towns: Dewetsdorp, Van Stadensrus, Wepener
Main Economic Sectors: Agriculture
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