Pella, Northern Cape

Pella
Cathedral in Pella
Pella Show map of Northern Cape Pella Show map of South Africa Pella Show map of Africa  Pella shown within Northern Cape
Coordinates: 29°02′S 19°09′E / 29.033°S 19.150°E / -29.033; 19.150Coordinates: 29°02′S 19°09′E / 29.033°S 19.150°E / -29.033; 19.150
Country	South Africa
Province	Northern Cape
District	Namakwa
Municipality	Khâi-Ma
Established	1814
Area
• Total	477.83 km2 (184.49 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total	2,470
• Density	5.2/km2 (13/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
• Black African	2.8%
• Coloured	96.1%
• Indian/Asian	0.2%
• White	0.4%
• Other	0.5%
First languages (2011)
• Afrikaans	97.5%
• Other	2.5%
Postal code (street)	8891
PO box	8891
Area code	054

Pella is an oasis in Namakwa (Bushmanland) in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. Earlier known as Cammas Fonteyn, the spring was used by a nearby stronghold of San people. In 1776 a South African Dutch farmer called Coenraad Feijt settled there and lived in harmony with the San despite their fondness for raiding the cattle of the Dutch farmers in the Hantam. A nearby farm called Aggeneys later became the site of the modern mining town of that name.

In 1814 a missionary called Christian Albrecht moved with his assistants and converts to Cammas Fonteyn, having left Namibia where the Orlam Chief, Jager Afrikaner, had been persecuting them. He founded a mission station and renamed it Pella after the ancient town in that became a refuge for persecuted Christians from the Romans. Other famous missionaries that visited Pella during the early years were John Campbell, Heinrich Schmelen and Robert Moffat.

The tenure of the London Missionary Society (LMS) at Pella was intermittent and the mission station was abandoned on numerous occasions. This was largely because of the extremely harsh desert conditions, but on one occasion the LMS abandoned the mission station after one of the priests had been murdered by the San. During these periods of abandonment, the Basters and San continued to use the oasis.

George Thompson, the traveller, arrived in a distressed state at Pella in 1824. He had come from Cape Town and found the mission deserted. His party had sufficient water but no food whatsoever. Luckily he discovered that Mr Bartlett, the resident missionary, had moved the mission station to t’Kams which was 32 kilometres to the west. Thompson travelled to t’Kams and was hospitably received.,

Thompson reported that when the full congregation was collected at Pella, they amount to about 400 souls; but the severe droughts, and consequent failure of pasturage, force them occasionally to disperse themselves in divisions over the country wherever a spring of water exists with grass in the vicinity for their flocks. As soon as rain falls, the pastures at Pella will instantly spring up and the scattered divisions of the people will again be re-assembled.