Winburg

Winburg
Dutch Reformed Church, Winburg
Winburg Show map of Free State (South African province) Winburg Show map of South Africa Winburg Show map of Africa  Winburg shown within Free State
Coordinates: 28°31′00″S 27°00′36″E / 28.51667°S 27.01000°E / -28.51667; 27.01000Coordinates: 28°31′00″S 27°00′36″E / 28.51667°S 27.01000°E / -28.51667; 27.01000
Country	South Africa
Province	Free State
District	Lejweleputswa
Municipality	Masilonyana
Established	1835
Area
• Total	67.2 km2 (25.9 sq mi)
Elevation	1,430 m (4,690 ft)
Population (2011)
• Total	14,074
• Density	210/km2 (540/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
• Black African	92.2%
• Coloured	1.7%
• Indian/Asian	0.3%
• White	5.4%
• Other	0.4%
First languages (2011)
• Sotho	78.5%
• Afrikaans	9.1%
• English	4.2%
• Xhosa	3.7%
• Other	4.5%
Postal code (street)	9420
PO box	9420
Area code	+27 (0)51

Winburg is a small mixed farming town in the Free State province of South Africa.

It is the oldest proclaimed town (1837) in the Orange Free State, South Africa and thus along with Griquatown, one of the oldest settlements in South Africa located north of the Orange River.

Winburg is situated midway between the Orange River and the Vaal River, adjacent to the N1 National Road, which links Cape Town to Johannesburg. The nearest city, Bloemfontein, is 120 km away.

When the Voortrekkers reached the area of Winburg, there were no other tribes or inhabitants. The nearest community was that of a Tswana tribe under Chief Makwana at Thaba Nchu, 60 km south east of the town and the Basotho tribes in the mountains of the current Lesotho, 100 km east of the town.

The trade of cattle for land between the Vaal and Vet Rivers, undertaken by Andries Pretorius and the Bataung Chief Makwana in 1836, led to the settlement of a dispute between the African tribes. The Voortrekkers offered protection for Chief Makwana from the Tswana tribes, against the Basotho tribes habouring in the mountains of the current Lesotho and stealing the cattle of the Bataung tribe. In exchange for continued protection, the Voortrekkers were offered the land between the Vet and Vaal Rivers.