Lebowakgomo

Lebowakgomo
Lebowakgomo Lebowakgomo Lebowakgomo  Lebowakgomo shown within Limpopo
Coordinates: 24°18′18″S 29°33′54″E / 24.305°S 29.565°ECoordinates: 24°18′18″S 29°33′54″E / 24.305°S 29.565°E
Country	South Africa
Province	Limpopo
District	Capricorn
Municipality	Lepelle-Nkumpi
Area[1]
• Total	25.68 km^2 (9.92 sq mi)
Population (2011)[1]
• Total	35,087
• Density	1,400/km^2 (3,500/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)[1]
• Black African	99.3%
• Coloured	0.2%
• Indian/Asian	0.2%
• White	0.1%
• Other	0.2%
First languages (2011)[1]
• Northern Sotho	87.2%
• English	2.8%
• Zulu	1.5%
• Tsonga	1.5%
• Other	6.9%
Postal code (street)	0737
PO box	0737
Area code	015

Lebowakgomo is the seat of the Lepelle-Nkumpi Local Municipality and was the capital of the former Bantustan of Lebowa. Lebowakgomo lies 45 km southeast of the Limpopo capital of Polokwane.

History

The township was established in the early 1970s to become the capital of Lebowa, and was enlarged and developed in the 1980s. The name is derived from two Northern Sotho words: "Lebowa" (north) and "Kgomo" (cow). The land where Lebowakgomo is located was donated to the former Lebowa Government by Chief Mmutle Mphahlele of the Bakgaga ba gaMphahlele. The chief's palace lies 10 km southeast of the township in Seleteng village.

Lebowakgomo was one of the eight townships in the former Bantustan, the seven others being Mahwelereng, Sešego, Mankweng, Lenyenye, Namakgale, Praktiseer, Mašišing and Senwabarwana.

Institutions of Education

In the early 1990s, Lebowakgomo had three primary schools in Zone A (Little Bedfordview, Mogodumo and Ntseekgopu), in Zone F (Dr Dixon Mphahlele) and in Zone B (Eureka), and three high schools: Derek Kobe High School, Lebowakgomo High School, SJ van der Merwe and towards the late 90s Lebowakgomo Commercial, and Mathomomayo High School.

Notable people

Notable people from Mphahlele and Lebowakgomo include:

• Es'kia Mphahlele
• Letlapa Mphahlele (former President of Pan Africanist Congress of Azania)
• Lilian Ngoyi née Matabane (the first woman elected to the executive committee of the African National Congress),
• Sefako Makgatho (the second president of the African National Congress),
• Bokang Montjane (a past Miss South Africa 2010)
• Cedric Phatudi Mphahlele (Chief Minister of Lebowa from 1973-87)
• Stan Mathabatha (premier of the Limpopo Province, South Africa)
• Lehlogonolo Masoga (Deputy Speaker of the Limpopo Legislature, former ANC Youth League leader)
• Moses Mphahlele former Secretary General of the ANC in Transvaal during the 1920s. Protégé of Sefako Makgatho (publisher of the Sotho portion of the South Africa's national anthem in 1942)
• Arthur Mafokate, musician

References

1. "Main Place Lebowakgomo". Census 2011.