Owendale is a town in Kgatelopele Local Municipality in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. It is located between Postmasburg and Daniëlskuil.[2]
Owendale | |
|---|---|
  Owendale  Owendale | |
| Coordinates: 28°16′12″S 23°25′05″E / 28.270°S 23.418°E | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Northern Cape |
| District | ZF Mgcawu |
| Municipality | Kgatelopele |
| Area | |
| • Total | 32.33 km2 (12.48 sq mi) |
| Population (2011)[1] | |
| • Total | 115 |
| • Density | 3.6/km2 (9.2/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2011) | |
| • Black African | 37.4% |
| • Coloured | 20.9% |
| • Indian/Asian | 2.6% |
| • White | 39.1% |
| First languages (2011) | |
| • Afrikaans | 74.6% |
| • Tswana | 14.0% |
| • English | 7.0% |
| • Xhosa | 2.6% |
| • Other | 1.8% |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
An old mining town, it was owned by Pieter du Toit from 1998 to 2006, when it was auctioned.[2] He had reportedly bought the settlement as a base for Gemeente van die Verbondsvolk, a religious cult.[2] Members of the congregation wished to live in an isolated village, but the dearth of available jobs led to the disintegration of the community.[2] Asbestos mining operations had ceased in 1993.[2]
Louis Theroux visited the town as part of his 2000 Weird Weekends documentary series, in which the town is described as being for "whites only".[3]