Pomfret, North West

Pomfret is a desert town, the site of an old asbestos mine, on the edge of the Kalahari desert in northwest South Africa. It is the administrative centre of Molopo Local Municipality.[2] Many of its inhabitants are former members of 32 Battalion, also known as Buffalo Battalion. These ex-soldiers were predominantly Portuguese-speaking Angolans who fought on the South African government side in Angola and Namibia, and after the end of the South African Border War to police the black townships.[3] The community remains largely Portuguese-speaking.[4]

Pomfret
Pomfret
Pomfret
Coordinates: 25°49′S 23°32′E
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceNorth West
DistrictDr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati
MunicipalityKagisano/Molopo
Area
 • Total29.79 km2 (11.50 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Total1,939
 • Density65/km2 (170/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
 • Black African97.7%
 • Coloured1.2%
 • Indian/Asian0.2%
 • White0.5%
 • Other0.4%
First languages (2011)
 • Tswana24.7%
 • English3.4%
 • Afrikaans2.0%
 • Other69.9%
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
PO box
8619
Area code053

Present day

Today the town is described as depressing by those who visit. Injured 32 Battalion veterans of war live in squalid circumstances.[5]

In 2004, 60 mercenaries from Pomfret were recruited to take part in an attempted coup against the government of Equatorial Guinea, known as the Wonga coup. They were jailed for one year for their suspected involvement.[6]

A 2009 documentary film recorded South African mercenaries describing how Pomfret was a place to recruit cheap labor for mercenary activities.[7]

Asbestos mine in Pomfret
Asbestos mine

The presence of asbestos in the subsoil was the major reason for the creation of the town. Asbestos was mined and used in the motor industry for the making of brake pads, roofing, and water pipes. The mine is now closed, and is a tourist attraction.

References
  1. "Main Place Pomfret". Census 2011.
  2. Municipal Demarcation Board : Municipal Profiles 2003 : Contact Information for Molopo Local Municipality Archived 2008-10-07 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 15 April 2010
  3. "South Africa - Pomfret". Retrieved 2007-01-03.
  4. News, E-Brief. "Legalbrief Today Home Page". www.legalbrief.co.za. Retrieved 2017-07-13.
  5. Phillips, Barnaby (2004-05-12). "South Africa's 'mercenary' village". BBC News. Retrieved 2007-01-03.
  6. "South Africa - Dogs of War Head Home – But They'll Find It's Gone". Retrieved 2007-01-03.
  7. Once Upon a Coup, PBS Documentary, August 2009, https://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/episodes/once-upon-a-coup/full-episode/?p=5496
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