Bethlehem is a city in the eastern Free State province of South Africa that is situated on the Liebenbergs River (also called Liebenbergs Vlei) along a fertile valley just north of the Rooiberg Mountains on the N5 road. It is the fastest growing city in the Free State province, with its target of being the third largest city after Bloemfontein and Welkom.
It is a wheat growing area and named after the biblical Bethlehem, from Hebrew: בֵּית לֶחֶם ("Beit Lechem"), meaning "house of bread".[2]
The city lies at an altitude of 1,700 metres (5,600 ft), which contributes to its cool climate, with frosty winters and mild summers. The average annual temperature is around 14 °C (57 °F).
Bethlehem is situated approximately 240 kilometres (150 mi) north-east of Bloemfontein, 140 kilometres (87 mi) east of Kroonstad and 90 kilometres (56 mi) north-west of Harrismith. The city is strategically situated in the heart of the picturesque north-eastern Free State and originally developed as a service centre. [3]
The township associated with Bethlehem is called Bohlokong in Sesotho by Basotho. It named after the hloko/bohloko grass found in the areaDiheteropogon filifolius.[4]
History
Bethlehem was founded in 1864. In 1900, during the Second Boer War, Bethlehem temporarily served as the seat of the Orange Free State government.[5]
Bethlehem has many shopping centres like any other town in the Free State. Bethlehem is the main center of the eastern Free State where people from other towns do their shopping, the main shopping malls are:
Dihlabeng mall
Sechaba Mall (Previously Metropolitan life Centre prior to November 2018)
With the shopping in this town also characterized by typical high street shopping with majority of shops situated along the Muller, Cambridge, Louw, Church, High and other surrounding streets.
Bethlehem is a retail, medical, and educational hub for the Eastern Free State. It has three private hospitals and three star Frontier hotel, Casino and Entertainment Centre located near the Dihlabeng Mall and Bethlehem Aerodrome.
Bethlehem is located on the N5 to the provincial capital Bloemfontein via Senekal and Winburg to the N1. Other roads in the town are R76 to Kroonstad (north-west) and the R26 to Reitz and Fouriesburg (north-east and south) respectively, and just outside the town, the R712 and R714 to Clarens (south) and Warden (east) respectively.
Rail
Bethlehem is located on the main railway line between Bloemfontein and Durban. This railway line transports passengers and freight.[23]
On 7 September 2024 a fire broke out at Bethlehem Air show 2024 destroying 30 vehicles.[25][26][27] The incident occurred at the Bethlehem Airfield when a spectator left a burning coal unattended.[28] The Democratic Alliance in the Free State accused the Dihlabeng municipality of negligence.[29]
Coats of arms
Municipal (1)
By 1931, the municipal council had assumed a coat of arms.[30] The arms were registered with the Orange Free State Provincial Administration in October 1958.[31]
The arms were: Party per chevron Azure and Gules, a chevron Or, in chief between two springboks couped at the neck respecting each other, proper, a mullet of the third, and in base three maize cobs, the outer ones pilewise, all proper. In layman's terms, the shield depicted a golden chevron between a gold star and two springboks' head on a blue background, and three maize cobs on a red background.
Municipal (2)
A new coat of arms was designed in the 1980s. It was registered at the Bureau of Heraldry in June 1989.[32]
The arms were: Per chevron, Azure and Gules, a chevron Or between in chief a mullet and in base two bars wavy, Argent (i.e. a golden chevron between a silver star on a blue background and two wavy silver stripes on a red background).
The crest was three golden ears of wheat with blue stalks and leaves, tied together with a red band; the motto was Conjuncti prosperamus.
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