Botshabelo

Botshabelo

Botshabelo, meaning "a place of refuge", is a large township set up in 1979. It is located east of Bloemfontein in the present-day Free State province of South Africa. Botshabelo is now the largest township in Free State. As many people moved away from the farms in the Free State, they looked for places to stay in the region of Thaba Nchu, another homeland under the old Bophutatswana government.[1][2] The policy governing Bophutatswana at the time clearly stated that Bophutatswana belongs to those who are of Tswana tribe. As a result, all other tribes, mainly Sotho and Xhosa, were housed at a squatter camp named “Kromdraai”. Kromdraai was initiated by a man who was only referred to as "Khoza". He was selling a stand for only 50 cents around the year of 1976.