Die rol van sendelinge, die owerheid en ekonomiese faktore in die onstaan van Kuruman, 1886 - 1913.

Abstract

• Opsomming: Maatstawwe om te bepaal wanneer 'n dorp in Suid-Afrika gestig is, kon nog nooit werklik neergelê word nie. 'n Studie in enkele Noord-Kaaplandse distrikte bring aan die lig dat slegs een dorp in die streek nie sy stigtingsdatum tot die instelling van plaaslike bestuur terugvoer nie. Teen hierdie agtergrond word in Kuruman se eeufeesjaar die omstandighede ontleed wat veroorsaak het dat die dorp na goedkeuring vir aanleg (1886) en die uitmeet van erwe (1887) teen so 'n slakkegang ontwikkel het dat plaaslike bestuur eers ongeveer 30 jaar later toegeken is. Die studie toon aan dat die optrede van sendelinge en die owerheid, asook ekonomiese faktore, tussen 1886 en 1903 grootliks hiervoor verantwoordelik was. Namate die beperkinge verdwyn het en danksy 'n bevolkingstoename en ekonomiese oplewing vanaf 1903 het Kuruman binne die bestek van 'n dekade tot 'n belangrike dienssentrum ontwikkel, in 1903 'n dorpsbestuursraad gekry en drie jaar later munisipale status verwerf.• Summary: It has never been easy to fix criteria for determining when a South African town was founded. A study of a few Northern Cape districts reveals that only one town in this region does not trace its date of establishment back to the installation of local government. The reasons why Kuruman developed at a snail's pace - from the time when the town's establishment was approved (1886) and erven were surveyed (1887) - before it was granted local government almost 30 years later, are analysed in Kuruman' s centenary. The study indicates that between 1886 and 1903 the actions of missionaries and the government, as well as economic factors, were to a great extent responsible for this state of affairs. As these restrictions disappeared, and as a result of the population growth and economic revival since 1903, Kuruman developed into an important service centre within a decade. In 1913 a village management board was formed, and three years later Kuruman was granted municipal status.