Koopmansfontein

Name: Koopmansfontein

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Koopmansfontein Agricultural Research Centre

Historic fact:

In 1929, overseas interests formed the Manganese Corporation Limited and secured an agreement with the South African Railways to extend the railway line from Koopmansfontein (near Kimberley) to the Mancorp mine on the farm Beeshoek. However, the September 1929 crash on the New York Stock Exchange, followed by the Great Depression, brought all manganese mining operations to a halt, rendering the newly constructed Koopmansfontein / Beeshoek railway line dormant.

May 1930 saw the launch of Ore & Metal Company Limited to import and export mineral concentrates, including manganese. The African Mining and Trust Company Limited was formed in December 1931 to acquire mineral rights and explore mineral deposits. In exchange for shares in African Mining and Trust, the founders transferred their entire Ore & Metal shareholding to the new company, while Guido Sacco transferred his Gloucester Manganese Mines shares. Thus, Ore & Metal and Gloucester Manganese Mines became subsidiaries of African Mining and Trust, now a wholly owned subsidiary of Assore Limited (previously The Associated Ore & Metal Corporation Limited), which was formed in 1950.

During 1934 the South African Railways re-opened the railway line and extended it to Gloucester. In 1935 The Associated Manganese Mines of South Africa Limited ("Assmang") was formed. Anglovaal acquired all the mineral leases of the Manganese Corporation and these were ceded to Assmang, as were the shares of the Gloucester Manganese Mines Limited held by African Mining and Trust in exchange for shares in Assmang. The first shipment of manganese ore left Durban harbour in March 1936 and other shipments continued uninterruptedly.

The Associated Manganese Mines of South Africa Limited changed its name to Assmang on 30 May 2001, and was reorganised into three divisions: Manganese; Chrome; and Iron Ore.

Assmang's Manganese Division consists of the manganese mines in the Northern Cape, Nchwaning and Gloria, and the works at Cato Ridge in KwaZulu-Natal. The Chrome Division consists of the Dwarsrivier chrome mine and the Machadodorp Works both in Mpumalanga, while the Iron Ore Division is made up of the Beeshoek mine and the iron ore resources in the Northern Cape around Postmasburg and on the three farms adjacent to Kumba Resources' Sishen mine.

http://www.assmang.co.za/au/history.asp


Other interesting info:

http://www.demarcation.org.za/new_site/ward/Northern%20Cape/NC093/MDB%20proposed%20ward%20maps/NC093_Ward%205.pdf

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