History of modern-day town

This is the last of a four-part series embarking on Malalane’s history, adopted from Pioneers of the Lowveld by local historian, Hans Bornman, first published in 1995.

During the first 10 years of the town’s existence the post office was built (1952), and the school (1955). Other than those two developments, until 1960 the only growth to take place was the establishment of a few shops around the rotunda circle, a cafe, a Catholic church with Father Francis Morscher as the first priest, a police station, Kaalrug and a few houses. The NG Kerk and manse were erected in 1961, with Rev Lodewyk de Clercq as the first minister.

With the inception of the Health Committee for Peri-urban Areas (later the Transvaal Council for Peri-urban Areas) an area committee for Malelane was formed by the administrator on August 16, 1957 with MC Ferreira, GR van Veijeren, BM de Villiers and NJ Horn as members.

The sugar industry, which was established in 1965, had a great impact on the Onderberg’s economy, and particularly on Malelane. Up to that time it was a village with a total of 320 people, including a primary school for 105 pupils.

An aerial photograph taken in 1964 showed there were only 23 buildings or structures in and around the town – including a hotel, two banks, two filling stations, two shops and four churches. The erection of the sugar mill between 1965 and 1967, meant that TSB Sugar SA had to provide housing for its workers.

There were no houses in Malelane to buy or to rent and TSB had to undertake the building of 70 homes in the town. Facilities for sports and recreation had to be made available too. The factory’s personnel were housed close to the mill – its own little town known as Mhlathi Kop.

During the 1980s, Malelane developed rapidly as the sugar mill expanded its activities. In 1985 a new camp Berg-en-Dal was opened in the Kruger National Park (KNP), as well as the Malelane Lodge on the banks of the Crocodile River in 1988, both of which brought an influx of tourists to the area.

As Malelane grew, Dr Willem Bekker, managing director at TSB, and chairman of the area committee, began to negotiate for the establishment of a municipality. This was granted and from July 1, 1990 Malelane gained municipality status.

During the first council meeting, held during the same month, five members were elected by the first town clerk, Deon Geldenhuys, and Bekker was unanimously elected mayor. Wilhelm Kruger was elected deputy mayor and Hendrik van Dyk, Louis van Zyl and Johnny Lugar as members of the council. The last administrator of the Transvaal, Daniel Hough, attended the induction of the first town council on July 27, 1990.

Until the l940s there had been no control over malaria and in an attempt to eradicate mosquitoes, houses had to be sprayed with insecticide during the summer months. A clinic was then established in town and was originally under the control of Shongwe Hospital, but later, due to administrative problems, after which the clinic functioned independently, it eventually fell into disuse.

The large labour force involved in the farming industry around Malelane meant a clinic was a necessity. Under the auspices of the Community Development Association, assisted by John Roberts and the Malelane Farmers Association, a suitable portion of land was obtained from Malelane Estates, free of charge, for its establishment. During 1991 this clinic, known as Malelane Estates Clinic, was declared open by Bekker.

The opening of a modern airport, six kilometres east of Malelane, by TSB at the beginning of 1991, was a further development in the area. Since 1992 Extension 5 was established to fulfil the need for additional housing. New shopping complexes in Impala Street were build, and a new sewage-disposal plant as an extension to the Water Purification Works Institute.

The extension of the Water Purification Works was officially opened by the premier, Mathews Phosa on November 4, 1994. In addition to the Malelane Mill and its associated activities, Malelane boasts a citrus cooperative and fruit-juice factory located in the industrial area adjacent to the railway line, in the northern part of town. In accordance with the Transitional Act on Local Government, Malelane became a local transitional council on November 29, 1994 with Lugar, Van Dyk, Bekker, Hennie Snyman, John Roberts and MD Maluka, SE Makamo, SV Mdhluli, PM Lekhuleni and EM Makhoshe as additional members. Lugar was elected mayor and Maluka deputy mayor on December 7, 1994.

Malalane is ideally situated next to the N4 and the KNP, in the middle of the Mpumalanga wild frontier, on the Maputo Corridor and close to the casinos of Swaziland. With the establishment of the Wild Frontier and Maputo Corridor, Malalane is fulfilling an ever-increasing role in the economic activities of the Onderberg.