Graaff-Reinet case study
Abstract
Sigenu, K (2007), Graaff-Reinet case study. Unpublished report, Centre for Development Studies, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Graaff-Reinet lies in the horse-shoe bend of the Sundays River and in the shadow of the rocky Sneeuberg Mountain Range. It is known as the “Gem of the Karoo”. It gets this name from the fact that it is cradled in a crook of the Sundays River and it seems like a verdant oasis in the stark surrounding landscape. (www.graaffreinet.co.za).
One cannot describe Graaff-Reinet without mentioning its history. It was established in 1786 and was named after the Governor of that time – ‘Van der Graaf’ and his wife – ‘Reinet’. It was only the fourth district in South Africa to receive a seat of local government or a ‘Drostdy’, making it the fourth