Department Of Arts And Culture Welkom
Welkom is the second-largest city in the Free State province of South Africa, located about 140 kilometers (90 mi) northeast of Bloemfontein, the provincial capital. Welkom is also known as Circle City, City Within A Garden, Mvela, and Matjhabeng.
The city’s Sesotho name, Matjhabeng means ‘where nations meet’, derived from the migrant labour system, where people of various countries such as Lesotho, Malawi and Mozambique, etc. met to work in the mines of the goldfields.
A settlement was laid out on a farm named “Welkom” (which is Afrikaans and Dutch for “welcome”) after gold was discovered in the region, and it was officially proclaimed a town in 1948. The town became a municipality in 1961. It now falls in the Matjhabeng Municipality, part of the Lejweleputswa District. Welkom was officially declared a city on 14 February 1968.
Free State Sports Arts, Culture and Recreation Hosts Mine Dance Festival in Welkom
The clarion call made by the President for the revitalization of mining towns is being taken forward by the Free State Department of Sport Arts, Culture and Recreation in partnership with the National Department of Arts and Culture.
The MEC for Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation Mrs. Mathabo Leeto considers Arts and Culture as major contributors towards the vision of reviving mining towns, both economically and culturally.
The Free State Department of Sport, Arts, Culture, and Recreation will be presenting the Mine Dance Festival again in 2016 supported by the National Department of Arts and Culture. Mines in the Free State Province are the source of strong, diverse, and rich cultural performances that educate, transfer skills, and in-depth knowledge of different cultures found in the province.