Bethlehem is a city in the eastern Free State province of South Africa that is situated on the Liebenbergs River (also called Liebenbergs Vlei) along a fertile valley just north of the Rooiberg Mountains on the N5 road. It is the fastest growing city in the Free State province, with its target of being the third largest city after Bloemfontein and Welkom. It is a wheat growing area and named after the biblical Bethlehem, from ("Beit Lechem"), meaning "house of bread". The city lies at an altitude of 1700 m, which contributes to its cool climate, with frosty winters and mild summers. The average annual temperature is around 14 C. Bethlehem is situated approximately 240 km north-east of Bloemfontein, 140 km east of Kroonstad and 90 km north-west of Harrismith. The city is strategically situated in the heart of the picturesque north-eastern Free State and originally developed as a service centre. Bethlehem is the seat of the Dihlabeng Local Municipality, which forms part of the Thabo Mofutsanyana District Municipality. The township associated with Bethlehem is called Bohlokong in Sesotho by Basotho. It named after the hloko/bohloko grass found in the area Diheteropogon filifolius.

History

Bethlehem was founded in 1864. In 1900, during the Second Boer War, Bethlehem temporarily served as the seat of the Orange Free State government.

Society and culture

Museums, provincial heritage sites and memorials

A number of heritage sites are located in Bethlehem:

Schools

Climate

Shopping

Bethlehem has many shopping centres like any other town in the Free State. Bethlehem is the main center of the eastern Free State where people from other towns do their shopping, the main shopping malls are: With the shopping in this town also characterized by typical high street shopping with majority of shops situated along the Muller, Cambridge, Louw, Church, High and other surrounding streets.

Sport

Premier Soccer League and National First Division clubs Free State Stars and Super Eagles F.C. are based in Bethlehem and plays their home games at Goble Park. Bethlehem is also the birthplace of several notable rugby union players, including Tom van Vollenhoven, Jannie du Plessis, Bismarck du Plessis, Frans Steyn, and Bongi Mbonambi, who was born in nearby Bohlokong.

Economy

Bethlehem is a retail, medical, and educational hub for the Eastern Free State. It has three private hospitals and three star Frontier hotel, Casino and Entertainment Centre located near the Dihlabeng Mall and Bethlehem Aerodrome.

Industry

Bethlehem hosts several industries including Coca-Cola, South African Breweries and Nestlé, as well as petroleum and engineering companies.

Health

Media

Newspapers

Radio

Transportation

Road

Bethlehem is located on the N5 to the provincial capital Bloemfontein via Senekal and Winburg to the N1. Other roads in the town are R76 to Kroonstad (north-west) and the R26 to Reitz and Fouriesburg (north-east and south) respectively, and just outside the town, the R712 and R714 to Clarens (south) and Warden (east) respectively.

Rail

Bethlehem is located on the main railway line between Bloemfontein and Durban. This railway line transports passengers and freight.

Air

Bethlehem is served by a small airport (Bethlehem Airport) with chartered daily flights to Bloemfontein and Johannesburg.

Bethlehem Airshow Fire Disaster

On 7 September 2024 a fire broke out at Bethlehem Air show 2024 destroying 30 vehicles. The incident occurred at the Bethlehem Airfield when a spectator left a burning coal unattended. The Democratic Alliance in the Free State accused the Dihlabeng municipality of negligence.

Coats of arms

Municipal (1)

By 1931, the municipal council had assumed a coat of arms. The arms were registered with the Orange Free State Provincial Administration in October 1958. The arms were: Party per chevron Azure and Gules, a chevron Or, in chief between two springboks couped at the neck respecting each other, proper, a mullet of the third, and in base three maize cobs, the outer ones pilewise, all proper. In layman's terms, the shield depicted a golden chevron between a gold star and two springboks' head on a blue background, and three maize cobs on a red background.

Municipal (2)

A new coat of arms was designed in the 1980s. It was registered at the Bureau of Heraldry in June 1989. The arms were: Per chevron, Azure and Gules, a chevron Or between in chief a mullet and in base two bars wavy, Argent (i.e. a golden chevron between a silver star on a blue background and two wavy silver stripes on a red background). The crest was three golden ears of wheat with blue stalks and leaves, tied together with a red band; the motto was Conjuncti prosperamus.

Notable people