Page 119 - SCAT Rural Voice II - 35 Stories for 35 Years

touws riVer
ADVICE OFFICE
Touws River, more commonly referred to as Touwsrivier, is a former railway town 182km from Cape Town, 82km north-east of Worcester and 54km west-south-west of Matjiesfontein. It was originally built in the late 1800s as a station for the main railway line between Cape Town and the newly discovered diamond fields in Kimberley. The town is named after the Touws River. “Touws” is the Khoi word for “ash” which locals say describes the predominant colour of the river.1
There are 8126 people who live in Touwsrivier 84,91% who identify as Coloured, 7.52 % who identify as Black African and 6.67% who identify as White. Afrikaans is the main language spoken by 93% of the population.2
More recently in 2013, the town’s fortunes have changed with the development of the largest concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) solar plant supplying 22 megawatt-peak (MWp) of electricity to Eskom developed by the French company Soitec.
The Touws River Advice Office was established in 2014. The LDA works with the local police and the community policing forum to promote safety on the roads and in the community. Their main focus is to provide paralegal services to farm workers in the neighbouring farming communities. The LDA also plays the role of a community organiser for the local municipality and are regularly called upon to assist with the various community events. They were also involved as community liaison for the Soitec plant supported by the Department of Minerals and Energy.
1. History of Touws River – The Karoo, South Africa. (n.d.). Retrieved October 15, 2019, from https://www.karoo-southafrica.com/ koup/touws-river/history-of-touws-river/
2. Frith, A. (2019). Census 2011: Main Place: Touwsrivier. Retrieved October 15, 2019, from census2011.adrianfrith.com website: https://census2011.adrianfrith.com/place/168001
FAST faCts
NaMe: Touws River Advice Office
LeD By: Desmond Bezuidenhoudt
MaiN CHaLLeNGes faCeD By tHe CoMMUNity: Unemployment, unfair labour practises, poverty
MaiN aCtiVities: Paralegal support to farmworkers; youth development aDDress: 41 Logan Street, Touwsrivier
CoNtaCt: Phone: 078 075 6260
YOUTH
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