Upington

The Upington 26

On 13 November 1985, a black policeman was killed following a disturbance at a political meeting in Paballelo, a black township on the outskirts of Upington. Twenty-six people were charged with the killing, of whom twenty-five were convicted of murder on the basis of common purpose, and one convicted of attempted murder. Fourteen were sentenced to death, although the death sentences were later overturned on appeal. In 2011, a memorial in honour of the Upington 26 was unveiled in Upington by Hazel Jenkins, the Premier of the Northern Cape. In 2014, the Australian film A Common Purpose was made about the case.

Wine industry

Upington's most famous wines are produced by an organisation known as Orange River Cellars. The organisation has six depots in the area (all of them on the banks of the Orange River) at Upington, Kanoneiland, Grootdrink, Kakamas, Keimoes and Groblershoop. Their wines are exported, inter alia, to Europe and the USA.

Transportation

Upington Airport has scheduled flights provided by SA Airlink. Due to the combination of high elevation and temperature, one of the airport's runways is 4,900 m long (the fourth longest in the world), and thus allows Boeing 747 and other heavy aircraft to use the airport without limitations on take-off weight.

In the first half of the 20th century, there was a passenger train service from Cape Town to Upington. Until the 1950s, a narrow-gauge railway line (two-foot gauge) ran from Upington to Kakamas and Keimoes, two nearby towns. The trains carried passengers and freight, being mainly dried fruit. The line to Kakamas was still in use during the November 2010 grape harvest season.

Public institutions

There are four libraries that serve the community in Upington, viz, Rosedale Library, Upington Library, Korrektiewe and Forum Library.

Geography and climate

|Upington |20 |36 |24 |20 |34 |35 |18 |32 |37 |13 |28 |26 |8 |24 |10 |5 |21 |4 |4 |21 |2 |6 |23 |4 |9 |27 |4 |13 |30 |9 |16 |33 |17 |19 |35 |17 Upington is located on the northern banks of the Orange River and is surrounded by irrigated vineyards. The hottest month of the year is January, with average daily temperatures swinging from 36 C to 20 C, while in the coolest month of July temperatures range between 21 C and 4 C. Also the driest month of the year, July sees an average rainfall of only 2 mm, while the wettest month of March sees 37 mm. Upington has been noted as being the sunniest location on the planet for three months of the year, from November through January.

Upington has a hot desert climate (BWh) with long, hot summers and short, mild winters. Precipitation peaks during late summertime.

|Jan record high C = 42.3 |Feb record high C = 44.1 |Mar record high C = 42.3 |Apr record high C = 38.1 |May record high C = 33.7 |Jun record high C = 30.4 |Jul record high C = 29.5 |Aug record high C = 33.6 |Sep record high C = 39.3 |Oct record high C = 40.5 |Nov record high C = 42.0 |Dec record high C = 44.4 |year record high C = |Jan record low C = 6.7 |Feb record low C = 7.6 |Mar record low C = 4.7 |Apr record low C = -1.7 |May record low C = -5.2 |Jun record low C = -7.9 |Jul record low C = -7.8 |Aug record low C = -7.0 |Sep record low C = -3.5 |Oct record low C = -1.7 |Nov record low C = 4.4 |Dec record low C = 5.7 |year record low C = -7.9

Notable natives and residents

• Chris Brink – mathematician, vice-chancellor of Newcastle University in England, vice-chancellor and rector of Stellenbosch University
• Ruben Cloete – footballer for the South Africa national soccer team
• Alice Krige – actress
• Tiaan Strauss - rugby union player for Western Province and for the South African and for Australian national rugby union teams
• Shaleen Surtie-Richards - actress
• Christo Wiese - businessman
• Cobus Wiese - rugby union player
• Jasper Wiese – rugby union player for the South Africa national rugby union team

Gallery

Image:upingtonrunw.jpg|4900 m airport runway Image:golfcourseupt.jpg|Golf course Image:Upingtonriver.jpg|View from "Die Eiland" holiday resort

Sport

Upington has a professional football club named Upington City F.C.

References

References

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2. "Dawid Kruiper Municipality website".
3. Sum of the Main Places [http://census2011.adrianfrith.com/place/379002 Upington] and [http://census2011.adrianfrith.com/place/379003 Paballelo] from Census 2011.
4. (27 May 1989). "Judge Condemns 14 South Africa Blacks". [[The New York Times]].
5. (23 June 1989). "South African Justice". [[The Christian Science Monitor]].
6. (4 December 2004). "Justice served". [[The Independent]].
7. "Upington 26". [[SABC]].
8. (18 March 2011). "Premier Hazel Jenkins and MEC Pauline Williams to unveil the Memorial in honour of the Upington 26".
9. "A Common Purpose".
10. (2013). "A Common Purpose - Study Guide". [[Australian Teachers of Media]].
11. "flyairlink".
12. "Upington". Aviation Networks, Inc..
13. "FLOOD AT UPINGTON {{!".
14. "Library Directory". [[National Library of South Africa]].
15. "Climate data for Upington". South African Weather Service.
16. (July 2002). "Rough guide to South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland". Rough Guides.
17. Osborn, Liz. "Sunniest Places and Countries in the World". Current Results.
18. "Climate Normals 1991-2020".
19. "Klimatafel von Upington/Oranjefluß, Kapland / Südafrika". Deutscher Wetterdienst.