Vereeniging is a city in Gauteng province, South Africa, with a population of more than 400,000. It is also one of the constituent parts of the Vaal Triangle region and was formerly situated in the Transvaal province. The name Vereeniging is derived from the Afrikaans/Dutch word meaning "association" or "union".
History
The city was founded in 1892 and is situated on the banks of the northern loop of the Vaal River. Much of its early growth was due to the nearby coal mines.
The city is well known for being the location where the Treaty of Vereeniging ending the Second Boer War (1899-1902) was negotiated. During this conflict, a concentration camp was set up by the British military in the area.
Nearby Vereeniging is the predominantly black community of Sharpeville, Gauteng, the site of the Sharpeville massacre in 1960.
Since 1994, Vereeniging has been the home of southern Africa's annual LED Festival.
