Coligny is a maize farming town situated next to the railway line between Lichtenburg and Johannesburg in North West Province of South Africa. The town is situated south-east of Lichtenburg. History Originally named Treurfontein (), it was renamed Coligny when it became a town on 23July 1923, after Gaspard de Coligny, a Huguenot leader who died in the Massacre of St Bartholomew in 1572. Coligny was the scene of sporadic diamond mining activities. Gerdau The Concordia Congregation (also known as Gerdau congregation after the origin of its first missionary) on farm Hakbosvlaakte was founded in 1905 and thus is older than the town. The church ran Gerdauer Gemeinde-Schule, a German-language school that operated successfully for 53 years. This school was supported by German government and taught children from pre-school up to grade 7. In 1965 it had 2 teachers and 30 learners. LAERSKOOL COLIGNY Is a school founded in 1968, the school has about 200 students as of now. The school has 8 teachers, with 2 vice principles and a head principle. The school teaches from pre-school up to grade 7. The school only teaches Afrikaans. 2017 rioting and the Coligny sunflower case On 25 April 2017, Coligny and nearby Lichtenburg were the scenes of extensive racial rioting following the death of Matlhomola Jonas Moshoeu / Mosweu (15) of the Scotland informal settlement in Tlhabologang, who was thought to have died at the hands of two white farm managers at Rietvlei farm. The violent protests, looting and petrol bombing resulted in the destruction of property and local businesses predominantly owned by whites, foreigners and other minorities. Rian Malan, in an investigation into the causes of the rioting, stated that the riots were further incited at Moshoeu's funeral by representatives of the SADTU and SANCO trade unions. On 20 April 2017, the two Afrikaner men, Doorewaard and Schutte, came across Moshoeu and a second boy who were carrying 5 stolen sunflower heads. The boys ran away, abandoning the sunflower heads. Moshoeu was arrested by the farm managers and forced to take a seat on the back of the pickup truck. En route to the Coligny police station and 3 km from town, as the two men alleged, they were slowing at a turn in the road, when Moshoeu disappeared from the load body of the vehicle, and was assumed to have jumped off. Turning back, Moshoeu was found lying on the