Named after the Voortrekker
leader, Andries Pretorius, the town council recently
considered proposals to change the name to Tshwane and ward the
town city status. Pretoria is the administrative capital of South
Africa, known as the ‘Jacaranda City’ due to the flowering
trees lining its streets during October and November. Church Square
is set in the centre of the city, and a space of historical significance,
while Church Street and its neighbours are lined by some refined
19th century buildings including Paul Kruger’s House, the
Groote Kerk, the old Raadsaal (parliament) of the Boer republic
of Transvaal, Melrose House, and the State Theatre, which features
a programme of fairly mainstream music, dance and drama.
There are also many fantastic small museums in
the city, including the Pretoria Art Museum, the studios of local
artists’ Coert Steynberg and Anton von Wouw, now both museums,
the Museum of Science and Technology and the strange yet captivating
Correctional Services Museum.
The Union Buildings, overlooking the suburb of
Arcadia, are 1 of the peaks of British Imperial architecture, designed
by Sir Herbert Baker. They are still the administrative seat of
the national government and are as well known as the site of Nelson
Mandela’s 1994 inauguration as President. A little further
out, the Voortrekker Monument is an impressive granite tower built
to remember the Boer victory over the Zulus at Blood River. Not
politically correct these days, it is still a serious and moving
monument, and the little museum beside it is charming. Pretoria
Zoo is definitely worth a visit and has a cable car for a bird’s
eye view of the large cats.
Excursions
Just out of town, within easy day trip distance, are many exceptional
sights, including the De Wildt Cheetah Farm, Cullinan Diamond
Mine (book ahead if you want to do the tour), Pioneer
Museum and Willem Prinsloo Agricultural Museum
(both ‘living’ museums with costume clad characters
and displays of farming activities), and 2 superior old houses,
the homes of former president, Jan Smuts, and randlord Sammy Marks.
North-West Province
This province’s most renowned feature is Sun City, gamblers’
mecca and host to major golf tournaments and star studded concerts.
Its most impressive hotel, The Lost City, is an
H Rider Haggard-like fantasy. Adjacent, the Pilansberg Game Reserve
covers about 338,540 acres (137,000 hectares). Many farms and an
extinct volcanic crater were included in 1 of the largest rehabilitation
exercises ever carried out. This is now an amazing ‘Big Five’
reserve and the 3rd largest game park in South Africa. In the far
north of the province, on the Botswana border, is the fantastic,
little known Madikwe National Park, which offers amazing walking
safaris.
South from Sun City are Rustenberg, the Rustenburg
Nature Reserve, in the Magaliesberg, which offers antelope and other
game, as well as some rare birds of prey such as the black eagle
and Cape vulture, and 2 fairly large and very dull towns, Potchefstroom
and Klerksdorp, Potchefstroom is home to 1 of the oldest Afrikaaner
universities in South Africa. |
