ZEERUSTZeerust, the main town of the Marico district, lies amid acacia bush in the valley of the Klein Marico River. It grew around the church built in 1867 on the farm of Casper Coetzee who, unfortunately, did not live to see the completion of the church. The town was named Coetzee Rust in his memory (later abbreviated to Zeerust), while the Tswana name, Sebatlani, means ‘dusty place’. It is an important centre for the surrounding cattle ranches, as well as the chrome and lead mines in the area. Of interest in the town are the Church of St John the Baptist (1873), the third Anglican church built north of the Vaal River, and the Zeerust Museum, which portrays the district’s history. BATTLE OF MOSEGAWhen the Voortrekkers began settling north of the Vaal River in 1836, the Ndebele chief, Mzilikazi, became alarmed. In August 1836 two Voortrekker parties were attacked, and a month later a large Ndebele force attacked the Boer laager at Vegkop. In January 1837, a punitive expedition consisting of 107 Voortrekkers, 40 Griquas and 60 Rolong captured Mosega, Mzilikazi’s stronghold, killing 400 Ndebele and capturing 7 000 head of cattle. MAFIKENGMafikeng, a Tswana name meaning ‘place of rocks’, was established by Sir Charles Warren as an administrative centre when Bechuanaland (modern-day Botswana) was annexed to the Cape. During the South African War, this frontier town grabbed world headlines when the British garrison, commanded by Colonel Robert Baden-Powell, was besieged by Boer forces in October 1899, a few days after the outbreak of war. The siege was only relieved 271 days later, after Lord Roberts broke through at Paardeberg. To the northwest of Mafikeng is Mmabatho, built as the capital of Bophuthatswana, a homeland that became ‘independent’ from South Africa in 1977 and was reintegrated in 1994. Among Mafikeng’s numerous historic sites are the cemetery, where British soldiers and members of the British South African Police killed in the siege were buried, Kanonkopjie with Warren’s Fort, built in 1884, and the Mafikeng Club, which dates back to 1894. Other attractions include Maratiwa, the house where ANC founder member Sol Plaatjies wrote his account of the siege of Mafikeng, the site of his newspaper office and the Kgotla, tribal meeting place of the Barolong Boo-Ratshidi. LICHTENBURG...was founded in 1873 as a centre for the surrounding cattle farms. The town became the scene of a frantic diamond rush following the discovery of alluvial diamonds to the north in 1925. Although the frenzy died down after about ten years, claims are still being worked in the area. Today the town serves a prosperous agricultural area producing maize, sunflower seeds and groundnuts. Visitors on South African holidays can see various landmarks including the historic Dutch Reformed Church (1890), two memorials to the famous Boer General, Koos de la Rey, and the Gruisfontein Battlefield, where the Boers suffered heavy losses during the South African War.
The Ampie Bosman Cultural History Museum, Andries Beyers Agricultural Museum, Lichtenburg Museum and the collection of paintings by South African artists in the William Annandale Art Gallery are among the town’s other attractions. Just north of the town is the 6 000-ha game-breeding centre of the National Zoological Gardens in Pretoria, and some 25 km northwest of the town the diamond diggings at Bakerville can be seen. |
