Please wait while we load your article...

Home > Mafikeng

Learn more about "Mafikeng"

Mafikeng

Mafikeng (previously ''Mafeking''), "The City of Goodwill", is the capital of the North West Province (South Africa)|North-West Province of South Africa. Located on South Africa's border with Botswana, it is northeast of Cape Town and west of Johannesburg. In 2001, it had a population of 49,300. In 2007, Mafikeng was reported to have a population of 250,000 of which the Central business district|CBD constitutes between 69,000 and 75,000. It is built on the open veld at an elevation of , by the banks of the Upper Molopo River. The Madibi goldfields are some south of the town.

History

Mafikeng was originally headquarters of the Barolong people. The town was founded in the 1880s by British mercenaries granted land by a Barolong chief. The settlement was named Mafikeng, a Setswana name meaning "place of stones" . Later British settlers spelled the name '''Mafeking'''. It was from Pitsani Pothlugo (or Potlogo), north of Mafeking, that the Jameson Raid started, on December 29, 1895. On the outbreak of the Second Boer War in 1899, the town was besieged. The Siege of Mafeking lasted 217 days from October 1899 to May 1900, and turned Robert Baden-Powell into a national hero. In September 1904, Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts|Lord Roberts unveiled an obelisk at Mafeking bearing the names of those who fell in defence of the town. In all, 212 people were killed during the siege, with more than 600 wounded. Boer losses were significantly higher. Mafikeng served as capital of the Bechuanaland Protectorate, even though it was outside the protectorate's borders, from 1894 until 1965, when Gaborone was made the capital of what was to become Botswana. Mafeking briefly served as capital of the pre-independence Bantustan of Bophuthatswana in the 1970s before the adjoining town of Mmabatho was established as capital. In 1980 the spelling Mafikeng was restored and following the end of apartheid in 1994, Mafikeng and Mmabatho were merged and made capital of the new North West Province (South Africa)|North-West Province.

Economy

Mafikeng has five shopping complexes, 11 banks and the head offices of many provincial institutions. Mafikeng is a 290km drive to Johannesburg, about a 3 hour trip.

References

External links

- Mafikeng Local Municipality– www.mafikeng.gov.za
- Mafikeng's Premier Business & Tourism Gateway– www.mafikeng.co.za
- McGonagall on the Relief of Mafeking– William McGonagall's poem and a brief history of the siege. Category:Mafikeng| Category:Cities, towns and villages in the North West Province Category:Provincial capitals in South Africa Category:Settlements established in the 1880s Category:Boer War locations

Related Images

Sources: StartLearningNow, Wikipedia | Usage license: GNU FDL

Welcome to Start Learning Now. Explore to your heart's content, and we hope you enjoy reading the material we have assembled for you here!

Related News

Further Resources


	home lucky pick

Related Resources