Pretoria
Named after the Voortrekker leader Andries Pretorius, Pretoria is the administrative capital of South Africa, known as the ‘Jacaranda City’ because of the flowering trees lining its streets in October and November. Church Square is the centre of the city, and a space of historical importance, while Church Street and its neighbours are lined by some fine 19th-century buildings including Paul Kruger’s House, the Groote Kerk, Melrose House, the old Raadsaal (parliament) of the Boer republic of Transvaal, and the State Theatre, which features a programme of fairly mainstream dance, music and drama. There are also several excellent 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 bizarre but fascinating Correctional Services Museum.
The Union Buildings, overlooking the suburb of Arcadia, are one of the pinnacles of British Imperial architecture, designed by Sir Herbert Baker. They are still the administrative seat of the national government and are famous as the site of Nelson Mandela’s 1994 inauguration as President. A little further out, the Voortrekker Monument is an imposing granite tower built to commemorate the Boer victory over the Zulus at Blood River. Not politically correct these days, it is still a solemn and moving monument, and the little museum beside it is fascinating. Pretoria Zoo is definitely worth a visit and has a cable car for a bird’s eye view of the big cats.
Excursions: Just out of town, within easy day-trip distance, are several 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 two fine old houses, the homes of former president, Jan Smuts, and randlord Sammy Marks.
NORTH-WEST PROVINCE: This province’s most famous feature is Sun City, gamblers’ mecca and host to major golf tournaments and star-studded concerts. Its most spectacular hotel, The Lost City, is an H Rider Haggard-like fantasy. Adjacent, the Pilansberg Game Reserve covers around 137,000 ha (33,839 hectares). Several farms and an extinct volcanic crater were included in one of the largest rehabilitation exercises ever carried out. This is now an excellent ‘Big Five’ reserve and the third-largest game park in South Africa. In the far north of the province, on the Botswana border is the excellent, little known Madikwe National Park, which offers excellent walking safaris.
South from Sun City are Rustenberg; the Rustenburg Nature Reserve, in the Magaliesberg, which features antelope and other game, as well as some rare birds of prey such as the black eagle and Cape vulture; and two fairly large and very dull towns, Klerksdorp and Potchefstroom, the latter home to one of the oldest Afrikaaner universities in South Africa.
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