Gateway Potchefstroom

POTCHEFSTROOM

History

Walking underneath the legendary oak-trees, one is left with a sense of Potchefstroom rich historical and academic legacy. well worth a visit, Potchefstroom exudes the charm of it's early years, yet bustles with the energy of a burgeoning city.

Potchefstroom is an academic city hosting the Potchefstroom campus of the North-West University (previously known as Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education), situated on the banks of the Mooirivier (Afrikaans for 'Pretty (or Beautiful) River') the town is roughly 120km West-Southwest of Johannesburg and 45km East-Northeast of Klerksdorp in the North West province of South Africa.

There are various origins that are claimed for the origin of the name Potchefstroom. Firstly it is said to be: 'Potgieter'+'Chef'+'Stroom'. Which attributes the name to the voortrekker leader and town father Andries Potgieter, 'Chef' and indication of leader of the emigrants and the 'Stroom' referring to the Mooi River. Others however, attribute the name as having come from the word 'Potscherf', meaning broken pot, due to the cracks that appear in the soil of the Mooi River valley during drought resembling a broken pot". M.L Fick thirdly suggests that Potchefstroom developed from the abbreviation of "Potgieterstroom" to "Potgerstroom" which in time became "potchefstroom". however, this doesn't account for the use of "Potjestroom" which is found as inscription on many documents and photographs.
The town, founded in 1838 by the Voortrekkers, was the second oldest settlement of people of European descent in the then Transvaal; the oldest being the neighbouring city of Klerksdorp. It served as the first capital of the Zuid Afrikaanse Republiek (ZAR) (South African Republic in English). Also, for a short time during the 1840s, the towns of Potchefstroom and Winburg as well as their surrounding territories were joined in a political entity known as the Republic of Winburg-Potchefstroom. Voortrekker leader Andries Hendrik Potgieter was elected as head of the republic.

On the 16 December 1880, the first shots of the First Boer War were fired when the Boers laid siege to the old fort. The siege ended amicably on 23 March 1881. The British built a concentration camp here during the Second Boer War to house Boer women, children and elderly men.
The town is also host to the annual Aardklop Festival, a (mostly) Afrikaans arts festival held in late September each year.

Population

The Potchefstroom municipality, which encompasses several neighbouring settlements, has a population of 128,357, according to the 2001 Census. Of these, 70.5% were African, 22.7% White, 6.4% Coloured and 0.4% Asian. The white population is likely to have been undercounted, a general problem with the 2001 Census figures.

Academic

Today Potchefstroom is known as the City of Expertise and is home to, inter alia, five tertiary institutions and 30 schools, as well as numerous research bureaus and training centres.

The North-West University

The North-West University is a merged tertiary educational institution that was created on 1 January 2004, with campuses at Potchefstroom, Mafikeng, Vanderbijlpark and Mankwe. The Potchefstroom Campus (formerly the Potchefstroomse Universiteit vir Christelike Hoër Onderwys, founded in 1869) is the largest and the head office of the University is situated there. With its merged status, the North-West University became one of the bigger universities in South Africa with approximately 32 000 students (full-time and distance education students).

Potchefstroom College of Education

The Potchefstoom College of Education, originally the Normal College, was founded in 1919. Initially the College was housed in galvanised iron buildings on the same premises as the Potchefstroom High School for Boys, and it moved to its present location in 1923.

Technical College Potchefstroom

The Technical College Potchefstroom came into existence in 1939 when the Union Education Department started "continuation classes". The annual increase in student numbers bears testimony to the important role played by this tertiary body.

Agricultural Centre

The Agricultural Centre, previously known as the Experimental Farm (1902) and Agricultural College (1939), is currently the largest single agricultural service point on one terrain in Southern Africa. The centre houses the headquarters of the Highveld Region of the Department Agriculture, the Grain Crops Institute as well as the Agricultural College with its modern training facilities.

Potchefstroom Akademie

Potchefstroom Akademie was founded in 1981 by managing director Tina Schöltz - internationally known for her expertise in the field of health and skincare therapy. The Academy has grown to become one of the largest private institutions of its kind in the country and offers tertiary education Somatology, Health and Skincare Therapy, Holistic Health Therapies as well as Interior Design and Decorating.

Potchefstroom Boys High School

One of the landmarks of Potchefstroom is the High School for boys that was established in 1874 although it has been on it's currrent site since 1905. The school is steeped in tradition and excellence and has produced over 60 international sportsmen, including the likes of Heziekel Sepeng. Potchefstroom would not be Potchefstroom without "College" boys in town with their full school uniform and bashers.

Sport

Facilities

Potchefstroom is known as the North-West Province's "Home of Sport". The provincial headquarters of 17 of the most important sports are situated in the city. The City Council places a high priority on the establishment, maintenance and upgrading of the sport facilities under its control, especially to meet the variety of sporting and recreational needs of its youthful community. The Mooi River trails as well as other trails add extra colour and variety to these facilities available to resident and tourist alike.

Olën Park / Kenneth McArthur Oval

Both these Western Transvaal sports headquarters were laid out in 1892. Olën Park, named after Charlie Olën, former president of the West Province and offers the rugby enthusiast matches up to international level. As from 1995 soccer matches are also played at this venue.
The Oval was named after Kenneth McArthur, the Potchefstroom policeman who in 1912 was awarded a gold medal for winning the marathon at the Olympic Games. The high standard of illumination at the grounds makes the televising of large permit meetings possible.

Places of interest

Lakeside Holiday Resort

Situated on the banks of the Potchefstroom Dam in the Mooi River, offers chalets, a caravan park, a variety of facilities and entertainment such as water sports, angling, a swimming pool and a supertube.

Dome Bergland Nature Park

The site of a meteorite impact some 2 000 million years ago. A fascinating geographic phenomenon in that it is different in shape and vegetation from its surrounding areas. Creating the richest gold reef in the world, many trails take visitors to this remarkable natural feature and many activities are on offer, including hiking, riverrafting, canoeing, mountain climbing, abseiling, mountain biking and fly fishing.

Boskop Dam Nature Reserve

Yachting takes place on the waters of this dam.

Potchefstroom Museum

The complete history of human experience and interaction in the area is covered by this museum.
National Monuments
The city has many buildings and other structures that have been declared national monuments, such as: The Old Gunpowder House, Old Police Station Building, Kruger Kraal Opstal, Heimat Building, Magistrate's Office.

Churches

The country's oldest Reformed Churches and its oldest stone-built Hervormde Church are found in the town. St Mary's Anglican Church, built in 1891, is notable for its magnificent stained glass windows. The Church burnt down in July 2007

The Green Belt

10 km running along side the Mooi River in the centre of the city, hosts the 18-hole country club, twice the venue for South African Open tournaments.nb,nb,m

OPM Prozesky Bird Sanctuary

Which attracts bird lovers from far and wide to its +- 200 bird species.

Buffelsvlei Wild Animal Park

Buffelsvlei has the following activities available: Game drives with or without guide, hiking, bicycle riding, horse riding, swimming, clay-pigeon shooting, biltong and trophy hunting. There is a volleyball court, a bar with DSTV and a pool table, picnic and braai facilities.

City Hall

The stately City Hall in Edwardian Classicistic design was inaugurated in 1909. Together with the City Hall of Krugersdorp it is the oldest existing City Hall north of the Vaal River in South Africa. The western façade is strictly symmetrical with the 26 m-high ornamental, domed tower as a central axis. The clockwork and bell with its Westminster chimes were manufactured in the Netherlands.

Trim Park

The Trim Park is situated in the Green Belt area adjacent to the Mooi River. This natural paradise through which the Mooi River trail meanders, is a delightful recreational area and has lately also developed as an ideal venue for shows and other festivities.

Industrial

Potchefstroom is an important industrial growth point of North West Province. Potchindustria houses, inter alia, steel, food and chemical industries which concentrate on delivering locally, nationally an internationally. Increasing interest and investment, even by foreign industrialists, reflect the vitality and potential of this sector. The City Council's marketing program is geared towards paying special attention to each new investor and presenting the best package to suit his needs.

Entertainment

Apart from sports and recreational activities , the city offers a rich variety of entertainment. The Sanlam Auditorium of the North-West University serves as theatre for the city and neighboring towns. Performances to a large extent meet the cultural needs of the community. Local and other artists of high caliber perform regularly in the well-equipped venues. Student life contributes greatly to the entertainment program of the community.
Despite the town's conservative image and ultra conservative history, a surprisingly large community exists in town, mostly among the students.

Art Market

A monthly activity which has become a familiar sight in the City Council gardens. A colourful and gay atmosphere is created by the exhibitions of a wide variety of home industries. The market gives residents and tourists the opportunity to make interesting purchases.

Business Centre

The city's business centre comprises a variety of commercial firms, including shopping centres of large chain store groups, as well as office space for the numerous professional services. The Kerk Street semi-pedestrian mall adds a colourful character to the business centre which makes every visit a highly enjoyable experience.

The Bult

The Bult is synomymous with the student community of Potchefstroom and offers a wide variety of restaurants and pubs as part of its business centre. These include Beef Boys (a popular steak house), Ommihoek (supposedly where the town's young philosophers congregate), Bourbon Street (infamous for their local drink 'Gummiberry'), Castillions (the closest thing to a real pub on the Bult) and Pablo's Bistro.

As a national monument the Oak Avenue which is 6,84km long, contributes to the picturesque atmosphere of Tom Street in the Bult area. The trees, planted in 1910, cover an area from the Agricultural College to the Lakeside Holiday Resort. Despite Stellenbosch being known as the "City of Oaks", Potchefstroom actually has more of these trees.

North Western Command

The headquarters of the Army Support Base is situated in Potchefstroom and also accentuates the important role which the city plays with regard to the activities of the South African National Defence Force in North West Province.

Witrand Mental Institute

The Witrand Mental Institute in Potchefstroom was the second Government institution for mental defectives and was opened in 1923. The first one, Valkenberg was opened at Maitland in the Cape.

Tlokweng, Makweteng, Potchefstroom: now a living space for us all

Hominids have inhabited the region around Potchefstroom since their earliest emergence. Fossil remains of early hominids such as Australopithecus Africanus, Australopithecus robustus, Homo habilus, etc. Were found at the site of Sterkfontein and Swartkrans (Krugersdorp district). They date back to the Early Stone Age(3 million to cs. 200,000 years back. In 1913 the fossil of a hominid specimen was found at Koloniesplaas near Boskop dam. Archaeologists suggest that the Boskop hominid lived during the Middle Stone Age (200,000 to ca. 40,000 years back.) Rock engravings, found in the Klerksdorp district, are associated with the Later Stone Age, probably hunter gatherers. Many stone ruins, especially between the Vaal and Mooi rivers are associated with Later Iron Age (hunter gatherer) communities who occupied these structures. These were cattle farmers and horticulturists who settled in the area in the fifteenth century and are considered to be the ancestors of the present Sotho-Tswana, probably now referred to as Bakwena stock lived in the area in the nineteenth century whereas Batlokwas (from there Tlokweng, place of the Batlokwa) were some of the earliest residents who settled here in the fifteenth century. It is not simple to relate archaeological sites to historical known communities, but it is clear that the forbears of the present Sotho-Tswana people lived in the Potchefstroom region in the beginning of the nineteenth century.

After 1820 the whole sub-continent was in turmoil because of a series of wars and resultant migrations, often called the Difaqana, and the Great Trek. Apart from these, the Delagoa Bay based slave trade, the transformation by and penetration of mercantile and later industrial capitalism dramatically changed the whole sub-continent. These dramatic and traumatic influences led eye-witnesses to report that by the second and third decades of the nineteenth century large parts of the Free State and North-West Provinces were depopulated. The direct influence of Mzilikazi and his Matabele followers on a vast area including the later Potchefstroom district is well documented. Only after the "Seven Days Battle" in November 1837 when Mzilikazi's forces was vanquished by white and Barolong fighter’s resettlement by Sotho-Tswana speakers and the first-time settlement by white Afrikaans-speakers was possible. This also made the establishment of the town Potchefstroom possible in 1839.

During the first phase of the history of Potchefstroom the servants of the settling Boers lived with them on their very spacious "civil rights stands" (burgerreg erwe). The existence of the segregated residential area later to be named Willem Klopperville (also known as the "native location", the coloured location", the "old location", or Makweteng) dates back to the late 1800s. As early as 1877 a decision was taken by the South African Republic (ZAR) that the subordinate class was to be excluded from the main residential area by creating a 'location' for 'coloureds' (actually then all those who were black and coloured). This alternative system of occupation allowed the servants certain restricted privileges regarding residence only. These servants were freed slaves, Xhosa-speakers and 'coloureds' who were Afrikaans-speaking and who had accompanied the white Afrikaans-speaking immigrants from the Eastern Cape. The alternative system of occupation gradually also included more Sotho-Tswana speakers who's forebears had lived in the adjacent area of the immigrant-established Potchefstroom for centuries.

Several approaches and policies were used by different administrations to make the position of 'black' and ‘coloured’ residents in ‘white’ town are precarious. One of these policies was that towns had been built by and for white’s people. In addition, residential rights were linked to the supply of labor for whites. The limited rights of the residents of the old location (Makweteng) were emphasized by: giving the 'natives' and coloured's right to water from the municipal canal only when surplus water was available; 'natives' and coloured were not even allowed using the pavements in the 'white' part of town from about 1896 and well into the 1940s. In addition, certain circumstances such as possession of liquor and a vague definition of being 'undesirable' could sometimes, in an arbitrary manner, lead to the termination of residential rights for the subordinate category.

In 1945 national legislation (the Native Urban Areas Act, No. 25 of 1945) was passed for the creation of separate residential areas for blacks. The National Party came to power in 1948 and began putting its apartheid policies into practice. It identified as a priority addressing the 'threatening' presence of blacks in South Africa towns. The removal of black people from Makweteng started in 1958 and was completed in 1963. The residential and business stands in were only rented to the residents. A significant number of residents had built their own houses on these stands and the owners of the structures were to be compensated for these improvements upon removal from the location to the new area called Ikageng, eight kilometers to the west.

Some sensitivity among officialdom led to the idea of a troosvergoeding (also vertroosting or consolation), which was an "additional amount payable as consolation for the demolition of the house and as compensation for the inconvenience and expenses linked to the removal". It is quite clear, however, the initial intention of "giving comfort" to the natives' was grossly manipulated, and only the impression remained that those in authority had added a certain percentage to the market value of the houses in Makweteng. Therefore, the giving of an amount called a 'consolation' made no difference in real terms to the amount paid to the residents. Although the pretence of the bureaucrats was to "satisfy the natives" and also to "console" them during the process of removals, the significant manipulation of the amounts paid to the residents of the old location indicated their lack of sincerity. Very few people have contested the valuation of their properties, because their weak structural position did not make this feasible.

In 1962 the City Council also decided to create the new residential areas of Promosa (for coloureds) and Mohadin (for "Asians"). The empowering legislation for these removals was the Group Areas Act of 1950. These removals started in 1965 and were completed in 1969. The most common reason given for the relocation of the coloured people was the political of residential segregation of 'races' or 'population groups'. A councilor, Rev M.J.P. Olivier, stated that Potchefstroom hat to be made a "white and beautiful town" but also that he was, "not against anybody and that no one should be favoured at the cost of somebody else". The Reverend also did not consider the financial costs of removal as being of utmost importance, because in his view segregation had to be undertaken, "with a view to our future, our people's [volk se] future, for the sake of our survival . . . ". In their petitions to the City Council white residents also complained about the "mixed interaction" (gemengde verkeer) because of the presence of the location and expressed their worries about the possibility of "social contact" between coloureds and "less privileged whites" (minder gegoede Blankes) because the whites of the lower economic classes were considered part of the Afrikaans people (". . . is en bly egter 'n deel van die Afrikaanse volk . . . ").

The alleged poor quality of housing conditions in Makweteng was manipulated for political purposes. In 1959 the City Council still had the intention of retaining Makweteng specifically for coloured habitation. The Manager of Non-European Affairs (P.J. Riekert) reported that this area still had 120 houses that could be useful for housing the remaining 1 000 coloureds. Only four years later, in 1963, the (National) Secretary for Community Development enquired about the number of houses fit for habitation by coloureds, to which question the City Clerk answered that, "My view is that there is o house [in Makweteng] fit for coloureds. "During the period of only four years, 120 "useful houses" suddenly and opportunely became "unfit hovels".

Permission was granted by the Administrator of the Transvaal province for the payment of consolation (troosvergoeding) to 140 coloured families at R10.00 per family "as encouragement for relocation of the coloureds in the new Colouerd Group Area Promosa". Only R10 was added to the valuation to be paid to the occupants of stands of Makweteng owning their own houses. The amounts for rent then ranged between R5.80 and R6.66. The consolation did not even cover two months' rent in the new residential area. The problems of residents were: racial discrimination, forced removal, petty amounts of consolation, the unacceptable location of the future Promosa, the unsatisfactory quality and size of the new houses, and residents not being informed about the procedure. For the municipal officials the relevant issues were: honesty, resettlement, order, justice, good planning, affordable amenities, and the possibility of creating a separate ('n eie) happy future for the coloureds. For the officials, the problems aired by the authors in a petition, in its whole manner and drift, indicated "incitement". Only vague references to the feelings of coloureds can be found in the speech of Councilor Rev. Olivier and the City Council, for instance "As far as the coloureds are concerned, I live with them, I make contact with them, I believe that the coloureds will welcome this . . . The coloureds console themselves that they already have an own town with its own border, and I believe in my soul that they will welcome this, "and that: " Everything considered, the coloured community ought to be extremely happy and satisfied in the new area."

In Potchefstroom the removals put people with limited power in an even worse situation and marginalised them even further. Officialdom's way of referring to 'interests' and to universalise or shift these interests is one of the important achievements of apartheid as an ideology. The social engineering of this period had the goal of reconstructing the mixed reality of people's intertwined lives to what was considered an "original state of racial purity", rooted in nature.

Since early in 2001 significant payments of compensation are being made to 650 claimants living in Ikageng and Promosa, according to the national process of land restitution.

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