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Conference Venues South Africa brings you information on Mafikeng situated in the North West Province of South Africa including information on Facilities and Recreation, Climate, Founding, History Suburbs, Town Planning and Geography

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Information on Mafikeng, North West, South Africa

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Mafikeng – formerly known as Mahikeng – is the capital city of the North-West Province of South Africa. Located on South Africa's border with Botswana. It is built on the open veld at an elevation of 1,500 m by the banks of the Upper Molopo River.

About Mafikeng, North West, South Africa

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Mafikeng is the capital of the North-West Province of South Africa. Mafeking briefly served as capital of the pre-independence homeland 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.

Visit the Mafikeng Museum to view the extensive ethnographic and Anglo-Boer War exhibits. To the south east of Mafikeng is Kanon Kopje, a defensive fort built during the Warren Expedition of 1885. Nearby the Kgotla of the Barolong Boora Tshidi, the tribal meeting place of Chief Montshoia. A monument honouring the Barolong who died during the Mafikeng siege stands beside another in recognition of Kgosi Besele Montshoia, head of the Barolong Regiment during the siege. Also nearby is the Mafikeng Siege Cemetery.

 

 

 

   

Mafikeng 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 as "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, 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.

Towns and Suburbs of the North West province of South Africa

Beestekraal , Brits , Broederstroom , Christiana , Groot Marico , Hartbeespoort , Klerksdorp , Lichtenburg , Madikwe , Mafikeng , Pilansberg , Rustenburg , Sun City , Swartruggens , Temba , Wolmeransstad


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