Perth : Johannesburg :
Pretoria : Pietersburg :
Pilgrim's Rest : Ladysmith :
Champagne Castle : Estcourt :
Durban : Ixopo |
I spent much of today on the road - travelling from Griquatown to Danielskuil - where Barend Barends, the Griqua Chief, had his pit of snakes for trying the guilty. I was fortunate to find it!
Then on to Kuruman the remote
outpost set up by Robert Moffat in the 1820s and where David Livingstone
proposed to Moffat's daughter Mary under an almond tree near the missionary's
house. The home of the first missionary, Hamilton, has now been restricted
despite being a recognised monument and is now occupied by the African curator
as his house! Like so many historic sites in South Africa this important
piece of history is falling into disrepair under the ludicrous affirmative
action policy.
Image right: The Kuruman Mission Station as recorded by Dr Robert Moffat in 1876
From there it was on to Vryburg and then, at last, to a very disappointing Mafikeng which was dirty, very black and a poor symbol of such a historically important town. Once again the historic sites have been neglected and many are lost forever. The road from Vryburg to Mafikeng runs dead straight for 28km before you get to the small town of Stella (on route) - one of the longest straight stretches in the country.
My guide Malcolm took me to all the significant sites including the concentration camp set up by the British after the relief of Mafikeng where so many young Afrikaner children died in appalling conditions under Lord Kitchener's crash and burn policy. About 75% of the inmates died before Emily Hobhouse personally visited the camp and demanded better conditions for these poor people.
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Leaving Griquatown |
On the dirt connecting road |
to Danielskuil |
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The diamond mine at Lime Acres |
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Lime mine at Danielskuil |
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Old house in Danielskuil |
Barend Barends |
deep snake pit for prisoners |
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Wonderwerk Caves |
Bushman paintings |
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Archeological |
dig in the large cave | On the road to Kuruman |
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Kuruman |
Kalahari taxi |
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Road to Moffat's Mission |
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Moffat's house |
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The great Missionary |
His church at Kuruman |
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His pulpit |
Part of the church |
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The water trough at the mission |
The tree where Livingstone |
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Moffat's church - another view |
Hamilton's house where |
On the road to Vryburg |
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Vryburg - once very Afrikaans |
now very black | Straight road to Mafikeng |
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Mafikeng |
I arrived at Mafikeng just after 2pm and was met at the Lions Rest Motel by Malcolm who took me on a guided tour of the historic sites.
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The Lions Rest Motel |
Entering dirty Mafikeng |
The monument outside the museum |
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Mafikeng siege museum |
Taung man copy - original to be |
In the museum |
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Boer shrapnel |
Malcolm and guns |
The flag that flew during the siege |
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Siege bank notes |
Where the market square was |
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Cannon Kop Fort - occupied by |
Cannon Kop Fort |
- British graffiti |
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Oldest school in Mafikeng |
Home of Borolong royalty |
Where the Borolong chiefs meet |
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The memorial to the Boer |
children who died in the concentration | camp at Mafikeng (at treeline) |
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The old railway station works |
Rhodes looking north again |
The historic graveyard at Mafikeng |
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VCs |
Siege victims |
Youngest casualty |
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26 British killed in one day |
The Bechuanaland Border Police's |
original station (1890s) |
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The convent used as hospital then |
bombed by the Boers |
