Mafikeng
The original name of the city, Mahikeng, literally means "the place among rocks". The name refers to the volcanic rocks that provided temporary shelter to Stone Age humans in their hunt on animals drinking water in the Molopo River. This name was given to the area in 1852 by early BaRolong chiefs who had settled along the river, near the present day village of Rooigrond, after the upheaval of the "Difequane". The "Difequane" was a period of intertribal war, aggravated by the passage of the exiled Zulu chief, Mzilikazi, through the area.
The Place of Stones[editar]
The land around Mafikeng in the Northwest Province of South Africa was inhabited for thousands of years by the Khoisan people. The Khoisan lived closely in tune with nature, in nomadic groups of hunter-gatherers. Stone engravings up to several thousand years old are often found on the rocky outcrops in this region.
More recently the area was settled by the Tswana, of whom some tribes (the baKwena and baGatla) are known for their stone constructions and erection of large town.
The town of Mafeking was founded in the 1880s by British mercenaries who were granted land by warring Barolong chiefs in return for war service.
The town itself was laid out near their collection of farms by British Commander Sir Charles Warren and became the administrative centre of the region and the headquarters of the peace-keeping Bechuanaland Border Police.
Mafikeng later attracted the attention of the world during the Anglo Boer War/ South African War of 1899 - 1902 as the small British garrison under the command of Colonel Baden Powell held out for 217 days, known as the Siege of Mafeking, against Boer forces who had surrounded the town.
Today Mafikeng is a vibrant provincial and commercial capital and a major tourism attraction for the aspects of the history, culture and wildlife of this unique region of South Africa.
