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.
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 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.
