Pietermaritzburg Explained

Pietermaritzburg
Nickname:PMB, Maritzburg, Mirichbhag [1]
Pushpin Map:South Africa KwaZulu-Natal#South Africa#Africa
Pushpin Relief:1
Coordinates:-29.6167°N 53°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: South Africa
Subdivision Type1:Province
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name2:uMgungundlovu
Subdivision Type3:Municipality
Subdivision Name3:Msunduzi
Subdivision Type4:Main Place
Established Title:Established
Established Date:1839[2]
Leader Party:ANC
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Mzimkhulu Thebolla[3] (2019)
Area Footnotes:[4]
Elevation M:596
Population Total:839327
Population As Of:2023
Population Density Km2:auto
Demographics Type1:Racial makeup (2011)
Demographics1 Title1:Black African
Demographics1 Info1:70.0%
Demographics1 Title2:White
Demographics1 Info2:14.2%
Demographics1 Title3:Indian/Asian
Demographics1 Info3:8.4%
Demographics1 Title4:Coloured
Demographics1 Info4:6.9%
Demographics1 Title5:Other
Demographics1 Info5:0.3%
Demographics Type2:First languages (2011)
Demographics2 Title1:Zulu
Demographics2 Info1:57.0%
Demographics2 Title2:English
Demographics2 Info2:28.9%
Demographics2 Title3:Afrikaans
Demographics2 Info3:4.2%
Demographics2 Title4:Xhosa
Demographics2 Info4:3.5%
Demographics2 Title5:Other
Demographics2 Info5:6.3%
Timezone1:SAST
Utc Offset1:+2
Postal Code Type:Postal code (street)
Postal Code:3201
Postal2 Code Type:PO box
Postal2 Code:3200
Area Code Type:Area code
Area Code:033
Settlement Type:City
Registration Plate:NP
Area Total Km2:126.15

Pietermaritzburg (;) is the capitol and second-largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa after Durban. It was named in 1838 and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. The town was named in Zulu after King Dingane's royal homestead uMgungundlovu. Pietermaritzburg is popularly called Maritzburg in Afrikaans and is often informally abbreviated to PMB. It is a regionally important industrial hub, producing aluminium, timber and dairy products, as well as the main economic hub of uMgungundlovu District Municipality. The public sector is a major employer in the city due to local, district and provincial government offices located here.

The city has many schools and tertiary education institutions, including a campus of the University of KwaZulu-Natal.[5] [6] It had a population of 228,549 in 1991;[7] the current population is estimated at over 600,000 residents (including neighbouring townships) and has one of the largest populations of Indian South Africans in South Africa.

Pietermaritzburg is an emerging metropolitan area.

History

See also: Timeline of Pietermaritzburg. The city was occupied by Voortrekkers, in April 1838 following the murder of Piet Retief and his seventy-strong party at the Zulu Capital, Mgungundlovu (6 February 1838), when seeking land to settle around Port Natal (The Natal-Land Treaty), and from where the reprisal Wenkommando departed (November 1838) to defeat Dingane at the Battle of Blood River (16 December 1838). Pietermaritzburg is approximately direct from the Zulu capital, Mgungundlovu. Prior to the battle (9 December 1838) a vow was taken that if the Boers were granted victory over the Zulu, then a sacred church would be built which still stands today, The Church of the Vow. It was Jan Gerritze Bantjes, Secretary General to Andries Pretorius, Commander of the campaign who arranged the financing of the church by the Boer towns folk which by then had taken a low priority after the war. The town grew rapidly to become the capital of the short-lived Boer Republic or Natalia. Britain took over Pietermaritzburg in 1843 and it became the seat of the Natal Colony's administration with the first lieutenant-governor, Martin West, making it his home. Fort Napier, named after the governor of the Cape Colony, Sir George Thomas Napier, was built to house a garrison. In 1893, Natal received responsibility for its own government, and an assembly building was built along with the city hall.

On 7 June 1893, while the young Mahatma Gandhi was on his way to Pretoria, a white man objected to Gandhi's presence in a first-class carriage. Despite Gandhi having a first-class ticket, he was ordered by the conductor to move to the van compartment at the end of the train: he refused, and he was removed from the train at Pietermaritzburg. Shivering through the winter night in the waiting room of the station, Gandhi made the momentous decision to stay on in South Africa and fight the racial discrimination against Indians there. Out of that struggle emerged his unique version of nonviolent resistance, Satyagraha. Today, a bronze statue of Gandhi stands in Church Street, in the city center.

In 1910, when the Union of South Africa was formed, Natal became a province of the Union, and Pietermaritzburg became one of the capitals of the country. [8] During apartheid, the city was segregated into various sections. 90% of the Indian population was moved to the suburb of Northdale while most of its Zulu inhabitants were moved to the neighbouring township of Edendale and white inhabitants were moved out of those areas.

Name

There exist two interpretations about the origin of the city's name. One is that it was named after Piet Retief (Pieter Mauritz Retief) and Gerrit Maritz (Gerhardus Marthinus Maritz), two Voortrekker leaders.[9] The other is that it was originally named after Piet Retief's full name alone. In this interpretation the original name was "Pieter Mauritz' Burg", later transliterated to the current name.[10] In 1938, the city announced officially that the second element Maritz should also honour Gert Maritz.

In fact, neither Retief nor Maritz ever reached Pietermaritzburg. Retief was killed by Dingane, successor to Shaka, king of the Zulus. Maritz died of illness on 23 September 1838 near the present-day town of Estcourt, some eighty kilometres northwest of Pietermaritzburg, after the battle with the Zulus at Bloukranz.

At the time of the rise of the Zulu Empire, the site that was to become Pietermaritzburg was called uMgungundlovu. This is popularly translated from the Zulu as "Place of the Elephant", although it could also be translated to mean "The elephant wins". Umgungundlovu is thus thought to be the site of some Zulu king's victory since "Elephant" (Indlovu) is a name traditionally taken by the Zulu monarch. Legend has it that Shaka had his warriors hunt elephant there to sell the ivory to English traders at Durban (then called Port Natal). Today, the town is still called by its Voortrekker name, although the municipality of which it is part bears the Zulu name.

Education

The University of Natal was founded in 1910.[11] In 1922 the University extended to Durban. The two campuses were incorporated into the University of Natal in March 1949. It became a major voice in the struggle against apartheid and was one of the first universities in the country to provide education to African students. It became the University of KwaZulu-Natal on 1 January 2004.[12]

Other historical events

Capital status

Pietermaritzburg was the capital of the Colony of Natal until 1910, when the Union of South Africa was formed, and Natal became a province of the Union. Prior to 1994, Pietermaritzburg was the capital of Natal Province. Following the first post-apartheid elections in South Africa, as a result of which the Inkatha Freedom Party won a majority in the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government, Pietermaritzburg shared its status as capital of the (then newly created) province of KwaZulu-Natal with Ulundi. Pietermaritzburg became the legislative capital of the new province, while Ulundi became the administrative capital. The IFP, being strongly Zulu nationalist, desired that Ulundi, the capital of the Zulu Kingdom at the time of its fall to the British in the Anglo-Zulu War, be the post-apartheid capital of the province. Ulundi had also been the capital of the bantustan KwaZulu, which makes up a portion of modern KwaZulu-Natal. However, Ulundi severely lacked the infrastructure to be an effective seat of government, and the African National Congress (ANC) and the Democratic Party, the two other strong political parties in the province, among others, called for Pietermaritzburg alone to be the capital. The debate came to an end when the ANC came to power in the province in 2004, and named Pietermaritzburg the sole capital of KwaZulu-Natal. This has resulted in the relocation of several government offices to Pietermaritzburg, an action that has generally been welcomed as a positive development for the region. Since 2004, progress such as the modernisation of several buildings in the city centre and a proliferation of retail and housing developments in the suburbs are results of recent investment in the city by both the public and private sectors.

Economy

Until the late-1990s, the region was renowned for the production of high quality textile, clothing and footwear products. An example of the latter included the production of Doc Marten shoes. However, these industries have declined in the area due to lower production costs in Asia. Extensive timber plantations and numerous citrus farms surround the city, contributing a significant share of the city's output.

The Liberty Group has made major investments in several phases in the region since 2002 with the development of the Liberty Midlands Mall (the area's largest shopping centre by gross lettable area and its most prestigious) and Stay Easy hotel. Hulett's Aluminium and Willowton cooking oil contributes a substantial part of the region's industrial output.

Pietermaritzburg is also the city where major South African pizza franchise Debonairs Pizza was founded.

Coat of arms

The Pietermaritzburg borough council assumed a coat of arms in 1861.[16] The shield depicted an elephant standing on grass, and a cross of five stars was placed above the shield. The motto was Umgungunhlovu. It is unclear what the original colours were, but by 1910 the shield had been coloured blue.[17] By 1931, the council had approved new artwork in which the stars were placed on a radiant sun.[18] The arms were registered with the Natal Provincial Administration in November 1950.[19] Many early renditions of the coat of arms, visible on older public building and wrought iron lampposts, features an elephant which is clearly an Asian elephant rather than an African elephant. More recent versions reflect an African elephant.

The final version of the arms was granted by the College of Arms in May 1961. It was registered at the Bureau of Heraldry in May 1973. The blazon was: Per fess Azure and Vert, over all an elephant statant Or, tusked Argent (i.e. the shield was divided horizontally into blue over green, and displayed a gold elephant with silver tusks). The crest was changed to a blue sun displaying gold and silver stars, and two black wildebeest were added as supporters. Each had a shield on its shoulder, the dexter supporter's shield displaying the Union Jack and the sinister supporter's the flag of the Natalia republic.

Transport

Road

Pietermaritzburg is on the N3 highway, the primary route between the harbour city of Durban, some 90km (60miles) away, and the Pretoria-Witwatersrand-Vereeniging conurbation.

The R33 connects Pietermaritzburg with Greytown and Paulpietersburg, while the R56 connects Pietermaritzburg with Ixopo and Kokstad.

Air

The city is served by Pietermaritzburg Airport, which has regular scheduled services to OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. There are 4 flights to Johannesburg and 4 return flights daily, with a reduced number of weekend flights. It once operated flights to Cape Town International Airport in Cape Town – this route was terminated in 2019.

Rail

Pietermaritzburg Railway Station is served by long distance trains on the Durban-Johannesburg and Durban-Cape Town routes of Shosholoza Meyl.

It has been proposed that the Metrorail commuter rail system be expanded from Cato Ridge to Pietermaritzburg.

Bus

The Pietermaritzburg Municipality historically operated a tram service, which was closed down in the 1940s, and a bus service, which was closed down in the 1980s.

Nowadays regular daily bus services connect Pietermaritzburg to other major cities in South Africa. The bus station is located on Burger Street, opposite the McDonalds Centre, and it serves major bus companies. Greyhound and Intercape are the most reliable and they operate several round-trips from Durban to Johannesburg daily, where Pietermaritzburg is the second to last stop before Durban.

Taxis

Pietermaritzburg has two types of taxi services: metered taxis and minibus taxis. Unlike in many cities, metered taxis are not allowed to drive around the city to solicit fares and instead must be called and ordered to a specific location. A number of companies service Pietermaritzburg and surrounding areas. These taxis can also be called upon for airport transfers, point to point pickups and shuttles.

Minibus taxis are the standard mode of transport for the majority of the population who cannot afford private vehicles.

Integrated Rapid Public Transport (IRPT)

A bus rapid transit system is currently being developed in Pietermaritzburg.

The initial phase would see the development of a west to east corridor from Edendale to Northdale. The BRT route will traverse the CBD along Church Street.

Geography


Climate

Pietermaritzburg has a dry-winter humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification: Cwa). Summers are warm and occasionally hot, with frequent rainfall. Winters are dry with high diurnal temperature variation, with light air frosts being possible.

Sport

Tourism

Some of the area's tourist attractions include; the KwaZulu-Natal Museum, City Hall, Colonial Buildings, Imperial Hotel, Comrades House and SANBI Botanical Gardens.

Attractions in the surrounding areas include; Albert Falls Nature Reserve, Howick Falls, Midmar Public Nature Reserve, Queens Elizabeth Park and World's View.

Education

See main article: Educational Institutions of Pietermaritzburg.

Schools

Tertiary institutions

Pietermaritzburg has a well-developed higher system of public universities. Pietermaritzburg is served by two public universities, University of KwaZulu-Natal and Durban University of Technology. There are also many private and public colleges operating in the city, such as Varsity College.

Civil society

Pietermaritzburg is home to a number of prominent civil society organisations including the Abahlali baseMjondolo (shackdwellers) movement, GroundWork, CINDI, PACSA, and the KwaZulu Natal Christian Council.[25] [26] [27] [28] [29]

Notable residents

Various

Twin towns and sister cities

CityCountryYear
TaichungTaiwan1983
HamptonUnited States1998[36] [37]

See also

Bibliography

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Chilli city . 14 November 2010 .
  2. Robson . Linda Gillian . The Royal Engineers and settlement planning in the Cape Colony 1806–1872: Approach, methodology and impact . 2011 . PhD thesis . University of Pretoria . Annexure A . https://repository.up.ac.za/bitstream/handle/2263/26503/05back.pdf?sequence=6&isAllowed=y#page=31 . 2263/26503 . xlv–lii.
  3. Web site: Pietermaritzburg has new mayor Column. msunduzi.gov.za.
  4. Web site: Main Place Pietermaritzburg . Census 2011.
  5. Garaba . Francis . 2018-01-01 . The neglected fond in university archives: The case of sport club records at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), Pietermaritzburg Campus, South Africa . Records Management Journal . 28 . 2 . 143–158 . 10.1108/RMJ-11-2016-0043 . 0956-5698.
  6. https://openscholar.dut.ac.za/bitstream/10321/4714/3/ET%20Nzimande%20Thesis.pdf
  7. 1991 Census
  8. Book: Simpson, Thula . History of South Africa: From 1902 to the Present . 1 October 2021 . Penguin Random House South Africa . 2021.
  9. Encyclopedia: Rhoodie . E. M. . Keith S. O.. Beavon . William D. Halsey . Collier's Encyclopedia . Pietermaritzburg . 1976 . Macmillan Educational Corporation . 19 . New York.
  10. Book: Jenkins. G. 1971. A Century of History: the story of Potchefstroom. 2nd. AA Balkema. Cape Town. 120.
  11. Web site: History of the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
  12. https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-kwazulu-natal-1941
  13. Hirson . Baruch . 1991 . Notes towards an intellectual history of the early communist party: The influence of David Ivon Jones . African Studies Seminar Series . 9 . Wired Space.
  14. Web site: The Old Prison. https://web.archive.org/web/20110111103353/http://www.projectgateway.co.za/The%20Old%20Prison.html. dead. 2011-01-11. projectgateway.co.za.
  15. Web site: Mandela and Pietermaritzburg - Maritzburg Sun. Maritzburg Sun. 9 December 2013 .
  16. Anon.; 'Maritzburg's Municipal Insignia' in Archives News (Jan 1975).
  17. The arms were depicted on a colour poster issued by the Cape Times in 1910.
  18. The arms were depicted on a cigarette card issued in 1931.
  19. Natal Official Gazette 2317 (9 November 1950).
  20. Web site: Roy Hesketh the Racing Drivers Story. Roy Hesketh Circuit. 16 May 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20180901054935/http://royheskethcircuit.com/RoyHesketh.html. 1 September 2018. dead. dmy-all.
  21. Springbok Series – Sportscar championship in South Africa, that was run usually during winter. Until 1963 was Springbok series for F1 cars. Championship ended in 1973 after two races due to the Middle East oil crisis and never was restarted again... WSPR-racing.com
  22. South African Springbok Trophy Series – South African endurance sports car championship. It was usually held during the winter when the main season had been finished. Until 1963 the Springbok series was destined for F1 cars before it switched to mixed sports car and touring car field. The main race of the series was well known Kyalami 9 Hours, which enjoyed good international competition. Also many of the other races were well supported. Sports ere still allowed in the main 9-hour event, so even factory Ferrari took the challenge and won in Kyalami three consecutive times during 1970–72 period facing opposition of Porsche 917 and other great machinery of the time. The championship ended up in 1973 after only two races due to the Middle East oil crisis and was never restarted again. The Kyalami event was then shortened to 6 hours and became part of the World Manufacturers Championship, but only for a single season. It then continued under various rules sets and distances over the next decade appearing two more times in the World Sports Car Championship calendar (1983 and 1984) – but the latter was a complete fiasco and it never returned in its full 1000km (1,000miles) distance, nor as part of the WSPC. Just a few shorter races were held for a few more years to come but 1985. WSRP.ic.cz
  23. Web site: IMCA-slotracing.com . IMCA-slotracing.com . 15 May 2011.
  24. Web site: Alexandra Park Street Circuit. Guido de Carli.
  25. Web site: World Habitat Day . October 2010 . Rajpatel.org . 15 May 2011.
  26. Web site: Cindi - Children in Distress Network. cindi.org.za.
  27. Web site: GroundWork . GroundWork . 15 May 2011.
  28. Web site: KZNCC ». kzncc.org.za.
  29. Web site: South Africa: Post Abahlali baseMjondolo AGM speech by S'bu Zikode . Africafiles.org . 14 December 2008 . 15 May 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110928025833/http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=19685 . 28 September 2011 . dead .
  30. Web site: Biography. Melissa. Carlton. 16 January 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20121002121707/http://www.melissacarlton.com/bio.html. 2 October 2012. dmy-all.
  31. News: Book review: Ghost Road, by Anthony M Townsend. Dalton. Alastair. The Scotsman. June 23, 2020. March 24, 2021.
  32. Web site: Pietermaritzburg – Home of Gandhi and The Comrades Marathon . 1 January 2007 . Encounter South Africa . https://web.archive.org/web/20070117111415/http://www.encounter.co.za/article/60.html . 17 January 2007 . dead . dmy-all .
  33. Web site: Pietermaritzburg Tourism . 1 January 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20060924173954/http://www.pmbtourism.co.za/aff/pmbtourism/about_us/default.htm . 24 September 2006.
  34. Web site: Golden Horse Casino Hotel . 1 January 2007 . CyberCapeTown Greater Durban Area Accommodation Portal. . dead . https://archive.today/20120707140723/http://cybercapetown.com/GoldenHorse/ . 7 July 2012 . dmy-all .
  35. Web site: Pegasus falls: Golden Horse statue demolished. News24. July 13, 2010. March 3, 2021.
  36. Web site: Sister Cities of Hampton, Virginia . 7 November 2011.
  37. Web site: Sister Cities International . 7 November 2011.