Pretoria At Last!

South Africa is unique among the countries of the world insofar as it is said to have four capital cities. During the summer months Cape Town is home to parliament, the legislative branch of government; Johannesburg is the economic centre; the judiciary (Supreme Court) is situated in Bloemfontein; Pretoria, the administrative and executive hub, is the official capital. Pretoria, with its foreign embassies and consulates, is the most stately of the bunch. Considered by many to be South Africa's architectural masterpiece, the Union Buildings are set in elaborate terraced gardens that overlook Pretoria. The president of South Africa resides here and, during the winter months, parliament meets here rather than in Cape Town. The complex was completed in 1913 to serve as the seat of government for the newly formed Union of South Africa which predated the modern country of the Republic of South Africa, established in 1961. The name Pretoria derives from Andries Pretorius, an important leader of the migrating farmers (Trekboers) who on December 16, 1938, decisively defeated the Zulus at the Battle of Blood River. Statues of Andries Pretorius and his son, Marthinus Wessel Pretorius (who founded the city) are located in front of the classical architecture that is City Hall.

Another of Pretoria's attractions is the historically significant Church Square. Long before the city of Pretoria was created, the Boer farmers congregated here four times a year to celebrate Nagmall (Holy Communion). For protection, wagons were organized into a circle known as a laager. As well as a religious ceremony, Nagmall was a huge economic and social event - a rare chance to sell homemade goods and to arrange the marriages of the Boers as they came of age. Today Church Square has many points of interest. In the foreground is a statue of Paul Kruger, a figure in the Boer resistance to the British imperial forces, and president of the Transvaal (one of the four republics that amalgamated to form the Union of South Africa in 1910). The Raadsaal (parliament) of the Transvaal can be seen in the background.

On the opposite side of Church Square is the Palace of Justice. Started in 1897, the building was used as a hospital for the British troops during the Boer War. After its completion in 1902 the structure housed the Transvaal Supreme Court. It was also the scene of the famous Rivonia Trial of 1963-64 which led to the sentencing of Nelson Mandela and other black political leaders to life imprisonment.
A much more simple yet interesting site in Pretoria is the home of Paul Kruger. It houses many mementos of the man the Boers simply called Oom Paul (Uncle Paul). Kruger often sat in a chair at the front of his house, holding court, allowing citizens of the republic to express their views and concerns of the day. I enjoyed looking at the fine period furnishings and the gardens out back that include the railway car which Kruger used to conduct important meetings. Kruger was a very determined and headstrong leader. A member of the Great Trek, he served the Boers in a number of political capacities that eventually led him to visit the capitals of Europe. An ardent Afrikaner nationalist, he fiercely opposed British rule and was a key leader during the Boer War. Much of the world eventually came to regard him as somewhat less than heroic. Stubborn and often self-serving, Kruger continually demanded that the Boers fight until death without any thought of surrender. When the British troops inevitably began to close in on his position, Kruger fled the country to live in Europe, abandoning his wife of many years, who soon died.
In Kruger's house is a gallery that includes European newspapers dating to the Boer War. This French paper depicts Kruger repelling the British lion while European leaders look on in silence.One of the final stops on my visit to Pretoria was Melrose House, a Victorian mansion built by the wealthy businessman George Heys in 1884 . The rooms and furnishings within the home are incredibly ornate and well-preserved. It was a lovely day to enjoy the gardens and stroll through an enormous flea market that had very interesting wares from a variety of eras.
Although Pretoria has become more racially and culturally diverse since the end of apartheid it remains a true bastion of the Afrikaner identity. The Voortrekker Monument, situated on a hilltop on the outskirts of the city, is arguably the most significant embodiment of Boer culture in South Africa. Inaugurated in 1949, the monument is a tribute to the 15 000 Boers who set out from Cape Town on the Great Trek following the abolition of slavery in 1834. Their goal was to outdistance British rule and maintain their traditional rural lifestyle, which included forced labour. The numerous steps leading up to the monument symbolize their long walk. The pointed spikes on the top of the iron fence represent the spears of the Zulu warriors they encountered during their quest. Inside the grounds the walls are lined with carvings of the wagons used by the Voortekkers, harnessed into the circular laager which was their means of self-defense on the open plains. Thorn bushes were placed between and below the wagons as an impediment to infiltration by hostile forces. Outside of the entrance way a large bronze statue serves as a tribute to the devotion, suffering and determination of the Boer women who played a critical role in the trek. The lives of many of the women and children came to a terrible end, ravaged by disease, in the concentration camps built by the British towards the end of the Boer War. The Afrikaner people have never been willing to forgive the British for the perceived atrocities that were committed at the camps.
Inside, the Hall of Heroes contains one of the world's longest historical friezes. The panels which wrap around all four corners of the building depict the various experiences of the Voortrekkers during their Great Trek. I really enjoyed reinforcing my understanding of South African history by studying each of the pieces of stone that were, incidentally, carved in Italy.

I have decided to include four of the main events in Voortrekker (wandering farmer) history. The first one depicts the families and their livestock departing Cape Town. A representation of Table Mountain can be seen in the background.
The next panel shows the women in their support role (loading guns, tending to the wounded) as the Boer men fought off attacking Zulus around the perimeter of the laager. Increasingly frequent skirmishes with the Zulu occurred as the Voortrekkers explored and settled land in the north-east of the country. To promote peaceful co-existence, Piet Retief, the revered leader of the Voortekkers, went to visit Dingane, the Zulu chief. Dingane had come to power by participating in the assassination of the legendary Shaka, who happened to be his half-brother. In time he would prove to be as ruthless as his dead kin. As portrayed in the panel below, Dingane and Retief signed a peace accord. During the celebration that followed, the Voortrekkers availed themselves of the alcoholic spirits that their hosts offered. When Dingane provided a pre-arranged signal, however, the warriors captured Retief, took him to a hilltop, and forced him to watch as his men were slaughtered.

The frieze also depicts what is widely regarded as the most significant moment in Voortekker history. The ongoing conflicts with the Zulu reached a climax during the Battle of Blood River. At a time when the outcome of the fight was uncertain, the Voortrekkers appealed to heaven for help. A covenant was made: if God would grant them victory they would interpret this as a symbol of His support and hold the day forever sacred. The Zulus were thoroughly defeated; the Trekkboers became unshakable in their belief that they were God's chosen people. December 16 was later declared a national holiday known as the Day of the Vow. Moreover, for the next century and a half the Afrikaners would use this concept to justify many unilateral political decisions, including apartheid.

Centred in a crypt below the Hall of Heroes, Cenotaph Hall can be viewed from either ground level or from an upper balcony, as is the case in the photograph below. The building has been constructed in such a way that on a single day of the year (December 16) at 12 noon, a ray of sunlight falls onto the empty coffin called the Shrine of Honour, illuminating the inscription: "Ons vir jou, Zuid Afrika!" (We for you, South Africa!). Like many of the other features in, on and around the monument, the cenotaph is a symbol of Boer pride and domination.
This ends my narrative about our three-month trip to southern Africa. Thanks to those who managed to read the blog in its entirety; by doing so you have vicariously provided the support which has made it all worthwhile. To everyone who has sampled even a portion of the many photographs and at times extensive text, I trust that you found some of the information to be interesting or at least educational. Prior to our trip a number of people asked us, "Why would you want to go to South Africa?" I hope the question has been answered. What a beautiful land and interesting culture!

We have learned a great deal about South Africa but leave with many questions unanswered. Preparations are well under way for the World Cup of soccer that the country will host in 2010. The eyes of the world will once again be focussed upon South Africa as it strives to present the image of a modern, progressive and democratic state. The services of Rudi Gulianai, the former major of New York city, have been enlisted to try to reduce the levels of street crime that could sabotage the success of the event. Will the World Cup be South Africa's coming out party or an organizational and financial disaster?

South Africa remains one of the world's foremost wildlife destinations but will this last? Many conservation projects are currently underway but as most public funds are being rerouted into social programs there will be a huge challenge for the private sector to preserve the country's natural heritage. How will global warming impact the land, wildlife and rural economies?

To what degree will South Africa achieve its professed goal of peace and reconciliation? Despite the emergence of a black middle-class there are still many African people who lead lives of abject poverty. Will the whites who have chosen to remain in the country continue to feel increasingly marginalized as their relative population decreases and the process of reverse discrimination that has taken hold limits their job opportunities? Will the racial barriers that discourage white athletes from playing soccer and blacks from participating in cricket and rugby dissolve? The Minister of Sport recently tried to apply a quota system to one of white South Africa's most cherished institutions - the national rugby team known as the Springboks.

The over-riding issue will continue to be whether or not white South African society will ever fully welcome their black brethren and, in turn, will ever feel safe enough to move beyond their high walls, guard dogs, razor wire and security systems. It seems to me that the rhetorical statement coined by Alan Paton in his famous South African novel, Cry the Beloved Country (1951) continues to ring true today: But when the dawn will come of our emancipation, from the fear of bondage and the bondage of fear, why that is a secret.