Pietermaritzburg - Capital of the Zulu Kingdom
$7.78 | £14.36 | €11.48 | | Time: 8:10 |  |
Pietermaritzburg
Having crossed over the Drakensberg range into Zulu territory on
their Great Trek from British dominion in the Cape Colony, Boer
settlers earmarked this site as their capital-to-be, and in 1838 laid
the foundation of a neat grid of streets and lanes. Rival British
expansionists were a safe distance away at Port Natal-Durban...and
the surrounding tribes were predominantly 'scatterlings' - the result
of King Shaka's empire-building exploits - who posed no threat. It
was from this fledgeling settlement that Pieter Retief embarked on
his ill-fated journey to negotiate for land with Shaka's co-assassin
and heir, King Dingane. The Boer leader's 'martyrdom' gave
Pietermaritzburg the first half of its name - Gert Maritz being the
head of a second wave of Voortrekkers.
Within five years of
establishing the town, however, the Boers
succumbed to British military might and vacated the area...leaving
their carefully-laid foundations to be stamped with a world-renowned
legacy of Edwardian and Victorian architecture.
Pietermaritzburg remained capital of Natal province until the arrival
of our non-racial democracy and the emergence of KwaZulu-Natal, where
it shares its status with Ulundi, in the heart of traditional
Zululand.
zoom Pietermaritzburg City Hall Photo: uMgungundlovu District Municipality |
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