Pietermaritzburg - Capital of the Zulu Kingdom

A detailed overview of Pietermaritzburg & KwaZulu-Natal Midlands: History, Heroes, Highjinks...and Artists formerly known as Hippies

During the early 1800s it took three or four days by ox- wagon to negotiate the 88kms between Durban and Pietermaritzburg. In 1860, London newspapers proudly reported that the Midlands district was 'finally open'...thanks to a daily, horse-drawn omnibus service that cut the journey to eleven hours. Nowadays, millions of sports fans worldwide are glued to their television screens each June to marvel at the leaders of a 13 000-plus Comrades Marathon field cover the same route in less than six hours! Another piece of 'mass exuberance' is February's famed Midmar Mile, with some 10 000 aqua- athletes setting out from the shores of Midmar Dam for the world's largest inland ultra-swim. Not quite as many hardy souls would have entered the previous month's Duzi Marathon - three days of paddling and portage between Pietermaritzburg and Durban that constitute one of the toughest river races and, having celebrated its half-centenary, the oldest canoe race in Africa. Almost a century the senior of all of these endurance tests, however, the city's longest-established sporting code is the result of colonial fondness for a flutter...and the sweeping lawns and architecture of Scottsville Racecourse maintain its reputation as one of the country's most picturesque. In 1844, the first-ever Pietermaritzburg Purse was won by an Englishman s horse with the conciliatory name of 'Engeland' - not only had the Boers ceded control of the settlement the previous year, but they had also recently built their Church of the Vow in the town centre. Commemorating 'divine assistance' in avenging the massacre perpetrated by King Dingane, the church is today a Voortrekker Museum housing a varied and unique collection.

zoom The start of the Comrades 'down run' Photo:uMgungundlovu District Municipality

Pietermaritzburg boasts the highest concentration of attractions linked to our intricately woven history of any city in South Africa...with the vast majority easily accessed via comfortable, self-guided Town Trails. Standing on the original Voortrekker site, the City Hall holds two southern hemisphere records - for the largest all-brick building and the largest pipe- organ. The Parliament Buildings are not surprisingly rooted in history...the foundation stone laid on 21 June 1887 to mark Queen Victoria's Jubilee, and its soaring columns plus copper domes reflecting the grand, seemingly-invincible mood of the time. The central shopping area's pedestrian precinct reveals perfectly how the short-lived Voortrekker ideal was superimposed with Victorian London. A browser's delight, the specialist shops - notably colonial-era literature and Africana - are conveniently interspersed with quaint cafes and taverns. Two museums in Pietermaritzburg convey the importance of church life in pioneering the Midlands region. St Peter's became Bishop Colenso's cathedral in 1857 after his doctrinal rebellion caused a schism in the colony's Church of England congregation - his tomb stands before the altar. Macrorie House is the former residence of the Bishop of Pietermaritzburg 1869 - 1891, and contains Bishop Macrorie's famous miniature chapel...complete with altar and ornamental screen. The Natal Museum, meanwhile, covers all aspects of our kingdom's history...beginning with the artwork of pre- Zulu, San hunter-gatherer inhabitants. Tatham Gallery is among this country's top seven art museums, attracting curious and connoisseur alike with its eclectic mix of beadwork and basketry, oils and linocuts. British and French 19th and 20th century masterpieces are well-represented with Picasso, Matisse, Degas, Renoir and Hockney...while travelling and locally-curated exhibitions are well worth the wait.

zoom Pietermaritzburg's Botanical Gardens Photo:uMgungundlovu District Municipality

At the risk of clich , it must be said that the parks and gardens of Pietermaritzburg are also a picture...both private and public domains bursting with lush greenery and blooms-of- the-season. Splendid azaleas are displayed among the majestic indigenous trees that fill the National Botanic Gardens ...proteas highlight the features at Wylie Park and Alexandra Park's olde worlde Pavilion is surrounded by superb roses and winter-flowering aloes. An avenue of palm trees provides the perfect finishing touch!

Try one of the easy hiking trails on the edge of town for a higher ratio of country-to-city. The Green Belt at Ferncliff and aptly-named World's View, plus Savannah at Bisley Nature Reserve, each offer the enjoyment of wild flowers, birdlife and small animals within a gentle stroll. Queen Elizabeth Park is not only the reserve home of KZN Wildlife authorities, but also the opportunity to picnic, explore and view rhino. A garden of more sombre mood is among the city's war memorials - the Garden of Remembrance holds the famous Weeping Cross of Delville Wood...built of timber salvaged from that dreadful battlefield. The cross 'weeps' on, or around, the July anniversary of the First World War battle in which many South African servicemen lost their lives.

zoom Ghandi Memorial - Pietermaritzburg Photo:uMgungundlovu District Municipality

A trail with more sombre affiliations is the Route du Prince Imperial Louis Napoleon that traces, through the streets of Pietermaritzburg, the funeral procession of any last hope of a Napoleonic dynasty. Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte's great- nephew Louis - exiled to England - had volunteered to 'observe' with British forces engaged in the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879...and was speared to death after dismounting to sketch the surrounding countryside. His coffin passed through the town en route from the battlefields of Zululand back to England.

Another unfortunate event with enormous ramifications was the eviction, in 1893, of young Indian lawyer Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi from a 1st Class 'Whites Only' railway carriage on Pietermaritzburg Station. A striking statue in Church Street Mall pays homage to the Mahatma - Great Soul - whose profoundly influential, deeply revered philosophy-in-practice began here with a racial incident typical of the 'Old South Africa'.

zoom Site of Mandela's arrest in 1962 Photo:uMgungundlovu District Municipality

More currently - and inextricably linked to our 'New South Africa' - former president Nelson Mandela's biography sees Pietermaritzburg heading three chapters. These are his first appearance in a court of law...final public speech as leader of our country and - beyond city limits near Howick - the arrest that led to his 26-year incarceration. A small monument at this last-mentioned site is regularly visited by school tours, foreign and local visitors.

Overview Continued....

Copyright © Tourism KwaZulu-Natal