Voortrekkermonument

Die monument wat seker die naaste aan die hart van meeste Afrikaners in Suid-Afrika is is die Voortrekker Monument net buite Pretoria.  Die veertig meter hoë monument is in 1949 voltooi en is gebou ter ere van die Voortrekkers wat die Kaapkolonie vanaf 1838 verlaat het en noord na die Vrystaat, die ou Transvaal (vandag Gauteng) en Natal (KwaZulu Natal) met al hulle besittings op ossewaens getrek het. 

Freedom Park Part 2 - Isivivane

The part of Freedom Park that touched me the most was the sacred place of Isivivane.  Isivivane is an isiZulu and isiXhosa word and is the spiritual resting place for all those who played a part in the freedom and liberation of South Africa.  It is inclusive of all religions and faiths and invites all South Africans to come and celebrate their shared spirituality and heritage.

At the centre of Isivivane is Lesaka and its circle of 11 stones.  The circle is the symbolic resting place for the spirits of those who played a part in the the struggles that the history of South Africa has seen.  Soil was brought to this spot from areas all over South Africa where conflict has occurred and it was deemed sacred ground after representatives all off faiths and church denominations took part in a Cleansing, Healing and Return of the Spirits ceremony.  A stone was brought here from each of the 9 provinces of South Africa, while the other two stones represents South Africa as a country as well as the international community.  A fine mist spray adds to the atmosphere of the stone circle and all visitor are asked to please remove their shoes before entering the area.

To the one side of the stone circle (in the background of the first photo) is Lekgotla.  Lekgotla is a semi-circle seating structure built around an Umlahlankosi Tree (Buffalo Thorn Tree) and it allows visitors to meet and hold discussions in the same way as many has done in various African traditions.

There are another nine smaller Umlahlankosi trees surrounding the stone circle, each donated by one of South Africa's nine provinces.  The trees symbolise one of the mediums through which the spirits of South Africa's fallen heroes and heroines has been brought to Isivivane.  Water also plays a big role at Isivivane through water features and water points to wash your hands when leaving as water represents cleaning and healing in many believes.

In my humble opinion I truly feel that each of the provinces should develop a site similar to Isivivane that is spiritually linked to the one at Freedom Park as it would become a great place to remember the past and celebrate the future.

Today is 21 March which is Human Rights Day in South Africa and I hope that the posts of the last two days have also played its part in celebrating human rights..

Freedom Park Part 1 - S'kumbuto

Freedom Park in Pretoria tells the tale of South Africa in the voice of the South African people.  What makes the place even more special is that it urges us to experience our shared history and heritage as brothers and sisters and hopes to dispel the myths and prejudices that has distorted and concealed the image and achievements of South Africa in the past.  Since its opening in 2009 I've been wanting to visit but every time I got up to that part of the country something seem to come up and thwart my plans.  So on my last visit I made sure to put some time aside and headed to Freedom Park before I had to catch my plane back home.

The main memorial area at Freedom Park has a siSwati name and is called S'khumbuto.  It stands as a testimonial to eight conflicts that have shaped South Africa into what it is today.  These conflicts are the Pre-Colonial Wars, Slavery, Genocide, Wars of Resistance, the South African War (also known as the Anglo Boer War), First World War, Second World War and the Struggle for Liberation.  S'khumbuto is made up of eight different elements.  At the centre of S'khumbuto is a grassed Amphitheatre capable of seating 2,000 people.  At the bottom of the Amphitheatre is the Sanctuary and adjacent to that the Eternal Flame which allows visitors to remember the unknown heroes who lost their lives without their names being recorded in history.

The Amphitheatre is surrounded by the Wall of Names.  697 meters in length, the wall is being inscribed by the names of those people that played during the eight mentioned conflicts.  It has space for 150,000 names and up to now about 75,000 have already been inscribed.  All the names are also kept on a electronic database which is accessible through touch screen technology on site.  The people of South Africa is asked to forwards the names and details of people they know who was involved in any of the conflicts to be added to the database and Wall of Names.

The whole complex is surrounded and edged with the Reeds.  The nearly 200 ascending Reeds, the tallest measuring 32 meters, represents  the rebirth of the South African nation as well as embracing the future.  The Reeds means that Freedom Park is visible from all around most of South Africa's capital city.

Next to the shortest of the Reeds stands the President's Tree.  This African Olive Tree, representing peace, was planted by former president Thabo Mbeki in 2002 when the development of the site was still in its early stages.

As I was the first visitor in that morning, I had a guide all to myself.  Tour guide Gift Mutarini didn't grumble once because he had to show me around on my own and was kept very busy with me shooting off questions, telling my own stories and stopping for photos all the time. He also caught on very quickly when I needed him to keep on walking cause I needed a subject in a photograph.  Walking along this section of the path, the Voortrekker Monument is visible in the background.

Part 2 of my post on Freedom Park will follow tomorrow when I show you the sacred space of Isivivane.

Roses at the Union Buildings

Roses in the Union Building Gardens in Pretoria

 

 

Union Building Gardens

The Union Buildings are surrounded by beautifully terraced gardens of indigenous plants as well as various monuments and a 9,000 seat amphitheatre.  On our visit the roses were in full bloom, the weather nice and warm and people were just relaxing all over the gardens.

The lawn in front of the Union Buildings are often the location for public gatherings, whether they be protest or celebration, such as the presidential inauguration.  In 1915 there was a march of Afrikaner women to the Union Buildings to ask for the revision of prison sentences for those who rebelled against the government’s decision to take part in the First World War.  Forty years later, in 1956, some 20 000 women, protesting against apartheid laws, undertook a procession to the Union Buildings to hand over a memorandum to Minister J.G. Strijdom.  Probably one of the biggest events, if not the biggest, to be held in front of the Union Buildings was the inauguration of South Africa’s first democratically elected President, Nelson Mandela in 1994.

The gardens have several monuments scattered all over.  These include the South African Police Memorial, the Delville Wood War Memorial, a plaque in memory of those that died during the Korean War and a statue to President J.B.M. Hertzog.

Standing at the bottom of the gardens is a large statue of General Louis Botha on horseback. Gen Botha was the first Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa.  There was a plan to have a statue of Nelson Mandela, the first democratically elected president of South Africa, erected somewhere on the grounds as well, but this was changed and the intended statue was put up in Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton, Johannesburg. 

Union Buildings

The Union Buildings on Meintjieskop in Pretoria is the official seat of the South African government and also house the offices of the President of South Africa.  The Boer Republics of the ZAR (Transvaal) and the Orange Free State united with the Cape Colony and Natal Colony in 1910 to for the Union of South Africa.  Pretoria was selected as the administrative capital of the Union.

The cornerstone of the building with its two identical wings was laid in November 1910, shortly after the Union of South Africa was formed. Hence the name Union Buildings.  It took 1,265 workers over three years to build the structure.  The two wings at the sides served to represent the union of a formerly divided people and was again relevant in 1994 with democracy coming to South Africa.

The two cannons standing outside the Union Buildings overlooking the gardens are 40-pounder RML field carriages.  The guns were navel guns that were mounted on carriages by the British forces during the Anglo Boer War (1899 - 1902) and accompanied the British siege train to South Africa.  Although intended to, they were not required for the expected siege of Pretoria, which did not eventuate.

Also standing joust outside the Union Buildings overlooking the gardens is a war memorial commemorating those who died during the First World War.  The monument is a replica of the monument that stands in the war cemetery in Delville Wood in France.  There is also a replica in Cape Town in the Company Gardens.

British Troop Train

On the way up the hill to Fort Klapperkop and the SA National Defence Force Memorial outside Pretoria stand an old steam locomotive.  This specific locomotive was amongst others used over 100 years ago during the Anglo Boer War (1899 - 1902) to carry British troops and supplies from the coast to where the war was taking place in the interior of South Africa.

Soldier statue silhouette

The silhouette of the South African Nation Defence Force Memorial at Fort Klapperkop outside Pretoria

Visit Skywatch for more pictures of the sky

South African National Defence Force Memorial

The South African Defence Force Memorial is situated just outside the entrance to Fort Klapperkop in Pretoria. The memorial was unveiled on May 31 1979 and includes a statue of a soldier holding a R1 rifle, in memory of all members of the South African Defence Force who lost their lives serving their country. The individuals who have lost their lives are honored with an inscription on a number of marble plaques mounted around the statue.

 

Fort Klapperkop

Sitting on top of the koppies (hills) overlooking Pretoria is a number of forts that was built prior to the Anglo Boer War in the late 1800's.  After the abortive Jameson Raid in 1895, the South African Republic (also known as the Transvaal Republic) had a number of forts built to protect their capital in case of a foreign invasion.  The Pretoria Forts consisted mainly of four forts, three of which was constructed by a German company.  I have on a previous visit to Pretoria visited Fort Schanskop which stands close to the Voortrekker Monument.  This time around I popped into Fort Klapperkop for a quick look.

The three forts are pentagonal reinforced, with more fire range possibilities through numerous facets. Attacks from any direction could be warded off by revolving guns on their ramparts. In January 1899 the fort was manned by 17 troops and by mid year the number of troops was increased to 30. By the end of the year only 16 troops were still stationed at Fort Klapperkop as men and armament were gradually withdrawn and sent elsewhere during the course of the war.

To prevent infantry attacks the forts contained loopholes were built into the walls. Trenches, barbed-wire entanglements and fortified rooms were erected as reinforcements.  Fort Klapperkop was the only one of the forts that had a moat as well as a drawbridge.  Apparently the moat was never filled with water.

The main weapon on the fort was a 155mm Creusot gun, better known as a "Long Tom".

Fort Klapperkop is a Gauteng Provincial Heritage Site and a South African National monument and is run as a military Museum.

Voortrekker Monument flower

This was taken from the hill opposite from the Voortrekker Monument just outside Pretoria

Pretoria skyline

On my last trip to Johannesburg I popped up to Pretoria to visit the Voortrekker Monument. It was a very misty morning and the Pretoria skyline was just just visible in the fog. Pretoria is South Africa's capital city and forms part of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan.

Foggy skyline

Another part of the city seen with one of the monument's Voortrekker leader statues in the foreground.

Fort Schanskop

Very few visitors to the Voortrekker Monument outside Pretoria takes an extra couple of minutes to visit Fort Schanskop on the opposite hill. The fort was one of three erected around Pretoria in 1896 after the Jameson Raid and was designed by French military engineer Leon Grunberg. In 1895 the friction between the Cape Colony and the Transvaal (South African Republic) under Paul Kruger in the north worsened. An uprising was organised in the Transvaal to accompany a planned invasion by Dr Leander Starr Jameson. The Boers received warning of the attack and the invasion was a failure.

Voortrekker Monument

The Voortrekker Monument stands on top of a hill outside the city of Pretoria and can be seen from all directions as one approaches it. The monument was opened in 1949 and stands 40 meters long, 40 meters wide and 40 meters high. This massive granite structure was built in honour of the Voortrekkers who left the Cape Colony between 1835 and 1853 to get away from British rule and find land to call their own.

Surrounding the monument building is a circular wall of decorative granite and engraved with wagons. This represents the historical Trekker practice of "circling the wagons" to defend themselves when under attack. The wall consist of 64 ox-wagons which is the number of wagons used to form the laager at the Battle of Blood River.

At the foot of the Monument stands a bronze sculpture of a Voortrekker woman and her two children by the well know South African sculptor Anton van Wouw. It pays homage to the strength and courage of the Voortrekker women who played as big a part in this historic event as the men.
Inside the monument are three levels. On the entrance level (middle level) visitors will find the historical wall frieze. It represents the history of the Voortrekkers and depicts scenes that played itself off during the trek. Another feature of the monument is the Cenotaph on the bottom level of the monument and engraved with the words: "WE FOR YOU SOUTH-AFRICA". Once a year, at mid-day on the 16th of December, a ray of the sun shines through a hole in the dome to illuminate these words.
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For more information on the monument, visit Wikipedia.