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History
In the 1840s, Voortrekkers under the leadership of Andries Potgieter established Zoutpansbergdorp, a town 100 km to the north west. This settlement had to be abandoned because of clashes with the local tribes. They founded a new town in 1886 and named it Pietersburg in honour of Voortrekker leader Petrus Jacobus Joubert. The British built a concentration camp here during the Boer War to house almost 4,000 Boer women and children. The town officially became a city on April 23, 1992; on the June 11, 2003, the government of Limpopo changed the name of the city to "Polokwane". The city is now the major urban centre and capital city of the province, and indeed for the entire country north of Gauteng. More recently, Pietersburg was the site of the ANC national conference which saw Jacob Zuma take over as head of the party.[1]
Demography
According to the 2001 census conducted by Statistics South Africa, the population of the greater Polokwane municipality is 302,957, of which 91.2% are black, 7.2% white, 0.9% Coloured and 0.7% Asian. The white population is likely to have been undercounted, a common problem with the 2001 census.
Climate
Despite its position on the tropic of Capricorn, the climate is tempered by its position on a plateau 1230 meters above sea level. Average temperatures reach around 21-22°C in January and fall to 11°C in July. As with much of inland South Africa, Pietersburg has experienced notably warmer seasons over the last decade than its long term average.[2] Pietersburg has a dry climate with a summer rainy season and a pronounced dry spell during winter. Average annual rainfall is 495mm, with December or (less often) January the wettest month and July the driest.[3]
Polokwane Municipality
The area of the Polokwane Municipality accounts for 3% of the total surface of the province of Limpopo; about 10% of the population of Limpopo resides in the Municipal area. Polokwane serves as the economic hub of Limpopo and has the highest population density in the Capricorn district. The majority of Polokwane's population is rural: that is, the largest sector of the community within the municipality resides in rural tribal villages, followed by urban settlements. Today Polokwane is the official capital of the North West Province.
Tourism
This area is seen as a place of "myths and legends". There are many game viewing opportunities, making Pietersburg a popular ecotourism destination in Southern Africa. Limpopo is divided into four tourism regions, each representing a microcosm of the area's varied and interesting cultures.
Tourist attractions:
Hunting Pietersburg is considered the premier hunting destination in South Africa.
Eersteling Monuments The site of the country's first gold crushing site and its first gold power plant are marked by monuments.
Open-Air Museum This museum depicts the traditional and modern-day culture and lifestyle of the Bakone people
Other attractions include:
- The Bakone Malapa Northern Sotho Open-Air Museum, which depicts the traditional and modern-day lifestyle of this people.
- The Pietersburg Game Reserve, which has more than 21 species and offers scenic walks.
- The Savannah Centre, a modern shopping centre.
Peter Mokaba Stadium will be used for matches for the 2010 World Cup
References
- ^ South Africa | Zuma comes out on top | Economist.com
- ^ Average monthly and annual temperatures, Pietersburg 1932 – 2007, GISS
- ^ GHCN monthly rainfall Pietersburg , NGDC, 1932-1992
External links
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