Potchefstroom

Template:SouthAfrica state Potchefstroom (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell;<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref> Template:IPA), known colloquially as Potch, is an academic city in the North West Province of South Africa. It hosts the Potchefstroom Campus of North-West University. Potchefstroom is situated on the Mooi River (Afrikaans for "pretty river"), approximately Template:Convert west-southwest of Johannesburg and Template:Convert east-northeast of Klerksdorp.

Etymology

Several theories exist about the origin of the city's name. According to one theory, it originates from Potgieter + Chef + stroom. This refers to Voortrekker leader and town founder Andries Potgieter, with "chef" indicating the leader of the Voortrekkers and "stroom" referring to the Mooi River.

Geoffrey Jenkins writes, "Others however, attribute the name as having come from the word 'Potscherf', meaning a shard of a broken pot, due to the cracks that appear in the soil of the Mooi River Valley during drought resembling a broken pot".Template:Sfn<ref name="heritageportal_founding">Template:Cite web</ref> In a scholarly analysis, M. L. Fick suggests that Potchefstroom developed from the abbreviation of "Potgieterstroom" to "Potgerstroom", which then became "Potchefstroom".<ref name="nwu_studies">Template:Cite web</ref> However, this does not account for the appearance of "Potjestroom" on many documents and photographs.

The African National Congress decided to change the name of the municipality and some street names in 2006, proposing "Tlokwe" as the new name. In 2007, the name change from Potchefstroom Municipality to Tlokwe City Council was officially approved and gazetted.<ref name="iol_namechange">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="gazette_tlokwe">Template:Cite web</ref> However, the city itself continued to use the name Potchefstroom. In 2016, the Tlokwe Municipality merged with the Ventersdorp Municipality to form the larger JB Marks Local Municipality.

History

Potchefstroom was officially proclaimed in December 1838 by the Voortrekkers, with physical settlement beginning around June 1839.<ref name="vandenbergh_1989">Template:Cite journal</ref> It is generally accepted as the oldest town founded by Voortrekkers north of the Vaal River.<ref name="heritageportal_founding" /> The oldest European settlement is Klerksdorp, approximately Template:Convert to the west.

Until 1840, the towns of Potchefstroom and Winburg, along with their surrounding territories, formed a Boer Republic known as the Republic of Winburg-Potchefstroom. Voortrekker leader Andries Hendrik Potgieter was elected chief commandant. In October 1840, following a meeting between Potgieter, Andries Pretorius, and G. R. van Rooyen, it was decided that Potchefstroom would unite with "Pieter Mouriets Burg" (Pietermaritzburg).

On 17 January 1852, the Sand River Convention was signed by Commandant-General Andries Pretorius and a British delegation led by Major W. S. Hogge and C. M. Owen.<ref name="reitz_appendix">Template:Cite web</ref> Under the convention, the British government granted independence to the immigrant farmers north of the Vaal River, leading to the establishment of the Transvaal.<ref name="britannica_sandriver">Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> Article 17 of the republic's 1858 constitution declared Potchefstroom as the capital and Pretoria as the seat of government.<ref name=Badenhorst>Template:Cite book</ref> In May 1860, Potchefstroom became the "chief city" of the republic, while the capital moved to Pretoria.

The first Jewish residents arrived in Potchefstroom in 1878, and a Jewish cemetery was established in 1892, reflecting the growth of the community in the late 19th century.<ref name="cheifitz_jewish">Template:Cite thesis</ref>

On 16 December 1880, the First Boer War began when Boer forces laid siege to the old fort, occupied by British troops. The siege ended amicably on 23 March 1881. During the Second Boer War, the British implemented a scorched-earth policy, and according to the Anglo-Boer War Museum, some 30,000 Boer farmhouses were destroyed.<ref name="abw_camps">Template:Cite web</ref> As part of this campaign, the British established a concentration camp in Potchefstroom for Afrikaner civilians. According to historian G.N. van den Bergh, this was "the first and largest concentration camp in the Transvaal."<ref name="vandenbergh_2012">Template:Cite journal</ref>

At the opening of the city hall in 1909, Colonial Secretary Jan Smuts was asked about the possibility of Potchefstroom becoming the capital of the Union of South Africa. He replied that the city stood no chance but should instead aim to be South Africa's largest educational centre.Template:Sfn This led to Potchefstroom's reputation as the "city of expertise," with numerous tertiary educational institutions. Since 1997, it has hosted the annual late-September Aardklop Arts Festival, a predominantly Afrikaans arts festival.

Population

The Potchefstroom Municipality, which includes several neighbouring settlements, had a population of 128,357 according to the 2007 community survey. Of these residents, 69.6 percent were White, 27.0 percent were Black, three percent were Coloureds, and 0.4 percent were Asian. The city proper and its surrounding suburbs have a population of 43,448, of which 69.9 percent are White, 25.4 percent are Black, 2.8 percent are Coloured, and 1.3 percent are Asian.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Education

Potchefstroom is home to five tertiary institutions, 30 other schools, and a number of research and training centres, including:

• The North-West University, formally established on 1 January 2004 through the merger of three institutions: the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education (founded 1869), the University of North-West (formerly the University of Bophuthatswana), and the Vaal Triangle Campus.<ref name="aaps_merger">Template:Cite web</ref> The seat of the merged institution is in Potchefstroom.<ref name="gazette_nwu">Template:Cite web</ref> The Potchefstroom Campus is the largest, and the university's head office is located there. After the merger, the North-West University became one of South Africa's larger universities, with approximately 32,000 full-time and distance-education students.
• The Potchefstroom College of Education (originally the Normal College) was founded in 1919. Initially housed in galvanised-iron buildings on the same premises as the Potchefstroom High School for Boys, the college moved to its present location in 1923. It was incorporated by the university on 1 January 2001.
• The Technical College Potchefstroom, founded in 1939 when the Union Education Department began "continuation classes."Template:Citation needed
• The Agricultural Centre, previously known as the Experimental Farm (1902) and Agricultural College (1939), is the largest agricultural facility in one location in southern Africa. The centre houses the headquarters of the Highveld Region of the Department of Agriculture, the Agricultural Research Council's Grain Crops Institute (ARC-GCI), and the Agricultural College.<ref name="arc_gci">Template:Cite web</ref> The Potchefstroom Koekoek chicken breed was developed there.
• Potchefstroom Akademie, founded in 1981 by Tina Schöltz, offers tertiary education in somatology, health and skincare therapy, holistic health therapies, and interior design and decorating.
• Potchefstroom High School for Girls: Originally known as the Central School, it was established in 1874. Girls High was founded in 1905 when the Central School was divided into separate high schools for boys and girls.
• Potchefstroom High School for Boys, established in 1874, has been at its current site since 1905.
• HTS Potchefstroom, founded in January 1903.
• Potchefstroom Central Primary School, the city's only English-medium primary school.
• Hoër Volkskool Potchefstroom, founded in 1927.
• Laerskool President Pretorius, founded in 1897.
• Potchefstroom Gimnasium, founded in 1907.
• Public primary and high schools in Potchefstroom's townships include Boitirelo Primary School, Lesego Primary School, Boitshoko High School, Tlokwe High School and Hoerskool Ferdinand Postma.
• More schools in Potchefstroom can be found here

Sports facilities

Potchefstroom, known as the North West Province's "Home of Sport," is the provincial headquarters for 17 major sports.Template:Citation needed The city council focuses on the establishment, maintenance, and upgrading of its sports facilities to meet the sporting and recreational needs of its youth. The Mooi River and various trails provide additional recreational opportunities for residents and tourists.

Potchefstroom has hosted two World Cup-winning teams (in cricket and football) and serves as a home away from home for many international athletes and teams. At an altitude of Template:Convert, it offers a good balance between elevation and quality training conditions. The city's good air quality, due to the absence of large factories, is also beneficial for training. Athletes and professional teams often train at the North-West University's High Performance Institute of Sport.

Potchefstroom resident and police officer Ken McArthur won the gold medal in the marathon at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics on 14 July 1912.<ref name="mcarthur_olympics">Template:Cite web</ref> He was known in his home village of North Antrim for his training routine, which consisted of racing a narrow-gauge train.<ref name="mcarthur_bbc">Template:Cite web</ref>

Cricket is a popular sport, with Senwes Park serving as the home ground of the North-West Dragons. During the 2003 Cricket World Cup, Potchefstroom hosted matches between the national teams of Australia and the Netherlands, Australia and Namibia, and South Africa and Kenya. Potchefstroom also co-hosted the 2009 Cricket World Cup Qualifier. The South Africa national cricket team has regularly chosen Potchefstroom for off-season training and has hosted the Australian team's cricket camps. During the 2003 Cricket World Cup, the Australian cricket team chose Potchefstroom as their home base and went on to win the tournament.

Rugby is arguably Potchefstroom's most popular sport. Olën Park, the main rugby stadium, is primarily used for matches by the Leopards in the Vodacom Cup and the first division of the Currie Cup. The stadium is also used for football matches and has hosted the South Africa under-23 team. Jomo Cosmos also uses the stadium for some of its matches. Profert Olën Park was named after Carl Ludwig Theodor Olën, president of the Western Transvaal Rugby Union from 1922 to 1934. Profert, a local fertiliser company, maintains the playing field.

The Absa Puk Oval is located on the North-West University campus. The university's sports grounds are known as the Fanie du Toit Sports Complex.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The main rugby field has hosted several Leopards games and the Potchefstroom Campus' Varsity Cup matches.

The PUC McArthur Stadium, an athletics stadium, was renovated for the fourth time in 2014. Built in 1892, it was named in honour of 1912 Olympic marathon gold medallist Ken McArthur. Noted local athletes include Godfrey Khotso Mokoena, the silver medallist in the long jump at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games, Hezekiél Sepeng, Jorrie Muller, Justine Robbeson, and Ryan Diedericks.

The visit of the Spain national football team during the 2010 FIFA World Cup brought a new level of sporting attention to Potchefstroom. Spain, who won their inaugural FIFA World Cup title, chose Potchefstroom as their base camp. A new sports complex was built at North-West University for the team.

Government

Template:Further Potchefstroom is the seat of the JB Marks Local Municipality in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality.<ref name="lgovhbook">Template:Cite web</ref>

Template:AnchorAttractions

Listed monuments

Broad-tree-lined street with street lamps

Oak Avenue, one of many oak-lined streets near the university

Since the Heritage Resources Act of 1999, monuments are classified as Grade I (national), Grade II (provincial), or Grade III (local). Many former national monuments have been reclassified as Grade II sites.

Template:AnchorProvisional Grade III sites

Although Potchefstroom has no officially designated local heritage sites, the following sites have been placed on the municipality's provisional list:<ref name=Tlokwe>Template:Cite web</ref>

• Snowflake Silo building, Wolmarans Street (c. 1921)
• Boyd House, corner of Walter Sisulu Avenue and Ayers Street (c. 1909)
• Piet Malan House, 57 Steve Biko Avenue (c. 1890)
• Kohinoor Cinema, Walter Sisulu Avenue (c. 1950): The cinema, in Makweteng (now Mieder Park), was built in the early 1950s and operated through the 1970s. It was also used for dancing competitions (particularly ballroom dancing) and weddings before the forced removals from 1958 to 1963. It hosted jazz concerts with performers like the Twist Rovers, Spokes Mashiane, and other groups from Johannesburg.
• Potchefstroom Dam and Lakeside Resort, Calderbank Avenue (c. 1908)
• Calderbank Building, Walter Sisulu Avenue (c. 1930)
• A. M. E. Church, Ikageng (c. 1961)
• House of the Editor-Bate, James Maroka Avenue (c. 1902)
• Triomf (Knock) Fertilizer (c. 1968)
• Potchefstroom Station building (c. 1919) and steam locomotive<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> on its forecourt, from 1902
• Potchefstroom Synagogue, James Maroka Avenue (c. 1920): The building now houses the Potchefstroom Academy.
• Devil's Corner, Ikageng (c. 1960): An open space used by the Ikageng community. During the 1960s, it was used for fashion parades and is now a celebration venue for the Kaizer Chiefs Football Club. It was also used as a hiding place by local criminals and as a meeting place for local activists and organisations.
• Tlokwe Memorial Park, entrance to Ikageng (c. 2009): A memorial park under construction for local activists who died during the liberation struggle.
• Cachet Park, Die Bult (c. 1900): Used for the annual Aardklop National Arts Festival.

Other places of interest

• Boskop Dam Nature Reserve
• Boskop Wild Animal Park
• O. P. M. Prozesky Bird Sanctuary
• Dome Bergland Nature Park, the site of a meteorite impact which created the Vredefort Dome.
• The Trim Park, located in the Green Belt area adjacent to the Mooi River.
• The North-West University Botanical Garden, adjacent to the Potchefstroom campus, covers an area of almost Template:Convert. Most of its plants are indigenous, with a few exotic plants of botanical or medicinal interest. A section around a man-made ridge is a natural field garden, while the rest is more intensively managed. A variety of mammals, birds, amphibians, and fish have made the garden their home in recent years.
• The town is home to the country's oldest Reformed Churches and its oldest stone-built Hervormde Church. St Mary's Anglican Church, built in 1891, is notable for its stained-glass windows. The N. G. Moedergemeente building, which burnt down in July 2007, has since been restored.
• The Witrand Mental Institute, the second government institution for psychiatric patients in South Africa, opened in 1923. The first was Valkenberg Hospital, which opened in Maitland in the Cape.
• Potchefstroom Museum
• Reformed Church Museum
• MooiRivier Mall, a shopping mall that opened in early 2008 with over 100 stores, as well as food and entertainment facilities overlooking the Mooi River. The mall serves as a shopping destination for surrounding towns such as Carletonville, Ventersdorp, Parys, and Fochville.
• A mosque, re-formed in 2007.

Economy

Potchefstroom is an industrial, service, and agricultural growth point for the North West province. Its industries include steel, food, and chemical processing. The chicken industry is particularly important, with companies such as Chubby Chick, Serfontein Poultry, Haagner's Poultry, Crown Chicken, and Highveld Egg Cooperative operating in and around the city.

Military

Potchefstroom is a major centre for the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), hosting significant training and operational units. The city is the location of Army Support Base (ASB) Potchefstroom, which serves as a key logistical and support hub for the SANDF in the region and houses the Defence Reserves Provincial Office for the North West.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The base is home to several key units, including the 4 Artillery Regiment and the Artillery Mobile Regiment.

Training areas and facilities

The city's military infrastructure includes the General de la Rey Training Area. According to a 2024 study in the academic journal Scientia Militaria, this area covers 235 square kilometres, making it one of the five largest military training and live-firing ranges in South Africa.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The base hosts major national events, such as the annual DOD Youth Celebration Week.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Historical significance

Potchefstroom has a long history as a military town. The School of Artillery, originally established in 1934, relocated to Potchefstroom in 1939 and was granted the Freedom of the City on 10 March 1978.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The city was also home to the 3 South African Infantry Battalion from 1968 until its relocation in 1988; it was a major basic training unit and received the Freedom of the City on 27 May 1988.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The city formerly hosted Air Force Base Potchefstroom. As part of a "peace dividend" and budget rationalisation following the end of apartheid, the base was closed, as documented by the South African Air Force Museum and other historical military records.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The base had been operationally significant, with units such as 103 Squadron being established at the airfield on 24 September 1963.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Military heritage and ceremonies

The city's strong military ties are reflected in its regular parades and ceremonies. Potchefstroom has hosted Armed Forces Day celebrations, national military skills competitions, and regular medal parades.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Military units frequently hold Freedom of the City parades through the town.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Potchefstroom is also the site of the National Gunners' Memorial, where annual memorial services are held to commemorate fallen artillery soldiers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Sources

• Template:Cite book

External links

• Potchefstroom Centenary (1939) from the AP Archive.
• www.potchefstroom.info