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North West

North West lies in the north of South Africa, on the Botswana border, fringed by the Kalahari desert in the west, Gauteng to the east, and the Free State to the south. It is known as the “Platinum Province” for the wealth of metal it has underground. Mahikeng (previously Mafeking) is the capital, and best known for the famous siege during the Anglo-Boer/South African War.

The city lies near the Botswana border and forms a single urban area with its neighbouring town, Mmabatho. Potchefstroom and Klerksdorp are the biggest cities in the province; other main towns are Brits and Rustenburg. Most economic activity is concentrated in the southern region between Potchefstroom and Klerksdorp, as well as Rustenburg and the eastern region, where more than 83,3% of the province’s economic activity takes place. North West has a number of major tourist attractions, including Sun City and the Palace of the Lost City, the Pilanesberg National Park, the Madikwe Game Reserve and the Rustenburg Nature Reserve.

The North West Province is a predominantly rural province, with some 60% of the population living in rural areas, while the more populous industrial centres include Rustenburg, Brits and Ga-Rankuwa in the eastern region of the province. Mafikeng is the provincial capital and the seat of provincial government. Mafikeng was also the previous governing centre of the Bechuanaland Protectorate (prior to Botswana's independence from Britain in 1966), and later the administrative centre of the Bophuthatswana homeland (from 1978 to 1994). Other major urban centres include Potchefstroom and Klerksdorp in the south-east and Vryburg (Huhudi) in the west.

Despite being blessed with such a rich array of natural resources, the North West Province is one of the poorest provinces in South Africa. The provincial gross geographic product (GGP) R 3 964 per person is well below the national average of R 6 498. The Gini coefficient, a measure of income inequality, is above 0.6 in the Province, placing it among the most unequal regions in the world.

The people

More than 3,2 million people live in the North West. Setswana is spoken by 65,4% of the population. As of 2002 the estimated unemployment rate was 38%, slightly higher than the national average in South Africa. Unemployment rate among women is above 50%. Some 30% of the adult population were illiterate, the highest figure among all provinces in South Africa. Rural poverty and rural-urban income differences aggravated the social problems, which often break up in the form of violence, crime and high rates of HIV infection, estimated to be between 30-40% among some population groups. Urban poor and migrant labor of the mines is frequently lacking safe and healthy accommodation. Only 27% of African households in the Province had access to safe drinking water. Almost all White households (more than 99%) have access to tap water in their dwellings as opposed to 27% of Black households.

Mining

Mining contributes 23,3% to the North West’s economy, and makes up 22,5% of the South African mining industry as a whole. The Rustenburg and Brits districts produce 94% of the country’s platinum, which is more than any other single area in the world. North West also produces a quarter of South Africa’s gold, as well as granite, marble, fluorspar and diamonds. Employment along the Platinum Corridor, from Pretoria to eastern Botswana, accounts for over a third of total employment in North West.

Manufacturing

North West aims to achieve the development and growth of a well-coordinated, vibrant, diversified and sustainable economy that will create jobs and eradicate unemployment. North West’s manufacturing sector is centred at the municipalities of Brits, Rustenburg, Potchefstroom, Klerksdorp and Mahikeng, which account for more than 50% of total manufacturing production in the province. The industries in Brits concentrate on manufacturing and construction, while those in Klerksdorp are geared towards the mining industry, and those at Vryburg and Brits towards agriculture. In the manufacturing arena, automotive parts, electrical machinery, electronic and audio, and medical equipment are manufactured in the province using local material and resources.

Agriculture

Some of the largest cattle herds in the world are found at Stellaland near Vryburg, which explains why this area is often referred to as the “Texas” of South Africa. Marico is also cattle country. The areas around Rustenburg and Brits are fertile, mixed-crops farming land. The province is an important food producer. Maize and sunflowers are the most important crops, with North West as the major producer of white maize in the country.

Soil degradation through water and wind erosion is considered to be a major problem in the North West Province. The Province has a soil degradation index of 149 making it the fourth most degraded province in the country. The Province is the third highest province in South Africa in terms of severity of veld degradation. The bush encroachment remains a serious problem in the Province.

Fishing

Fishing and fishery resources in the North West Province largely occur in the Province's impoundments. Fishing in these dams is mostly by recreational and sport fishermen. The main species being targeted for recreational angling are barbel, bass, carp, kurper, mudfish and yellowfish. For many rural communities in the Province, where food security is a major problem, fishing provides a source of protein. The development of community-based small-scale commercial fisheries on several dams in the Province is currently underway.

History

There are many important cultural heritage sites within the Province. Stone Age and Iron Age sites are well represented, including Kruger Cave; the Bosworth Rock Engraving site; Thaba Sione near Mafikeng and the stone-walled settlement of Kaditshwene in the Madikwe area. The Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site and its associated tourism development is also partly located in the North West Province.

In the late 1700s to 1800s the Mfecane or Difaqane Wars begin in Zululand. The fleeing Ndebele (named the Matebele by the local Sotho-Tswana) established their territory and dominance northwest of Johannesburg, around what is now Hartebeestpoort and Rustenburg. Many Tswana villages were constructed along the southern slopes of the Magaliesberg between the Magatasnek and village of Maanhaarrand by 1820. The mountains in this areas became known as “Cashan” named after Kgwashane, a powerful Tswana chief. Important groups were the Kwena, Po and the Fokeng of which the latter settled on the northern side of the Magaliesberg in the Rustenburg area. A major battle took place at Magatasnek between the Fokeng and the Hurushe tribes where the Fokeng won the battle. In the period known as the Difaqane (1820 onwards), the settlements along the Magaliesberg were severely disrupted and harassed by Nguni groups moving northwards over the Drakensberg away from Zulu domination. Dr Andrew Smith visited the Magaliesberg in 1835 and saw the ruins of the Kwena settlements near Olifantsnek.

Chief Mzilikazi from the Khumalo tribe, escaped dominance from Shaka’s zulu empire and moved towards eastern Transvaal. From here the Khumalo fought many battles and increased in size to eventually form the formidable army of the Ndebele. In 1827 the Ndebele invaded Tswana tribes along the Magaliesberg. Mzilikaze massacred a large group of Fokeng at Bleskom, just east of Rustenburg as he did many other Tswana tribes in the Magaliesberg area. One of the three main settlements during the Ndebele reign was located at Hlahlandlela which is close to present day Rustenburg. Olifantsnek and the Hex river formed the background to many battles between the Griqua-Korana, cattle raiders of mixed racial origin and who fought with horses and firearams. A large contingent of Griqua-korana was massacred along the Hex river in the Bospoort dam area. A battle between a large Zulu impi which have traveled 500 km from Zululand and the Ndebele at Wonderboom (Pretoria) and Zilkaatsnek (Hartbeespoort) (1832) forced Mzilikatze to move his main residence westward to the Marico River.

In the early 1800s Dutch-speaking Voortrekkers (pioneers) oust the Matebele with the help of the Sotho-Tswana tribes. They claimed sovereignty over the settlements of Rustenburg and Pretoria. More recently, the first shots of the South African War of 1899-1902 were fired at Kraaipan in the North West Province. The Province has a number of other important battle sites from this conflict, such as the Elands River and the Province's capital is famous for surviving the six-month Siege of Mafikeng when the Boers besieged the town in October 1899. Renowned journalist and activist Sol Plaatjie played an instrumental role in assisting the British and Barolong people to victory.