Polokwane

Polokwane
Nickname(s): City of stars
Motto: Naturally Progressive
Polokwane
Polokwane
Polokwane

 Polokwane shown within Limpopo

Coordinates: 23°54′00″S 29°27′00″E / 23.90000°S 29.45000°E / -23.90000; 29.45000Coordinates: 23°54′00″S 29°27′00″E / 23.90000°S 29.45000°E / -23.90000; 29.45000
Country South Africa
Province Limpopo
District Capricorn
Municipality Polokwane
Established 1886
Government
 • Executive Mayor Thembi Nkadimeng [1] (ANC)
Area[2]
 • Total 106.84 km2 (41.25 sq mi)
Elevation 1,310 m (4,300 ft)
Population (2011)[2]
 • Total 130,028
 • Density 1,200/km2 (3,200/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)[2]
 • Black African 74.4%
 • Coloured 3.7%
 • Indian/Asian 3.1%
 • White 18.2%
 • Other 0.5%
First languages (2011)[2]
 • Northern Sotho 45.9%
 • Afrikaans 19.8%
 • English 10.3%
 • Venda 6.7%
 • Other 17.3%
Postal code (street) 0699
PO box 0700
Area code 015
HDI Increase 0.75 High
Bird Northern royal albatross
Flower Blue squill
Website www.polokwane.gov.za

Polokwane (UK /ˌpɒləˈkwɑːnɪ/[3]), meaning "Place of Safety" in Northern Sotho,[4][5][6] is a city in the Polokwane Local Municipality and the capital of the Limpopo province, South Africa. It is also often referred to by its former official name,[7] Pietersburg. Polokwane is South Africa's largest urban centre north of Gauteng. It was one of the host cities of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

History

In the 1840s, Voortrekkers under the leadership of Andries Potgieter established Zoutpansbergdorp, a town 100 kilometres (62 mi) 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 at Pietersburg during the Boer War to house almost 4,000 Boer women and children. The town officially became a city on 23 April 1992; on 25 February 2005, the government declared the official name of the city as Polokwane, a name that was generally in use by the speakers of Northern Sotho. The city was the site of the ANC national conference which saw Jacob Zuma take over as head of the party.[8]

Demographics

In 1904 Pietersburg had a population of 3,276, of whom 1,620 (49.5%) were whites.[9] Pietersburg was a white-designated area during apartheid and so had an overwhelming white majority before 1990. After the dismantling of apartheid the city still retained a large white population. Neighbouring townships have a black majority.[10]

The South African census showed the population of Polokwane City as 130,028 with 43,846 households in the 2011 census.

Group Percentage [11]
Black African 74,4%
Coloured 3,7%
Indian/Asian 3.1%
White/European 18,2%
Other 0,6%

Districts/suburbs/townships

Jacaranda trees lines many streets in Polokwane, blooming purple blossoms in October every year.

Under the apartheid government certain areas were allocated to certain racial groups; these areas still have a majority of these racial groups present. Westernburg is a former Coloured township. Seshego and Turfloop are former black townships outside Polokwane. Nirvana is a former Indian township. Former White suburbs in the city include: Bendor, Welgelegen, Moregloed, Annadale, Ivydale, Flora Park, Fauna Park, Penina Park, Ivy Park, Hospital Park, Ster Park, Dalmada, Broadlands, Woodlands, and Thornhill. Serala View and Marula Heights are new "black" elite suburbs.

These suburbs no longer host exclusive racial groups and the local government has launched a project to encourage ethnic integration.[12]

Climate

Polokwane
Climate chart (explanation)
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
82
 
 
28
17
 
 
60
 
 
28
17
 
 
52
 
 
27
15
 
 
33
 
 
24
12
 
 
11
 
 
22
8
 
 
5
 
 
20
5
 
 
3
 
 
20
4
 
 
6
 
 
22
7
 
 
17
 
 
25
10
 
 
43
 
 
26
13
 
 
85
 
 
27
15
 
 
81
 
 
27
16
Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
Precipitation totals in mm
Source: SAWS[13]

Polokwane features a semi-arid climate under the Köppen climate classification. Despite its position on the Tropic of Capricorn,[14] the climate is tempered by its position on a plateau 1230 meters above sea level.[15] Average temperatures reach around 21–22 °C (70–72 °F) in January and fall to 11 °C (52 °F) in July.[15] As with much of inland South Africa, Polokwane has experienced notably warmer seasons over the last decade than its long term average.[16] Polokwane has a dry climate with a summer rainy season and a pronounced dry spell during winter. Average annual rainfall is 495 millimetres (19.5 in), with December or (less often) January the wettest month and July the driest.[17]

Climate data for Polokwane (1961−1990, extremes 1953–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 37.1
(98.8)		 38.4
(101.1)		 34.5
(94.1)		 33.9
(93)		 32.8
(91)		 28.6
(83.5)		 27.8
(82)		 32.0
(89.6)		 36.8
(98.2)		 37.0
(98.6)		 37.4
(99.3)		 36.8
(98.2)		 38.4
(101.1)
Average high °C (°F) 28.1
(82.6)		 27.6
(81.7)		 26.6
(79.9)		 24.4
(75.9)		 22.4
(72.3)		 19.6
(67.3)		 19.9
(67.8)		 22.1
(71.8)		 25.2
(77.4)		 26.1
(79)		 26.5
(79.7)		 27.4
(81.3)		 24.7
(76.5)
Daily mean °C (°F) 22.0
(71.6)		 21.3
(70.3)		 20.7
(69.3)		 17.8
(64)		 14.7
(58.5)		 11.7
(53.1)		 11.8
(53.2)		 14.1
(57.4)		 17.5
(63.5)		 19.3
(66.7)		 20.3
(68.5)		 21.3
(70.3)		 17.7
(63.9)
Average low °C (°F) 17.1
(62.8)		 16.7
(62.1)		 15.3
(59.5)		 12.2
(54)		 7.9
(46.2)		 4.7
(40.5)		 4.4
(39.9)		 6.7
(44.1)		 10.4
(50.7)		 13.3
(55.9)		 15.2
(59.4)		 16.4
(61.5)		 11.7
(53.1)
Record low °C (°F) 9.8
(49.6)		 10.6
(51.1)		 7.9
(46.2)		 3.6
(38.5)		 0.2
(32.4)		 −3.5
(25.7)		 −3.2
(26.2)		 −2.4
(27.7)		 0.2
(32.4)		 5.0
(41)		 6.9
(44.4)		 8.8
(47.8)		 −3.5
(25.7)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 82
(3.23)		 60
(2.36)		 52
(2.05)		 33
(1.3)		 11
(0.43)		 5
(0.2)		 3
(0.12)		 6
(0.24)		 17
(0.67)		 43
(1.69)		 85
(3.35)		 81
(3.19)		 478
(18.82)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 7 6 5 4 2 1 0 1 1 5 8 7 47
Average relative humidity (%) 69 70 71 69 64 61 58 56 55 61 66 69 64
Mean monthly sunshine hours 253.2 220.8 241.4 232.0 271.0 261.1 279.1 281.3 276.6 264.7 235.3 254.0 3,070.5
Source #1: NOAA (normals and June record low only),[18] Meteo Climat (record highs and lows)[19]
Source #2: South African Weather Service[13]

Transport

Air

A public airport, Polokwane International Airport, (IATA: PTG, ICAO: FAPP),[20] is located just North of the city. There are daily flights to Johannesburg.[21]

Road

Nelson Mandela road traffic island on the approach to Polokwane

Polokwane lies roughly halfway between Gauteng (300 km) and the Zimbabwean border (200 km) on the N1 highway, which connects Zimbabwe with the major cities of South Africa, such as Pretoria, Johannesburg, Bloemfontein and Cape Town.

Running east, the R71 connects the city with Tzaneen, Phalaborwa and the Kruger National Park.

The Nelson Mandela road traffic island is situated on the outskirts of Polokwane when approaching from the direction of Johannesburg. It was built prior to the 2010 FIFA World Cup as part of beautifying the city for the event.

There are a number of private bus services running in the city and also services connecting Polokwane to other major centers in the country.

Railways

Polokwane is connected to Johannesburg and other major centres via rail. Agricultural produce in the area, including tomatoes, citrus fruit, bananas and avocados, is also transported via freight rail.[22]

Society and culture

Media

The South African Broadcasting Corporation has a branch located in the city.[23] The city also hosts a branch of the country's largest independent radio station, Jacaranda RM/FM, which is broadcast from either Pretoria, Nelspruit or Polokwane.[24] The first and only commercial radio station in Limpopo, CapricornFM also broadcasts from the city.[25] The city has a selection of locally distributed newspapers and an online publication named Hello Polokwane.[26]

Gambling

There is a Sun International casino and hotel in Polokwane. Meropa Casino and Entertainment World is a Moroccan-style 24-hour casino with various outdoor entertainment amenities such as go-karts, mini-golf and a wildlife park.

Museums, monuments and memorials

Churches

Roman Catholic Church in Polokwane (Pietersburg)

One of the earliest churches established in Polokwane (then Pietersburg) was the "English Church." Prior to 1894 there were occasional services for the English Church held by visiting priests in the local Court House. Work began on building a church in Market Street in 1895. The building was completed in 1897 and Christ Church had a permanent venue. The church struggled with a lack of members during the Anglo-Boer war (Boer Wars) but regular services resumed in November 1901 and have continued to this day. The Anglican church moved from Market Street to Biccard Street in the 1960s. There is also a Roman Catholic church situated in Biccard street.

Synagogues

The first Jewish settlers in Pietersburg arrived between 1890 and 1900 from Lithuania, Russia, and Latvia, and the Pietersburg Hebrew Congregation was founded in 1897. A synagogue was built on Jorissen Street in 1921. The Jewish community grew rapidly in the 1930s and 1940s; a larger synagogue was built in 1953 and the old synagogue was then converted into a communal hall. The number of Jews in Pietersburg began to decline from the late 1950s. In 2003, as the congregation had dwindled, the synagogue was closed and its benches, bimah, and other contents were shipped to Israel, where they were installed in the Mevasser Synagogue in Tel Mond in memory of the Pietersburg synagogue.[29]

Sports

Golf

The Pietersburg Golf Club along with the golf course was established in the late 1800s. The immaculate lush green course comprises a full 18 holes. Retief Goosen (born 3 February 1969) was born in Pietersburg and honed his skills at the Pietersburg Golf Club.

Cricket

The Polokwane Cricket Club is one of the oldest in the country and was established in 1902.[30]

Rugby

Noordelikes Rugby Club is the largest amateur rugby club based in the city.[31]

Starting in 2013, the city will host a Limpopo provincial team in the Vodacom Cup.[32]

Springbok rugby captain, Victor Matfield grew up in Polokwane. Former Springbok rugby captain John Smit was born in Polokwane.

Soccer

Winners Park F.C., Black Leopards F.C. and Polokwane City F.C., and Baroka F.C., South African football clubs, are based in the city.

Swimming

Polokwane has a number of swimming clubs. Former Olympic gold-medalist and world-record swimmer Lyndon Ferns is from the city.

Tennis

There is a large tennis club situated in the city and various local tournaments are held regularly.

Stadiums

Tourism

War memorial outside the Polokwane Art Gallery consisting of hundreds of guns melted after the Anglo-Boer war

Polokwane provides access to various nature and wildlife viewing opportunities for ecotourists. The Polokwane Bird and Reptile Park is home to over 280 species of birds. The Polokwane Game Reserve houses various South African species of wildlife, birdlife, and plants in an unspoiled bushveld environment. The Moletzie Bird Sanctuary protects rare birds like the Cape vulture. The Modjadji Rainforest near Duiwelskloof holds the largest concentration of indigenous cycads in the world, and Cheune Crocodile Farm provides a place to learn about the life of crocodiles.[28]

An extensive art collection is preserved in Polokwane's art gallery, open to the public. The city has more public sculptures per capita in its parks than elsewhere in South Africa. Polokwane was also the first to unveil a bust of the ex-president Nelson Mandela in its City Square (Civic Gardens), and it was authorized by Nelson Mandela personally.[34]

The city is considered the premier hunting destination in South Africa.

Commerce and industry

The city hosts several major industries such as Coca-Cola[35] and South African Breweries.[36] As the capital of the Limpopo province the city also has a large commercial area with the four largest banks in the country all having at least three branches in the city. The city was well known for its manufacturing facility in Seshego of Tempest Radios & Hi-Fis, the largest employer in the region.

Education

Tertiary education

The Tshwane University of Technology, and the University of South Africa both have satellite campuses in the city.[37][38] The University of Limpopo's Turfloop campus is situated about 30 km east of Polokwane.

Secondary education

Shopping malls

Sister cities

Polokwane is a sister city with:

Notable people

Coats of arms

Municipal (1)

By 1931, the Pietersburg municipal council had assumed a pseudo-heraldic "coat of arms". The shield depicted a crossed pick and shovel, two crossed wheatsheaves, and the date 1904 surrounded by a riband bearing the motto Labor omnia vincit. The crest was an ostrich.[40]

Municipal (2)

A proper coat of arms was designed in the 1960s. It was registered with the Transvaal Provincial Administration in August 1967[41] and at the Bureau of Heraldry in September 1969.[42]

The arms were : Azure, on a fess Argent, between in chief a lion passant Argent, armed and langued Gules, and in base two chevrons humette, and a horseshoe Argent, placed 2 and 1, two cogwheels Gules. In layman's terms, this was a blue shield displaying, from top to bottom, a silver lion with red tongue and claws, a silver stripe bearing two red cogwheels, and two silver chevrons and a horseshoe.

The crest was a golden eagle, and the motto, once again, was Labor omnia vincit.

Municipal (3)

The Polokwane municipal council registered a new coat of arms at the Bureau in October 2003.[42]

The arms are : Vert, on a fess Argent, a woven grain basket, between two hoes with blades turned inward proper, their handles towards centre-base counterchanged Or and issuant from a voided cogwheel the inner ring cotised Argent, therein a sun Or; on a chief of the last a short-clawed Lark (Mirafra chuana) perched upon a leaf of the silky thorn tree (Acacia rehmanniana) proper, between two demi-peaks with points embattled Brunatre, issuant from the respective shield flanks. In layman's terms, the shield depicts, from top to bottom, (1) a short-clawed lark perched on an acacia leaf between two stylised peaks, (2) a woven grain basket between two hoes on a silver background, and (3) a silver cogwheel on a green background.

Above the shield is a brown rustic crown. The motto is Unity - equity - prosperity.

References

  1. ↑ Polokwane | The Heart of the Limpopo Province
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Main Place Polokwane". Census 2011.
  3. ↑ "Polokwane". Collins Dictionary. n.d. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
  4. ↑ Encyclopaedia Britannica
  5. ↑ Polokwane - The Heart of the Limpopo Province. City of Polokwane official website. Retrieved on Oct 15, 2009.
  6. ↑ "Our history". Polokwane Local Municipality. Retrieved 2009-09-19.
  7. ↑ Republic of South Africa (7 January 2005). "Department of Arts and Culture: Approval of Official Place Names". Government Gazette. Retrieved Oct 15, 2009.
  8. ↑ South Africa | Zuma comes out on top | Economist.com
  9. ↑ http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Pietersburg
  10. ↑ http://www.mbendi.com/a_sndmsg/place_view.asp?pid=13626
  11. ↑ http://www.statssa.gov.za/?page_id=4286&id=13083
  12. ↑ http://www.polokwane.org.za/index.php?view_page+683
  13. 1 2 "Climate data for Polokwane". South African Weather Service. Archived from the original on March 4, 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2010.
  14. ↑ "Profiles: History of Polokwane". The African Executive. 12–19 December 2007. Retrieved 10 February 2010.
  15. 1 2 Peter Baxter. "Polokwane". WhyGo: South Africa. Retrieved 10 February 2010.
  16. ↑ Average monthly and annual temperatures, Polokwane/Pietersburg 1932 – 2007, GISS
  17. ↑ GHCN monthly rainfall Pietersburg , NGDC, 1932-1992
  18. ↑ "Pietersburg Climate Normals 1961−1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved November 29, 2013.
  19. ↑ "Station Pietersburg (Polokwane)" (in French). Meteo Climat. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
  20. ↑ "FAPP - Polokwane Intl, ZA - Airport - Great Circle Mapper". Retrieved 10 February 2010.
  21. ↑ http://www.gaal.co.za/
  22. ↑ "Freight rail given boost in Limpopo". Polokwane Observer. 24 February 2010. Retrieved 8 October 2010.
  23. ↑ Sabc Corporate
  24. ↑ Jacaranda 94.2FM
  25. ↑ CapricornFM
  26. ↑ Hello Polokwane
  27. ↑ "Bakone Malapa Open-Air Museum". Planetware. Retrieved 10 February 2010.
  28. 1 2 "SA Places To See Polokwane". Zeuzzo 2010. Retrieved 10 February 2010.
  29. ↑ The History of the Pietersburg (Polokwane) Jewish Congregation. JewishGen KehilaLinks. Retrieved on October 29, 2015.
  30. ↑ http://www.observer.co.za/stories/century-old-cricket-club-make-way-2010-f
  31. ↑ http://www.polokwane.org.za/index.php?view_page+559
  32. ↑ http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/Limpopo-to-get-Vodacom-Cup-side-20120116
  33. ↑ FIFA.com - Peter Mokaba Stadium: the stadiums for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa
  34. ↑ http://www.rawson.co.za/property/polokwane
  35. ↑ Coca-Cola | South Africa
  36. ↑ SAB Limited - Sites and locations
  37. ↑ Tshwane University of Technology - About Us
  38. ↑ UNISA - online
  39. ↑ Mall Of The North
  40. ↑ The arms were depicted on a cigarette card issued in 1931.
  41. ↑ Transvaal Official Gazette 3288 (30 August 1967).
  42. 1 2 http://www.national.archsrch.gov.za
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