History of North West Province, South Africa - South African Information

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North West Province Information > History

A Short History of the North West Province
The original inhabitants of the North West Province of South Africa were predominantly from the BaTswana tribe and their language were seTswana. The BaTswana can trace their origins for many centuries through a turbulent history of war and migration across the plains and valleys of the region which forms the North West Province today. Other ethnic groups located in the North West are the Ndebele in the east and the Sotho to the south.

The North West Province was created after the end of Apartheid in 1994, and includes parts of the former Transvaal province and Cape Province, as well as most of the former Bantustan of Bophuthatswana.

The North West Province has a rich collection of battle sites dating from the coming of the Voortrekkers to the end of the Anglo-Boer Wars. The bulk of these battles occurred during the final two years of the Second Ango-Boer War with the Siege of Mafikeng.

Many of the battle sites and war cemeteries have been restored in the North West Province. Special events were hosted as part of the centenary commemorations of the war during 2001/2002

The writer Sol Plaatje is one of the prominent South Africans hailing from the North West Province. Plaatje was educated to Standard three level (five years of schooling) at a mission station near Barkly West. He became fluent in English, Dutch and German, along with numerous African languages and translated several Shakespeare works into SeTswana. After serving as a court interpreter in Mafikeng he founded a newspaper through which to express the aspirations of his people. He became the first Secretary General of the South African Native National Congress (SANNC); the forerunner to the African National Congress.

 

 

 

 

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