Pietermaritzburg is a Ville of South Africa, Capitale of the Province of the KwaZulu-Native . It is familiarly called quite simply " Maritzburg" or under its initial of " PMB".

History

Foundation of Pietermaritzburg

In the time of the Zulu Empire , the site of the future town of Pietermaritzburg was a Lieu-dit called " Umgungundlovu" (place of the elephant S) Founded in 1838 by the Voortrekkers, following the Battle Blood To rivet, Pietermaritzburg bears the name of the chiefs boers Piet Retief and Gert Maritz, killed little time before by the Zoulou S.

The capital of the republic boer of Natalia

It was the capital of transitory the République Boer of Natalia, before becoming that of the Natal after the annexation of this colony in 1843 by the Britanniques.

The capital of Native then theNative one

The the United Kingdom made of Pietermaritzburg the seat of its administration in the colony of the Native one.

Fort Napier was then built to shelter a garrison.

In 1846, Native Witness, first newspaper of the colony, was published.

In 1872, a botanical garden of 46 hectares was arranged.

The imperial prince

In 1879, the young person imperial Prince, Louis-Napoleon, wire of Napoleon III, officer of the British army is stationed in Pietermaritzburg. It thus comes to thank hospitality for the Victoria Queen while coming to fight the Zulus within the British army. It is killed by the Zulus during a recognition after a heroic but vain resistance. The empress Eugenie de Montijo will come to collect herself on the spot of the death of her son a few months later.

Gandhi

It is in Pietermariztburg that the future Mahatma Gandhi, then Indian lawyer, is expelled of the train in which he travelled because it was not white and that it travelled in first class. Today, a bronze statue of Gandhi throne on Chuch Street with the downtown area.

A provincial capital

In 1893, the Native one forms its first government. A Parliament is cosntruit close to the town hall.

In 1901, Concentration camps gathering children and women boers were arranged in the area.

During the twentieth century, Pietermaritzburg will keep its statute of administrative capital of Native although eclipsed by the large economic port of Durban located at 80 km in the south.

In 1994, it must divide its statute of capital of the new province of Kwazulu-Native with Ulundi, the old capital of the Bantoustan of the Zoulouland.

Pietermaritzburg becomes thus the seat of the Parliament whereas Ulundi is the seat of the government and of the central administration but the infrastructures of the Zulu city prove rapidendemtn insufficient to assume such a load.

In 2004, the single choice of Pietermaritzburg as capital of the KwaZulu-Native is imposed by new government ANC of the province.

Demography

The city counts 230.000 inhabitants and fact part of the new municipality of Msunduzi which counts more than 870 thousand inhabitants.

Policy

Politically, Pietermaritzburg was a liberal city at the time of the Apartheid. Anglophone, it was not a stronghold of the national Parti but of the opposition and was not partisane introduction of the République in 1961. The municipality is held today by ANC.

University

In 1909, the university college of Native is founded. In 1922, it absorbs the technical institute of Durban. In 1949, the two entities form the new University of Native, bastion of the liberal opposition to the government of apartheid and one of the first universities to be opened with the blacks.

In 2004, the University of Native amalgamates with the University of Durban-Westville to become the University of theNative one.

Structure and Tourism

Although founded by boers, Pietermarizburg is of Architecture victorienne and present a true tourist and historical interest for those which are interested by the wars anglo-Zulus and anglo-boer. It is a pleasant, commercial city having several streets animated piétionnières.

The tourists will not fail to admire the town hall (1900) out of red brick with the angle of Church and Commercial Street as well as the church of the wish (1841) built in remembering the oath of allegiance formulated by Voortrekkers the day before the battle Blood River.

They will visit the museum of Voortrekkers where in particular a room is devoted to Louis-Napoleon and the French presence with the Native one.

They will be able to walk in the “garden off remembrance”, which gathers several monuments devoted to the war of the boers and the world wars, then to admire the beautiful buildings and the beautiful villas victoriennes like Old Colonial Building preceded by a statue of Gandhi (1990), Macrorie House (1869) on prick streets, Allard House and the vault co. Mary on Street loop.

Toponymy

Into 2005, ten-new street names of the downtown area changed name for an amount of 350 thousand Rands (42 372 Euros).

• Old Greytown Road : Chota Motala Road (in homage to Mahomed Chota Motala, a former veteran of ANC, ambassador of South Africa to the Morocco of 1996 with 1999, and dead the May 20th 2005 at the 83 years age),
• Edendale Road: Mabidha Road and Selby Msimang Road,
• 333 Church Street: ACE Chetty building
• Longmarket Street: Langlibalele Street,
• Chapel Street: Peter Kerchhoff Street,
• Commercial Road: Albert Luthuli Street,
• Street Loop: Jabu Ndlovu Street,
• Berg Street: Hoosen Haffejee Street,
• East Street: Muskwana Street,
• Durban Road: Alan Lump Avenue,
• New Greytown Road: Bhambatha Road,
• Richmond Road: Reggie Hadebe Road,
• Duncan Mckenzie Drive: Peter Brown Drive,
• Sweetwaters Road: Mbubu Road,
• Newport Drive: Archie Gumede Drive,
• Slangspruit Road: Sikhumbuzo Ngwena Road,
• Baynes Road Drift transistor: Chief Mhlabunzima Road.

Sport

Each January a race marathon in the canoe is organized between Pietermaritzburg and Durban, on the river Msunduzi and Mgeni through the valley of the miles hills until the dam Inanda Dam then to the mouth of the Mgeni river.

Since 1921, in race on foot, June called " Comrades Marathon" is organized between Pietermaritzburg and Durban.

Surroundings and service road

The city is an access point to the Midlands and the Battle fields of the Native one.

It is served mainly by the airport of Durban (ex- Louis Botha Airport).

External bonds

• Official site of the town of Pietermaritzburg (http://www.pietermaritzburg.co.za)

• Site of the tourist bureau of Pietermaritzburg (http://www.pmbtourism.co.za)

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