Polokwane/Pietersburg Timeline 1835-1995

1835 Migration of disaffected Dutch farmers from the Cape Colony 1836 Louis Trichardt and Hans van Rensburg reach 'De Zoutpansbergen' 1838 Trichardt reaches Delagoa Bay 1849 Treaty of Derdepoort signed by the three Boer States in Transvaal to formalise unity talks. These subsequently proved fruitless 1852 British grant Transvaal Boers independence in terms of the Sand River Convention. Formation of the Zuid-Afrikaanse Republiek 1858 Zoutpansbergers agree to be incorporated into a United South African Republic 1867 Schoemansdal evacuated by the Dutch and subsequently sacked by the BaVenda. 1871 Discovery of gold on a farm near Marabastad 1877 Annexation of the Transvaal by the British. Rise of nationalist political fervour among the Dutch population. 1880-81 Dutch declare war and gain independence from Britain. 1882 Volksraad authorised Piet Joubert to investigate and finalise the siting of a new town north of Pretoria. Executive Council authorises the purchase of the farm Sterkloop (later the site of Pietersburg, now Polokwane) 1886 Opening of a Magistrates Office in the new settlement finally leads to the establishment of Pietersburg. Introduction of the Occupation Farm System 1889 Pietersburg goldfields exhausted. Official opening of the Pietersburg railway station and the Pretoria-Pietersburg line. 1891 An attempt by a group of Dutch farmers to trek further inland fails. 1895 Epidemic breaks out of the Cattle Lung Sickness, also known as the Rinderpest 1896-7 Starvation leads to a breakout of Bubonic Plague. 1900 Historic gathering of the Transvaal and Orange Free State republics. Pietersburg nominated as the temporary seat of Government of the United Boer Republic 1901 British capture of Pietersburg during the South African War 1902 Signing of the Treaty of Vereeniging 1904 First Municipal election held. Pietersburg’s population made up of 3,276 people of whom 1,620 were White 1906 The Transvaal granted self government by the British. 1908 Road linking Pietersburg to Messina completed. 1910 31 May, Union of South Africa declared 1912 Founding of the African National Congress 1913 First Native Land Act passed 1914 Formation of National Party Railway connection to Messina completed Armed uprising of Dutch veterans of the South African War of 1899-1902. This was suppressed a year later 1924 National Party victory in elections. 1925 Formation of Zion Christian Church Afrikaans becomes an official language together with English. 1926 Hertzog places three Native Bills before parliament 1927 Official compulsory segregation of races imposed in selected areas 1939 September, Outbreak of the second World War. 1948 National Party elected to government. Introduction of total segregation (See Freedom Struggle feature). 1955 Creation of the Freedom Charter 1959 Passing of the Law for the Advancement of Self-Government 1961 Declaration of the Republic of South Africa. Declaration of an “Armed Struggle” by the ANC (See Umkhonto We Sizwe). 1972 Lebowa granted a degree of self-government 1979 End of minority rule in Rhodesia with the subsequent formation of Zimbabwe. 1982 The greater majority of South African voters approve the National Party proposals for a Tri-Cameral Parliament system. 1992 Referendum approves the National Party’s request for a vote of confidence on the road to constitutional reform 23 April, The town of Pietersburg/Polokwane earned city status 1994 Nelson Mandela becomes the first democratically elected president of SA 1995 25 February,The city of Pietersburg becomes one of the first places in South Africa to change its name after the fall of apartheid to Polokwane, meaning 'Place of Safety' in Sesotho.