Pretoria occupies a special place in the hearts of most South Africans, as it has always been at the centre of the country’s political turmoil. As the country’s administrative capital, it had to bear the brunt of the hatred against the much-despised “apartheid system”. But, equally, it has also been the location of South Africa’s most transformative celebrations. Few people will forget the moment when, on a sunny day in 1994, the reins of power were handed over to the country’s first black president, Nelson Mandela, in front of the city’s iconic Union Buildings. This was the same man who had stood trial for treason in the city’s Supreme Court 33 years earlier and been sentenced to a life in prison.
When it is not wearing its political jacket, Pretoria is a charming, quiet city filled with lovely old buildings and fascinating museums for the visitor to discover. It is at its best in spring when its 70,000 jacaranda trees come into bloom, giving it the name “Jacaranda City”. Unfortunately, it has tended to live in the shadow of its neighbour, Johannesburg, which throbs with the excitement and energy of being the country’s biggest city and business capital.
Only 50kms separates the two cities, but these days the two cities are close to forming one huge metropolitan area and it is difficult to work out where one city ends and the other starts. Many residents of Pretoria work in Johannesburg and vice versa, and the packed highway between the two cities is testimony how they are inextricably linked to one another.
Only in one area are the two definitely separated – and that is loyalty to sports teams. In football, Pretoria is home to Mamelodi Sundowns and Supersport United, Johannesburg’s mega-teams are Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates. In rugby, the Gauteng Lions of Johannesburg are fierce opponents of Pretoria’s Blue Bulls. Both cities have massive, modern stadiums, a key factor in the country being awarded the Rugby World Cup in 1995 and the 2010 Soccer World Cup.
Pretoria doesn’t take its “second city” status lying down. It is home to the excellent Pretoria University and the country’s massive correspondence university, Unisa. Research institutes and international embassies line the streets, and the State Theatre is tops when it comes to opera and big musical productions. Among its big attractions are the Union Buildings, the Voortrekker Monument, Melrose House, the Pretoria Zoo, the National Botanical Gardens and a number of game and nature reserves.
Changing the city’s name to Tshwane, which is the name of the metropolitan area, is a very contentious issue among residents. It was approved by the country’s names council in 2005, but has yet to be endorsed by the government. The change is an emotive issue and not likely to have any effect on this city of two million people.
The Ndebele were the first people to settle along the Tshwane River, which was named after a Ndebele chief. Pretoria was founded in 1855 by the Boer trekkers and declared the capital of the South African Republic, which was the Boer republic in the Transvaal.
The president of the republic, Marthinus Pretorius, named it after his father, Andries Pretorius, who had become the national hero of the Voortrekkers after his victory over the Zulu kingdom in a famous battle at Blood River. The founding of Pretoria as the capital of the South African Republic on 1 May 1860 marked the end of the Boers' settlement movements of the Groot Trek.
The Boer Republics of the ZAR and the Orange Free State were united with the Cape Colony and Natal Colony in 1910 to become the Union of South Africa. Pretoria then became the administrative capital of the whole of South Africa, with Cape Town the legislative capital. Between 1860 and 1994, the city was also the capital of the province of Transvaal.
On 14 October 1931, Pretoria achieved official city status. When South Africa became a republic in 1961, Pretoria remained its administrative capital.
Pretoria has dry winters with temperatures averaging 20 °C during the day, dropping to about 5 °C at night. Summers are hot, with occasional thunderstorms, Daytime average temperatures 25 to 30 °C.
