| Mahlamba Ndlopfu | |
|---|---|
 Interactive map of Mahlamba Ndlopfu | |
| Former names | Libertas |
| Alternative names | English:"The New Dawn" |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Cape Dutch architecture |
| Location | Bryntirion Estate,Pretoria,South Africa |
| Coordinates | 25°44′16″S28°13′36″E / 25.7377612°S 28.2265393°E /-25.7377612; 28.2265393 |
| Current tenants | Cyril Ramaphosa,President of the Republic of South Africa |
| Opened | 1940; 85 years ago (1940) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Gerard Moerdijk |
| Website | |
| thepresidency.gov.za | |
Mahlamba Ndlopfu (formerly known asLibertas) is the chiefofficial residence of thePresident of the Republic of South Africa. The head of government has made it their official home since 1940 and it is located in theBryntirion Estate inPretoria.
The building was built in 1940 and was designed byGerard Moerdijk, a South African architect, to be the official residence in Pretoria of thePrime Minister of the time,GeneralJan Smuts. Since its creation, Mahlamba Ndlopfu has also hosted official visits from foreign heads of state, such as visits byFrançois Mitterrand, thePresident of the French Republic, andBarack Obama, thePresident of the United States.
The current occupant of Mahlamba Ndlopfu isCyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa since February 14, 2018.
In the late 1930s, Prime Minister Jan Smuts and his government organised a national competition to select the architect who would lead the construction of the new official residence in Pretoria of the South African head of government.[1] Gerard Moerdijk, already known for designing theUniversity of Pretoria and theVoortrekker Monument, convinced the jury appointed by the Department of Public Works.
Moerdijk decided to adopt theCape Dutch style, a type of traditional house common amongBoer andAfrikaans descendants in South Africa.[2] However, he adapted this style to a more luxurious context so that the place could express the charm and power of theUnion of South Africa. Jan Smuts was the first head of government to settle in this residence which was then called Libertas (freedom in Latin).
From 1940 to 1961, Libertas was the chief official residence of thePrime Ministers of theUnion of South Africa, which was adominion underthe Crown. The Prime Minister's other official residence wasGroote Schuur, which is located inCape Town. The Prime Minister was the head of government, while theGovernor-General, who defended the interests ofLondon,[3] represented the British monarch, the monarch being the Sovereign and Head of State.
On 31 May 1961, the Union officially became the Republic of South Africa, following areferendum organised by Prime MinisterHendrik Verwoerd the previous year.[4] The country was forced to leavethe Commonwealth because of itsapartheid laws, to which the other former British colonies and theUnited Kingdom were hostile. The Royal positions and titles disappeared, and the role of head of state was transferred to the newly electedState President of the Republic of South Africa.
In September 1983, Libertas experienced a great change with the adoption of the newSouth African constitution during the mandate of Prime MinisterP.W. Botha. The new constitution officially came into force the following year, in September 1984. The position of Prime Minister was abolished,[5] while the State President was now the head of government as well as being the head of state. After that, Libertas became one of the official residences of the State President, along withTuynhuys and Westbrooke (since renamedGenadendal) on theGroote Schuur estate inCape Town andKing's House (since renamed Dr John Dube House) inDurban.
Upon the end ofapartheid in May 1994, the office of State President was abolished. It was replaced with the office ofPresident of the Republic of South Africa. Libertas, Tuynhuys, Genadendal and King's House continued to be official residences of the new office of President.
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The first multiracial election was held in 1994 andNelson Madiba Mandela was elected President of the Republic of South Africa (62.6% of the vote). He became the first black head of state inSouth Africa.
During his term of office, President Mandela attached great importance to the symbols of African culture. His election made it possible to re-Africanise a country hitherto dominated by the white minority. He thus decided to rename Libertas asMahlamba Ndlopfu[6] (the "New Dawn" inTsonga language). According to his vision, this place was to become a symbol of the growing African heritage and influence in the country.
Since May 1994, Mahlamba Ndlopfu has been a symbol of African empowerment in South Africa, and all the Presidents elected since Mandela have come from the black community.[7] The site and its gardens are subject to daily maintenance and constant renovation in order to place the President and his government in the best possible conditions.
The architect of Libertas wasGerard Moerdijk (1890–1958). He came from a family ofDutch immigrants and was even deported during theSecond Boer War. He was passionate about architecture, especially theRenaissance,[8] so, after his studies in Pretoria, he went toFrance (École des Beaux Arts) andItaly (British School of Archeology,Rome).
Upon his return in 1913, he specialised in the realisation of churches with a special touch, since he did not follow the traditional method. He received nearly 80 orders for churches in South Africa, but also inthe Rhodesias andSouth-West Africa. Moerdjik was particularly interested in Greek theatres. His most famous masterpiece is the commemorativeVoortrekker Monument, completed in 1949.
In order to realise Libertas, Gerard Moerdijk won a competition organised by the Public Works Department and Prime Minister Jan Smuts.
Libertas was built in the atypical style of Gerard Moerdijk, mixing classical European architecture with colonial and African influences. It was mainly inspired by theCape Dutch style,[9] an architecture specific to the settlers, especially farmers, established in South Africa. It was brought by the Dutch and re-used by the British in the Cape region.
The white colour of the walls of Mahlamba Ndlopfu is inspired from the 18th century Boer[10] farms inthe Cape area. The flourishing nature around is also part of the Cape Dutch environment, although Moerdijk wanted to keep a structured garden around the residence. The architect also insisted on modernising the techniques and limited the use of woods which was not resistant enough for such a construction.
Mahlamba Ndlopfu was built on the Bryntirion Estate. Besides the Presidential residence, the official residence of theDeputy President,Oliver Tambo House,[11] is also located on the Bryntirion Estate.Oliver Tambo House is currently occupied byPaul Mashatile, Ramaphosa’s Deputy President since 2023. The estate also incorporates a Presidential guest house and official residences for several Cabinet ministers. In total the zone contains 28 properties (callederfs), and they are all owned by the Republic of South Africa (except for erf 16[12]).
The estate is 107 hectares (264 acres) and its infrastructures allow the government officials spare-time activities. There are 15 tennis courts, a 9-hole Presidential golf course[13] and several private swimming pools in Bryntirion. Ahelipad was also built in order to facilitate governmental travelling.
Because of its political importance, the Bryntirion Estate is a highly protected place. The security system is made of 202 surveillance cameras, 4 massive gatehouses and 8.1km of anti-climb motion detection fences which were built in 2007. The fences eventually cost 90 millionRand (USD12.8 million), which makes each metre worth 11,000 Rand.[14]
As the chief official Presidential residence, Mahlamba Ndlopfu is not only useful as a house to live in. It is also the place where the President holds his meetings with the important government representatives, and where he sometimes invites his foreign equivalents.
In 1994, when Nelson Mandela became President of the Republic of South Africa, an important inauguration ceremony was organised at theUnion Buildings in Pretoria. He decided to invite his political friends from all around the world such asFidel Castro (Cuban leader) orAl Gore (US Vice-President).[15] Mandela therefore received many of his powerful guests in Mahlamba Ndlopfu after the ceremony.[16]
In July 1994, the French President,François Mitterrand, was the first foreign head of state to make an official state visit since 1947[17] and was eventually invited to Mahlamba Ndlopfu. Because of theapartheid system, international political leaders refused to go to South Africa until the election of Mandela. Many influential figures followed Mitterrand, such asQueen Elizabeth II of theUnited Kingdom (and formerlyQueen of South Africa), theGerman ChancellorHelmut Kohl, and theU.S. President,Bill Clinton.
Mahlamba Ndlopfu as an embodiment of South African Presidential power has had a great symbolic value over time.
First, the use of the architectural Cape Dutch style, which was used to build Libertas in 1940, was picked for its important symbolic value. It was chosen to prove that the place where the head of government lived was marked with colonial heritage. It was at the same time honouring the ancestors of the white minority of South Africa, and the typical style of the region. The name Libertas was chosen in order to highlight the value of freedom.
Moreover, this place became an important symbol of the African influence when it changed its name during President Mandela’s term. Indeed, Mandela gave a significant importance to the Africanisation[18] of the country which had been dominated by colonial descendants for decades. Africanisation led to symbolic changes like the inclusion of African history on the education programme, the new South African flag, and the changing of theLibertas name toMahlamba Ndlopfu.
