The town was named in Zulu, after KingDingane's royal homesteaduMgungundlovu. Pietermaritzburg is popularly calledMaritzburg and is often informally abbreviated toPMB. It is a regionally-important industrial hub, producingaluminium, timber and dairy products, and is the main economic hub ofuMgungundlovu District Municipality. The public sector is a major employer in the city due to local, district and provincial government offices located here.
Pietermaritzburg City Hall found on a photo album dated 1924
The city was occupied byVoortrekkers, in April 1838 following the murder ofPiet Retief and his seventy-strong party at the Zulu Capital, Mgungundlovu (6 February 1838), when seeking land to settle around Port Natal (The Natal-Land Treaty), and from where the reprisalWenkommando departed (November 1838) to defeatDingane at theBattle of Blood River (16 December 1838). Pietermaritzburg is approximately 160 km (100 mi) direct from the Zulu capital, Mgungundlovu.[citation needed]
Prior to the battle (9 December 1838) a vow was taken that if the Boers were granted victory over the Zulu, then a sacred church would be built which still stands today,The Church of the Vow. It was Jan Gerritze Bantjes, Secretary General to Andries Pretorius, Commander of the campaign who arranged the financing of the church by the Boer towns folk which by then had taken a low priority after the war.[citation needed]
The town grew rapidly to become the capital of the short-livedBoer Republic orNatalia.Britain took over Pietermaritzburg in 1843 and it became the seat of the Natal Colony's administration with the first lieutenant-governor,Martin West, making it his home. Fort Napier, named after the governor of theCape Colony, SirGeorge Thomas Napier, was built to house a garrison. In 1893, Natal received responsibility for its own government, and an assembly building was built along with the city hall.[citation needed]
Bronze statue of Gandhi commemorating the centenary of the incident at thePietermaritzburg Railway Station, unveiled by ArchbishopDesmond Tutu on Church Street, Pietermaritzburg, in June 1993
On 1 June 1893, while the youngMahatma Gandhi was on his way toPretoria, a white man objected to Gandhi's presence in a first-class carriage.[8][9] Despite Gandhi having a first-class ticket, he was ordered by the conductor to move to thevan compartment at the end of the train: he refused, and he was removed from the train at Pietermaritzburg.[8][9]
Shivering through the winter night in the waiting room of thestation, Gandhi made the momentous decision to stay on inSouth Africa and fight theracial discrimination against Indians there. Out of that struggle emerged his unique version ofnonviolent resistance,Satyagraha.[9] Today, a bronze statue of Gandhi stands in Church Street, in the city center.[10]
In 1910, when theUnion of South Africa was formed, Natal became a province of the Union, and Pietermaritzburg became one of the capitals of the country.[11] Duringapartheid, the city was segregated into various sections. 90% of the Indian population was moved to the suburb of Northdale while most of its Zulu inhabitants were moved to the neighbouringtownship of Edendale and white inhabitants were moved out of those areas.[citation needed]
There exist two interpretations about the origin of the city's name. One is that it was named afterPiet Retief (Pieter Mauritz Retief) andGerrit Maritz (Gerhardus Marthinus Maritz), two Voortrekker leaders.[12]: 43 The other is that it was originally named after Piet Retief's full name alone. In this interpretation the original name was "Pieter Mauritz' Burg", later transliterated to the current name.[13]: 11 In 1938, the city announced officially that the second elementMaritz should also honour Gert Maritz.[citation needed]
A view of Church Street in central Pietermaritzburg,c. 1900
In fact, neither Retief nor Maritz ever reached Pietermaritzburg. Retief was killed byDingane, successor toShaka, king of theZulus. Maritz died of illness on 23 September 1838 near the present-day town ofEstcourt, some eighty kilometres northwest of Pietermaritzburg, after the battle with the Zulus at Bloukranz.[citation needed]
At the time of the rise of the Zulu Empire, the site that was to become Pietermaritzburg was called uMgungundlovu. That is popularly translated from the Zulu as "Place of the Elephant" although it could also be translated to mean "The elephant wins".[citation needed]
Umgungundlovu is thus thought to be the site of some Zulu king's victory since "Elephant" (Indlovu) is a name traditionally taken by the Zulu monarch. Legend has it that Shaka had his warriors hunt elephant there to sell the ivory to English traders at Durban (then called Port Natal).[citation needed] Today, the town is still called by its Voortrekker name although the municipality of which it is part bears the Zulu name.[citation needed]
TheUniversity of Natal was founded in 1910.[14] In 1922 the University extended toDurban. The two campuses were incorporated into the University of Natal in March 1949. It became a major voice in the struggle against apartheid and was one of the first universities in the country to provide education to African students. It became theUniversity of KwaZulu-Natal on 1 January 2004.[15]
The first newspaper in Natal, theNatal Witness (now known asThe Witness), was published in 1846.
The 46 hectareBotanic Gardens were created in 1872 by the Botanic Society of Natal.
Thecity hall, which is the largest red-brick building in the Southern Hemisphere, was destroyed by a fire in 1895, but was rebuilt in 1901. It houses the largest pipe organ built by theSheffield organ building company,Brindley & Foster.
In 1919 communist activistDavid Ivon Jones was arrested for distributed an anti-segregation leaflet he co-authored in Pietermaritzburg. His trial became the first major court case against communism in South African history.[16]
During theSecond World War, Italianprisoners of war were housed in Pietermaritzburg. During their stay, they built achurch, which remains standing as a heritage site today.
In 1962,Nelson Mandela was arrested in the nearby town ofHowick to the north of Pietermaritzburg. The arrest marked the beginning of Mandela's 27 years of imprisonment. A small monument has been erected at the location of his arrest. Immediately after his arrest Mandela was taken to the Old Prison in Pietermaritzburg.[17] After a night in the prison, he was taken to Magistrate J. Buys's office in the old Magistrates Court Building in Commercial Road (now Chief Albert Luthuli Road), and was remanded for trial inJohannesburg.[18]
Pietermaritzburg was the capital of theColony of Natal until 1910, when theUnion of South Africa was formed, and Natal became a province of the Union. Prior to 1994, Pietermaritzburg was the capital ofNatal Province. Following the first post-apartheid elections in South Africa, as a result of which theInkatha Freedom Party won a majority in the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government, Pietermaritzburg shared its status as capital of the (then newly created) province of KwaZulu-Natal withUlundi. Pietermaritzburg became the legislative capital of the new province, while Ulundi became the administrative capital.[citation needed]
The IFP, being stronglyZulu nationalist, desired that Ulundi, the capital of the Zulu Kingdom at the time of its fall to the British in theAnglo-Zulu War, be the post-apartheid capital of the province. Ulundi had also been the capital of thebantustanKwaZulu, which makes up a portion of modern KwaZulu-Natal. However, Ulundi severely lacked the infrastructure to be an effective seat of government, and theAfrican National Congress (ANC) and theDemocratic Party, the two other strong political parties in the province, among others, called for Pietermaritzburg alone to be the capital.[citation needed]
The debate came to an end when the ANC came to power in the province in 2004, and named Pietermaritzburg the sole capital of KwaZulu-Natal. This has resulted in the relocation of several government offices to Pietermaritzburg, an action that has generally been welcomed as a positive development for the region. Since 2004, progress such as the modernisation of several buildings in the city centre and a proliferation of retail and housing developments in the suburbs are results of recent investment in the city by both the public and private sectors.[citation needed]
Until the late-1990s, the region was renowned for the production of high-quality textile, clothing and footwear products. An example of the latter included the production ofDoc Marten shoes. However, these industries have declined in the area due to lower production costs in Asia. Extensive timber plantations and numerous citrus farms surround the city, contributing a significant share of the city's output.[citation needed]
TheLiberty Group has made major investments in several phases in the region since 2002 with the development of the Liberty Midlands Mall (the area's largest shopping centre by gross lettable area and its most prestigious) and Stay Easy hotel. Hulett's Aluminium and Willowton cooking oil contributes a substantial part of the region's industrial output.[citation needed]
Pietermaritzburg is also the city where major South African pizza franchiseDebonairs Pizza was founded in 1991.[19]
The Pietermaritzburg borough council assumed a coat of arms in 1861.[20] The shield depicted an elephant standing on grass, and a cross of five stars was placed above the shield. The motto wasUmgungunhlovu. It is unclear what the original colours were, but by 1910, the shield had been coloured blue.[21] By 1931, the council had approved new artwork in which the stars were placed on a radiant sun.[22]
The arms were registered with the Natal Provincial Administration in November 1950.[23] Many early renditions of the coat of arms, visible on older public building and wrought iron lampposts, features an elephant which is clearly anAsian elephant rather than anAfrican elephant. More recent versions reflect an African elephant.
The final version of the arms was granted by theCollege of Arms in May 1961. It was registered at theBureau of Heraldry in May 1973.[citation needed] The blazon wasPer fess Azure and Vert, over all an elephant statant Or, tusked Argent (i.e. the shield was divided horizontally into blue over green, and displayed a gold elephant with silver tusks). The crest was changed to a blue sun displaying gold and silver stars, and two black wildebeest were added as supporters. Each had a shield on its shoulder, the dexter supporter's shield displaying theUnion Jack and the sinister supporter's theflag of the Natalia republic.
The city is served byPietermaritzburg Airport, which has regular scheduled services toOR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. There are 4 flights to Johannesburg and 4 return flights daily, with a reduced number of weekend flights. It once operated flights toCape Town International Airport in Cape Town – this route was terminated in 2019.
The Pietermaritzburg Municipality historically operated a tram service, which was closed down in the 1940s, and a bus service, which was closed down in the 1980s.
Nowadays regular daily bus services connect Pietermaritzburg to other major cities in South Africa. The bus station is located on Burger Street, opposite the McDonalds Centre, and it serves major bus companies. Greyhound and Intercape are the most reliable and they operate several round-trips fromDurban toJohannesburg daily, where Pietermaritzburg is the second to last stop before Durban.
Pietermaritzburg has two types of taxi services:metered taxis andminibus taxis. Unlike in many cities, metered taxis are not allowed to drive around the city to solicit fares and instead must be called and ordered to a specific location. A number of companies service Pietermaritzburg and surrounding areas. These taxis can also be called upon for airport transfers, point to point pickups and shuttles.
Minibus taxis are the standard mode of transport for the majority of the population who cannot afford private vehicles.
A bus rapid transit system is currently being developed in Pietermaritzburg.
The initial phase would see the development of a west to east corridor fromEdendale to Northdale. The BRT route will traverse the CBD along Church Street.
Pietermaritzburg is home to the oldest football (soccer) club of South Africa and the African continent:Savages FC PMB, founded in 1882.
TheComrades Marathon takes place annually in June between Pietermaritzburg andDurban. It has been run since 1921 and attracts thousands of entrants. The start of the race alternates between the two cities.
Between December 1953 and November 1981, Pietermaritzburg had an international standard motor racing circuit located on the outskirts of the city. TheRoy Hesketh Circuit measured 2.902 kilometres (1.803 mi). The circuit was named afterSouth African driverRoy Hesketh.[25] During its period of operation it hosted rounds of theSouth African National Drivers Championship, theSpringbok Series[26][27][28] and nationalFormula Atlantic races. The circuit was also like a second home toMike Hailwood. The track was known for hosting the Easter races as well – a festival of racing over three days. The expansion of the town of Pietermaritzburg eventually led to the redevelopment of the site as a residential and business zone after racing ceased at the end of 1981. The section from Henry's Knee to the top of Beacon still exists, and is undergoing protection from further development as an important piece of Pietermaritzburg's history. From 1948 until 1953 races were held at the 5.5-kilometre (3.4 mi)Alexandra Park Street Circuit on streets within the town of Pietermaritzburg.[29]
Former Springbok and World Cup WinnerJoel Stransky was born in Pietermaritzburg on 16 July 1967, he matriculated fromMaritzburg College.
Former South African CricketerJonty Rhodes was born in Pietermaritzburg in 1969. He attended Merchiston Prep school and later matriculated from Maritzburg College.
The yearly Amashovashova is a 106 km (66 mi) road cycling classic race held since 1986 which starts in Pietermartizburg and finishes in Durban. It is normally held in October.
South African cricketerDavid Miller was born in Pietermaritzburg on in 1989.
In 2010, the BMX Racing World Championship took place in the city of Pietermaritzburg between 15 July and 1 August.
TheMidmar Mile is one of the largest open-water swimming events in the world; taking place at Midmar Dam, north of Pietermaritzburg in February every year, it attracts over 16,000 swimmers from around the world.
The Pietermaritzburg Msunduzi Athletics Stadium is currently being developed.
ThePietermaritzburg Oval is considered one of the most picturesque cricket grounds in South Africa, and it hosted two matches during the 2003 Cricket World Cup.
Pietermaritzburg cricket ground is notable as one of the two grounds used regularly for first-class cricket that have a tree within the boundary (the other isSt Lawrence Ground inCanterbury, Kent).
Woodburn Stadium is currently used for most club rugby in Pietermaritzburg.
The Kershaw Park Tennis Complex is a tennis stadium.
The above facilities form the centre of the Pietermaritzburg sports precinct.
Some of the area's tourist attractions include; the KwaZulu-Natal Museum, City Hall, Colonial Buildings, Imperial Hotel, Comrades House andSANBI Botanical Gardens.
Attractions in the surrounding areas include; Albert Falls Nature Reserve, Howick Falls, Midmar Public Nature Reserve, Queens Elizabeth Park and World's View.
Pietermaritzburg is home to a number of prominent civil society organisations including theAbahlali baseMjondolo (shackdwellers) movement, GroundWork, CINDI, PACSA, and the KwaZulu Natal Christian Council.[30][31][32][33][34]
Built in 1900, the City Hall was then the largest all-brick building in the southern hemisphere. It was declared a national monument in 1969.[37]
At 14 metres high, the statuePegasus adorning the entrance of the Golden Horse Casino was the largest statue of a horse in the world.[38][39] However, as of July 2010, the statue has been demolished due to internal structural damage.[40]
^abGandhi, Rajmohan (10 March 2008).Gandhi. Berkeley: Univ of California Press. pp. 60–61.ISBN978-0-520-25570-8.
^abcDiSalvo, Charles R. (15 November 2013).M.K. Gandhi, Attorney at Law. Berkeley: Univ of California Press. pp. 39–40.ISBN978-0-520-28015-1.
^Sinha, Raman (30 October 2024).Gandhi & Art and Other Essays. Notion Press.ISBN979-8-89556-631-2.
^Simpson, Thula (1 October 2021).History of South Africa: From 1902 to the Present. Penguin Random House South Africa.
^Rhoodie, E. M.; Beavon, Keith S. O. (1976). "Pietermaritzburg". In William D. Halsey (ed.).Collier's Encyclopedia. Vol. 19. New York: Macmillan Educational Corporation.
^Jenkins, G (1971).A Century of History: the story of Potchefstroom (2nd ed.). Cape Town: AA Balkema. p. 120.
^Springbok Series – Sportscar championship in South Africa, that was run usually during winter. Until 1963 was Springbok series for F1 cars. Championship ended in 1973 after two races due to the Middle East oil crisis and never was restarted again...WSPR-racing.com
^South African Springbok Trophy Series – South African endurance sports car championship. It was usually held during the winter when the main season had been finished. Until 1963 the Springbok series was destined for F1 cars before it switched to mixed sports car and touring car field. The main race of the series was well known Kyalami 9 Hours, which enjoyed good international competition. Also many of the other races were well supported. Sports ere still allowed in the main 9-hour event, so even factory Ferrari took the challenge and won in Kyalami three consecutive times during 1970–72 period facing opposition of Porsche 917 and other great machinery of the time. The championship ended up in 1973 after only two races due to the Middle East oil crisis and was never restarted again. The Kyalami event was then shortened to 6 hours and became part of the World Manufacturers Championship, but only for a single season. It then continued under various rules sets and distances over the next decade appearing two more times in the World Sports Car Championship calendar (1983 and 1984) – but the latter was a complete fiasco and it never returned in its full 1,000 km (621 mi) distance, nor as part of the WSPC. Just a few shorter races were held for a few more years to come but 1985.WSRP.ic.czArchived 2 August 2010 at theWayback Machine
.svg)
