| Leeuwenhof | |
|---|---|
 Leeuwenhof in 1988. | |
 Interactive map of Leeuwenhof | |
| Location | Gardens, Cape Town |
| Coordinates | 33°56′17″S18°24′22″E / 33.938°S 18.406°E /-33.938; 18.406 |
Leeuwenhof is an estate in theGardens area ofCape Town,South Africa. It is theofficial residence of thePremier of the Western Cape.[1] Leeuwenhof was originally a farmhouse dating to the time of theDutch East India Company's rule of Cape Town. It includes a Slave Quarters which has been renovated and used to house an exhibition about slavery in Cape Town.[2] It was declared a national heritage site on 15 December 1966.[citation needed]
Who and when built the mansion is not precisely known, but it was owned by 15 proprietors, all prosperous, before it was purchased by the provincial government.[citation needed]
On 22 October 1693, GovernorSimon van der Stel granted the 12 ha nearTable Mountain as a homestead to the businessman Guillaume Heems. After just 2.5 years, the farm was sold to theCompany's Garden botanist, surveyor, and gardenerHenrik Bernard Oldenland. Upon his death, his widow sold it to the Fiscal Joan Blesius, who probably built the first house on the farm. In 1764, Johan Bräsler, originally fromCopenhagen, purchased the farm. He built the current mansion from 1764 to 1788, planting native trees and growing fruits and vegetables there. Capt. Johannes Zorn owned it from 1799 to 1836. He expanded the farm by annexing adjacent land until it reached 79 ha, becoming a successful farmer who owned dozens of slaves and planted large vineyards. In 1809, Zorn was appointed magistrate.[citation needed]
From 1841 to 1847, SirChristoffel Brand, the first Speaker of theParliament of the Cape of Good Hope and father ofPresident of the Orange Free StateJohannes Brand, owned Leeuwenhof. Next, from 1847 to 1881,Petrus Johannes Kotzé owned the estate. He was twiceMayor of Cape Town and a member of the Cape Parliament himself in 1859. His sonJohn Gilbert Kotzé, later Chief Justice of theSouth African Republic and Appeals Court Justice of theUnion of South Africa, was born here. In the time of the Kotzés, the farm was already being encroached on by urban sprawl. The fountain there was expropriated by theCity of Cape Town to supply water. In 1881, the millionairesSammy Marks andIsaac Lewis purchased the estate. Shortly afterwards, Lewis (a mining magnate) became the sole owner of the property, now down to 2 ha around the mansion, and proceeded to refurbish and renovate the house with antique furniture.[citation needed]
On 21 December 1936, the Cape Province Administration (Afrikaans:Kaapse Provinsiale Administrasie (KPA) purchased the house as the official residence of the Administrator ofCape Province. The KPA repurchased the adjoining land from the historic estate.[citation needed]
Zille, who still has to discuss with her family the notion of moving into the Premier's residence, Leeuwenhof...
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