Early History of Hartbeespoort

Early History of Hartbeespoort

Hartbeespoort is located within the Bojanala Region of the North West Province. Bojanala Platinum is one of the 4 districts of North West province of South Africa. The seat of Bojanala Platinum is Rustenburg … read more


The early history of the Hartbeespoort region

Magalies Mountains

Hartbeespoort is situated along the majestic Magaliesberg Mountains, which are said to have formed some 2.3 billion years ago, making them 1000 times older than the Alps.

There is conclusive evidence that early man originated in this area, and flourished, later to populate the rest of the world.

It is believed that the first Iron Age people arrived in the area as long ago as 300 AD, and evidence of their presence can be seen at the Broederstroom Archaeological Site (Toppieshoek). It appears that they co-existed with the late Stone Age inhabitants that were in the area at the time.

Human history of the area:

1800 – 1900

By the 1800s, a Tswana offshoot named the Kwena Mmatau had moved into the area from the North and constructed settlements along the slopes of the Magaliesberg, which were originally called “Cashan” after  a powerfull chief of the Mkwena Mmatau named Ngwashwane.

In those days the passes in the area were used by the Griqua and Korana to transport Ivory from the North to the Cape Colony.

In 1827, Mzilikazi, a powerful Ndebele leader who had fled from Shaka and built up an army during his travels through Mpumalanga, invaded the area.  After conquering all the local tribes in the vicinity he established a kingdom extending from the Limpopo River in the North to the Vaal River in the South.

A few years later the first white hunters/traders Mcluckie Robert Schoon and David Hume reached the area.  Mzilikazi learned of the work that Robert Moffat was doing at Kuruman, and promptly sent a deputation to persuade him to travel to the area. Moffat built up a rapport with Mzilikazi which lasted until the end of their lives.

In 1832 a Zulu raiding party traveled on foot from Kwa Zulu Natal, and although their battle with Mzilikazi’s army,  in Silkaatsnek was inconclusive, they managed to make off with a large number of cattle.

As a result, Mzilikazi decided that he was too close to the Zulu Kingdom for comfort and decided to move his headquarters further North.

From 1836 parties of Boers started leaving the Cape Colony trekking north.

The subsequent arrival of the Voortrekkers in the area made Mzilikaz uneasy and so in August 1836, when a Voortrekker hunting party entered the area they were ambushed by the Ndebele.

The widely dispersed Voortrekkers soon rallied and fought off a 3000-strong Impi at the battle of Vegkop, and later went on to destroy Mosega a large Ndebele settlement at Marico.

This battle encouraged Mzilikazi’s traditional enemy the Zulus, who swept through the area four months later capturing cattle and destroying the last remnants of Mzilikazi’s occupation of the mountains, thus allowing many former inhabitants and the Voortrekkers to occupy the area.

The subsequent arrival of the Voortrekkers in the area made Mzilikaz uneasy and so in August 1836, when a Voortrekker hunting party entered the area they were ambushed by the Ndebele.

The widely dispersed Voortrekkers soon rallied and fought off a 3000-strong Impi at the battle of Vegkop, and later went on to destroy Mosega a large Ndebele settlement at Marico.

This battle encouraged Mzilikazi’s traditional enemy the Zulus, who swept through the area four months later capturing cattle and destroying the last remnants of Mzilikazi’s occupation of the mountains, thus allowing many former inhabitants and the Voortrekkers to occupy the area.

Following the British annexation of the Transvaal in 1877 and until the end of the Boer War in 1902, many major battles were fought between the Boers and the British in the area, and the most significant of the historic sites and battlefields have been well documented.

In 1896 General Hendrik Schoeman, started to build a dam wall in the Crocodile River, at the kloof, in Meerhof. It was originally called Sophia Dam after his wife, and cost a massive £10, 000 to build.

1905 – 1923

Around 1905 there was another attempt to build a dam –  this time on the present site at Schoemansville.  Due to financial constraints, the building was terminated.

Official investigations into the possibility of building a dam on the Crocodile River at Hartbeespoort began in 1913 when the first Geological tests were carried out, but the building was delayed during the rebellion, and work only started in 1916.

Two years later floods swept through the construction site destroying much of the work that had been done and setting the project back for years.

It was only after a young engineer F.W. Scott was employed that significant progress was made and the dam was finally completed in 1923.

A little known fact is that the dam incorporates a hydroelectric power plant that operated for about forty years.

More Hartbeespoort history & information

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