Polokwane/Pietersburg Timeline 1835-1995
- 1835
- Migration of disaffected Dutch farmers from the Cape Colony
- 1836
- Louis Trichardt and Hans van Rensburg reach 'De Zoutpansbergen'
- 1838
- Trichardt reaches Delagoa Bay
- 1849
- Treaty of Derdepoort signed by the three Boer States in Transvaal to formalise unity talks. These subsequently proved fruitless
- 1852
- British grant Transvaal Boers independence in terms of the Sand River Convention. Formation of the Zuid-Afrikaanse Republiek
- 1858
- Zoutpansbergers agree to be incorporated into a United South African Republic
- 1867
- Schoemansdal evacuated by the Dutch and subsequently sacked by the BaVenda.
- 1871
- Discovery of gold on a farm near Marabastad
- 1877
- Annexation of the Transvaal by the British. Rise of nationalist political fervour among the Dutch population.
- 1880-81
- Dutch declare war and gain independence from Britain.
- 1882
- Volksraad authorised Piet Joubert to investigate and finalise the siting of a new town north of Pretoria.
- Executive Council authorises the purchase of the farm Sterkloop (later the site of Pietersburg, now Polokwane)
- 1886
- Opening of a Magistrates Office in the new settlement finally leads to the establishment of Pietersburg.
- Introduction of the Occupation Farm System
- 1889
- Pietersburg goldfields exhausted.
- Official opening of the Pietersburg railway station and the Pretoria-Pietersburg line.
- 1891
- An attempt by a group of Dutch farmers to trek further inland fails.
- 1895
- Epidemic breaks out of the Cattle Lung Sickness, also known as the Rinderpest
- 1896-7
- Starvation leads to a breakout of Bubonic Plague.
- 1900
- Historic gathering of the Transvaal and Orange Free State republics.
- Pietersburg nominated as the temporary seat of Government of the United Boer Republic
- 1901
- British capture of Pietersburg during the South African War
- 1902
- Signing of the Treaty of Vereeniging
- 1904
- First Municipal election held.
- Pietersburg’s population made up of 3,276 people of whom 1,620 were White
- 1906
- The Transvaal granted self government by the British.
- 1908
- Road linking Pietersburg to Messina completed.
- 1910
- 31 May, Union of South Africa declared
- 1912
- Founding of the African National Congress
- 1913
- First Native Land Act passed
- 1914
- Formation of National Party
- Railway connection to Messina completed
- Armed uprising of Dutch veterans of the South African War of 1899-1902. This was suppressed a year later
- 1924
- National Party victory in elections.
- 1925
- Formation of Zion Christian Church
- Afrikaans becomes an official language together with English.
- 1926
- Hertzog places three Native Bills before parliament
- 1927
- Official compulsory segregation of races imposed in selected areas
- 1939
- September, Outbreak of the second World War.
- 1948
- National Party elected to government. Introduction of total segregation (See Freedom Struggle feature).
- 1955
- Creation of the Freedom Charter
- 1959
- Passing of the Law for the Advancement of Self-Government
- 1961
- Declaration of the Republic of South Africa.
- Declaration of an “Armed Struggle” by the ANC (See Umkhonto We Sizwe).
- 1972
- Lebowa granted a degree of self-government
- 1979
- End of minority rule in Rhodesia with the subsequent formation of Zimbabwe.
- 1982
- The greater majority of South African voters approve the National Party proposals for a Tri-Cameral Parliament system.
- 1992
- Referendum approves the National Party’s request for a vote of confidence on the road to constitutional reform
- 23 April, The town of Pietersburg/Polokwane earned city status
- 1994
- Nelson Mandela becomes the first democratically elected president of SA
- 1995
- 25 February,The city of Pietersburg becomes one of the first places in South Africa to change its name after the fall of apartheid to Polokwane, meaning 'Place of Safety' in Sesotho.
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