Mahikeng
Channel: 宇宙のすべての知識 プリンシピア
Date: 2019-03-20

Mahikeng, by Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=44514 / CC BY SA 3.0

#Mahikeng
#Populated_places_in_the_Mafikeng_Local_Municipality
#Provincial_capitals_in_South_Africa
#Populated_places_established_in_1852
#1852_establishments_in_Africa
Mahikeng

Mahikeng, formerly, and still commonly known as Mafikeng and historically Mafeking in English, is the capital city of the North-West Province of South Africa. It was the site of the Siege of Mafeking during the Second Boer War.

Located close to South Africa's border with Botswana, Mahikeng is northeast of Cape Town and west of Johannesburg. In 2001, it had a population of 49,300. In 2007, Mafikeng was reported to have a population of 250,000 of which the CBD constitutes between 69,000 and 75,000. It is built on the open veld at an elevation of , by the banks of the Upper Molopo River. The Madibi goldfields are some south of the town.

Mahikeng is the headquarters of the Barolong Boo Ratshidi people. The town was founded by Molema Tawana (c. 1822 – January 1882). 
Born in Khunwana during the "difaqane" period, Molema was the son of Kgosi Tawana of the Tshidi Barolong. Molema's brother and close confidant, Montshiwa, later became chief. During the period that the Tshidi Barolong resided at Thaba Nchu, where they found refuge during the difaqane, Molema was converted to Christianity by the Wesleyan missionaries based there. Molema's son and heir, Silas Molema, was educated at Healdtown College. (Silas helped his nephew Sebopioa Molema get to the United States about 1904 to study law at Wilberforce University in Wilberforce, Ohio.)

In 1857 Molema led an advance guard to scout out the area along the Molopo River. This was a familiar area as they had previously lived in nearby Khunwana. Molema settled at Mafikeng (known in its early years as "Molema's town"), while the main body of the Barolong under Montshiwa followed. But Montshiwa did not feel safe at Mafikeng due to the close presence and encroachment of the Bo...