Mahikeng

Mahikeng, South Africa

Mahikeng, formerly Mafikeng, Mafeking, city, capital of North-West province, South Africa. It lies close to the Botswana border, about 150 miles (240 km) west of Johannesburg.

Mahikeng, South Africa: Siege of Mafeking obelisk

The area was settled by Chief Molema and his followers in 1852; they called it “Molema’s town.” In 1881 the name was changed to Mahikeng, meaning “place of rocks” in the Tswana language. The British founded a military outpost nearby in 1885 under the name of Mafeking, which would later be used for the name of the colonial town that developed. Britain’s garrison there under Col. Robert (later Lord) Baden-Powell was besieged by Boers from October 13, 1899, to May 17, 1900, during the South African War. Its fate excited the liveliest sympathy in England, and jubilation in London on the news of its relief led to the coining of the word maffick. The restored fort is a national monument of South Africa.

Until 1965, the city was the extraterritorial headquarters of the British protectorate of Bechuanaland (now Botswana). The name was changed from Mafeking to Mafikeng after it was incorporated into the not internationally recognized republic Bophuthatswana (see also Bantustan) in 1980. The city’s name was changed from Mafikeng back to Mahikeng in 2010.

Mahikeng is a major employer for the region, and Mmabatho, the former capital of Bophuthatswana, adjoins it on the west. Surrounded by prosperous cattle country, Mahikeng is a trade centre and supports dairy industries. Its workshops make it an important stop on the Cape Town-to-Zimbabwe railway, and a spur line connects the town to Johannesburg. Along with Mmabatho and other towns, the city is administered as part of the Mahikeng Local Municipality. Pop. (2001) city, 51,802; local municipality, 259,478; (2011) city, 64,359; local municipality, 291,527; (2016 est.) local municipality, 314,394.