A good place to start a tour of Mafikeng is at the Museum, situated in Martin Street. The displays are superb, and the curator holds the keys to a number of historical sites around the town. The Museum is housed in the former Old Town Hall, built in 1902. This ornate building dominated the centre of the town at the time. With its impressive steel ceiling, old town clock and elaborate architectural style, the museum itself deserves a visit.
Outside the museum is a 6-H class steam locomotive, weighing 90 tons. Its tender was constructed in Scotland in 1901. This locomotive pulled trains on the route between Mafikeng and Bulawayo until 1971. In 1985 it was moved from the railway siding to its present position. There is also a 1919 steam engine which provided power for machinery.
The old Mafikeng Club which was recently closed, is represented in the museum by a piece of its roof which was hit by shrapnel from a 94 pound shell. Inside the museum is a treasure trove of artifacts dating back to prehistoric times. An interesting feature is the emphasis on the Tswana culture and history which, for so long, was ignored. A traditional hut greets visitors at the main hall and,opposite, in sharp contrast,stands an old ship's cannon "the Nelson" manufactured in 1770. The gun weighs 436 kilograms, has a calibre of 94mm and had a range of 2,769 metres. It came to Mafikeng in 1883, sold to chief Montshoia by chief Lentshwe of the Bakgatla for 22 oxen. It was used against land-hungry Boers of the Goshen Republic. Baden-Powell's forces later used it in defence of Mafikeng during the Siege.
A unique feature at the museum are objects and pictures related to the Siege, including part of a steel boiler of the train which was ambushed by General De La Rey's commando at Kraaipan. The hole in this piece of steel was caused by the first artillery shot of the war.
The Siege Room features displays of hundreds of artifacts and photographs from Mafikeng's most famous moments and an entire display is dedicated to Sol T Plaatje, academic and founder member of the ANC. His diary of the Siege written when he was a court interpreter provides one of the few written accounts of those events by a black person.
Click here to View the Mafikeng Museum Photo Gallery
|
