Pietermaritzburg Westgate Tourism Experience is a showcase of physical tourism attractions west side of the Pietermaritzburg City.
A cocktail overview of Colonial & Liberation Heritage, Culture and Natural attractions experiences, most of which form part of Edendale & Imbali Heritage & Freedom Route.
The West side of the city represents bulk of the heritage of Pietermaritzburg City.
Msunduzi Mayor’s Message
The Westgate Tourism Experience is a great initiative as it seeks to showcase the city’s tourism richness that is mostly found in previously neglected areas. Pietermaritzburg is one of a few cities that can provide a mixture of colonial, township and rural experiences within an hour of travelling.
I recognize the fact that Tourism has consistently grown while other sectors declined due to economic challenges and I have no doubt that the city and its citizens have a lot to benefit from it. I congratulate Msunduzi Pietermaritzburg Tourism Association for spearheading this initiative.
Hon Mayor-Cllr Mzi Thebola
COLONIAL & LIBERATION
The Old Prison – Preview point for Westgate Tourism Experience
The old Pietermaritzburg jail was a medium security institution which housed a maximum of 1800 inmates. A small number of these were maximum security or political prisoners but the majority were awaiting trial.
The original cell block, now a National Monument, was built in 1862 replacing the Voortrekker prison on Market Square. The Old Prison has been declared an official heritage site and within its walls are both a National Monument and a museum documenting some of South Africa’s diverse history. This site boasts stunning displays, interactive technology and a world class museum.
Some of the political prisoners held here, including Nelson Mandela, King Dinuzulu, and Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi
Macrorie House Museum
Built in the year 1862, Macrorie House Museum in Pietermaritzburg is one of the top-rated Pietermaritzburg tourist attractions. This museum was earlier the residence of the bishop of the city, William Macrorie. He served the tenure from the year 1869 to 1891. It is the only early to mid-Victorian double-storey house open to the public in Pietermaritzburg.
Pietermaritzburg Railway Station
The Pietermaritzburg Railway Station, situated in the capital city of KwaZulu-Natal, was constructed in the 19th century, and continues to service several of the major cities of this countryThis is where Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi a young lawyer from India was unceremoniously evicted from the first class compartment of a train bound for Johannesburg on the night of 7 June 1893, the event that was to greatly influence a struggle for freedom in both countries India and South Africa.
A state of the Art Museum was unveiled by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, 9 July 2016
LIBERATION / FREEDOM EXPERIENCES
Arya Samaj Manaye Hall
Manaye Hall, formely Plessislaer Arya Samai Hall in FJ Sithole Road, Imbali Township in Pietermaritzburg, is venue of Mandela’s last speech at the All in African Conference on March 25-26, 1961, before he was arrested the following year in Howick.
He made a surprise appearance there a he was already on the run from the apartheid police.
It was in this conference where participants demanded a “one man one vote” and a National Convention no later than May 31, 1961, the day in which the apartheid regime planned to declare South Africa as a republic. A slogan ‘Amandla Awethu” was born in this Conference.
The Heroes Acre
The Heroes Acre, adjacent to Imbali Township, is the resting home of struggle icons, Moses Mabhida, who died of a heart attack in Maputo on March 8 1986. Johnny Makhathini died on December 3, 1988 also lies buried there after being relocated from Lusaka and reburied the site on February 27, 2010.
Makhathini was himself, a long standing member of the ANC and was the main figure in the organization of All in African Conference
Imbali Peace Monument
The Monument commemorates victims of political violence which gripped Imbali Township and surrounding areas in the early 1999s between ANC and IFP in particular, the “Seven Days War” which led to the brutal killings of many in Pietermaritzburg and Imbali Township.
Unveiled by the then President Nelson Mandela and Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi on November 15, 1998, the Monument remains a symbol of “Never Again”
DCO Matiwane Memorial Park
Located at a historic village called Willowfontein Farm, this Memorial Park tells a story about the life lived by David Cecil Oxford Matiwane, a strong political activist of the then Communist Party and African National Congress. DCO was a seasoned political activist who was particularly strong in opposing the local township administration around Edendale and Imbali under Bantu Administration. D.C.O. Matiwane was harassed, arrested, detained and his house raided frequently by the police
Georgetown heritage site
Georgetown Mission in Edendale dates back to the 1850s and originally Andries Pretorius’s Welverdiendt Farm. The mission was named Georgetown after Governor George Grey, the Governor of the Cape, who supported the initiative. Georgetown contributed many political activists some of whom were founding members of the ANC in 1912.
Nobhiyana Madondo Commemoration Site
Known as Father of Izangoma, Nobhiyana Madondo is the Sangoma that was accredited by King Shaka after passing a daunting test. The site of his commemoration, which stands at Entembeni area, at border of Msunduzi and Richmond Municipalities, it is venue of annual celebration of Izangoma ‘ to recharge their powers’
Township lifestyle Experience
Visitors can enjoy a true Local Township Experience ‘Kasi Vibe’ where you can sit on a beer crate and drink directly from a beer quart while enjoying Kwaito, house or Jazz music
Visit Stokvel clubs and share the excitement and the spirit of togetherness. A combination of shisanyama and carwash provides convenient service, and enjoyment of a chicken dust bite while you are driving. Events include Kasi Car Spin and Soccer
RURAL & HOSPITALITY & VILLAGE TOURISM EXPERIENCE
Visitors can enjoy a true Local Township Experience ‘Kasi Vibe’ where you can sit on a beer crate and drink directly from a beer quart while enjoying Kwaito, house or Jazz music.
Visit Stokvel clubs and share the excitement and the spirit of togetherness. A combination of shisanyama and carwash provides convenient service, and enjoyment of a chicken dust bite while you are driving. Events include Kasi Car Spin and Soccer
NATURAL FEATURES
Qanda Rock
The Qanda Rock is located just outside Pietermaritzburg. This natural feature with a striking shape has attracted many local and international visitors. It is regarded by locals as sacred and rituals have to be carried out before visiting the rock.
Legend has it that, the reason that this area was not affected by political violence was because of existence the rock to which the locals still render sacrifices annually.
KZN National Botanical Gardens
Established in 1874, KwaZulu-Natal National Botanical Garden is a garden with grandeur and charm, offering visitors an experience of nature’s authenticity with the striking Plane Tree Avenue, Natural Forest, Insect Hotel, Clivia Dam and theme gardens including the popular Zulu Demonstration Garden, Cycad Garden and a Permaculture Garden. A host of indigenous flora and fauna also make a visit to this Garden a worthwhile experience. The Garden, which boasts a Children’s Play Area, is one of only a few SANBI National Botanical Gardens that has braai facilities.
