109-668: The Witness (previously The Natal Witness ) is a daily newspaper published in Pietermaritzburg . It mainly serves readers in Pietermaritzburg, Durban and the inland areas of KwaZulu-Natal , South Africa. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper in South Africa, having first been published on 27 February 1846. Until 2000, when it became 50 percent owned by the Naspers subsidiary Media24 group, it
218-495: A biography of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel that was turned into a feature film. While liberal in his views on questions of race, Young did not share Rose's passion for all things British and the paper used its influence to try to bring about greater unity between English- and Afrikaans-speakers, characterised by support for a new national flag and a much more accepting attitude towards Hertzog and Afrikaner aspirations. Young remained with
327-631: A bronze statue of Gandhi stands in Church Street, in the city center. In 1910, when the Union of South Africa was formed, Natal became a province of the Union, and Pietermaritzburg became one of the capitals of the country. During apartheid , the city was segregated into various sections. 90% of the Indian population was moved to the suburb of Northdale while most of its Zulu inhabitants were moved to
436-475: A bus service, which was closed down in the 1980s. Nowadays regular daily bus services connect Pietermaritzburg to other major cities in South Africa. The bus station is located on Burger Street, opposite the McDonalds Centre, and it serves major bus companies. Greyhound and Intercape are the most reliable and they operate several round-trips from Durban to Johannesburg daily, where Pietermaritzburg
545-606: A coat of arms in 1861. The shield depicted an elephant standing on grass, and a cross of five stars was placed above the shield. The motto was Umgungunhlovu . It is unclear what the original colours were, but by 1910 the shield had been coloured blue. By 1931, the council had approved new artwork in which the stars were placed on a radiant sun. The arms were registered with the Natal Provincial Administration in November 1950. Many early renditions of
654-574: A forerunner of apartheid, this has led some commentators to regard Buchanan as something of a reactionary. However, this fails to take into account that for liberals like the editor the locations policy was seen as the only way to ensure that the land rights of tribal people, as well as their customary lifestyle, were protected. Certainly, until the Langalibalele Rebellion of 1873, a committed liberal like Bishop John William Colenso had no problem in supporting Shepstone and his policy. It
763-601: A heated attack on the legal establishment in Natal under John Cloete led to Buchanan's brief, but much-publicised, imprisonment for contempt of court. Buchanan claims to have been imprisoned on two other occasions, but the records are silent on this contention. Buchanan's combative nature came very much to the fore during the period from 1850 to 1856 when Benjamin Pine was Lieutenant-Governor of Natal. Buchanan despised Pine personally, regarding him as both corrupt and immoral, and kept up
872-610: A meeting in Eshowe , led to Statham facing a libel suit brought against him by Shepstone. The matter had still not been fully resolved by the time Statham left The Witness in 1887. From 1888 to 1903, the paper tended to be less radical, although, in terms of South African events, the period was anything but calm – especially as it ended with the South African War , unquestionably the most protracted, expensive and divisive war fought on South African soil. Two editors dominated
981-418: A need for great financial prudence and the paper in particular remained in the doldrums. Another factor was Craib's tendency to quarrel with the editors he appointed. As a result of this, the period was marked by a succession of editors who served for comparatively short periods with protracted gaps in between when the paper tended to operate under the leadership of acting editors. During this period, therefore,
1090-445: A past editor of the paper Desmond Young. Burly and imposing, Eldridge was a newspaperman to his fingertips and his energetic and, at times, idiosyncratic editorship saw the paper's circulation grow to a point where it was no longer under threat of having to surrender to its competitors. Politically, The Witness became firmly established as the most liberal of all the province's mainstream papers, going so far as to give overt support to
1199-621: A prominent role in establishing the freedom of the press during the autocratic governorship of Lord Charles Somerset . Another influence was the missionary Dr John Philip, whose liberal ideas concerning the indigenous people of the Cape Colony had a profound influence on the youthful Buchanan. While still in the Cape he went into partnership with his brother to set up the Cape Town Mail. In January 1846, he disembarked with his family from
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#17327901992111308-654: A reduced number of weekend flights. It once operated flights to Cape Town International Airport in Cape Town – this route was terminated in 2019. Pietermaritzburg Railway Station is served by long distance trains on the Durban-Johannesburg and Durban-Cape Town routes of Shosholoza Meyl . It has been proposed that the Metrorail commuter rail system be expanded from Cato Ridge to Pietermaritzburg. The Pietermaritzburg Municipality historically operated
1417-552: A result of the unsanitary conditions and died most likely of Tuberculosis in September 1874 at his brother's home in Cape Town . Besides his role as the founder of The Natal Witness , he had played a very active role in the political, civic, educational and religious affairs of Natal and is particularly remembered for having introduced the first postal service between Pietermaritzburg and Durban. Buchanan's successor as editor
1526-536: A result of which the Inkatha Freedom Party won a majority in the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government, Pietermaritzburg shared its status as capital of the (then newly created) province of KwaZulu-Natal with Ulundi . Pietermaritzburg became the legislative capital of the new province, while Ulundi became the administrative capital. The IFP, being strongly Zulu nationalist, desired that Ulundi,
1635-676: A shield on its shoulder, the dexter supporter's shield displaying the Union Jack and the sinister supporter's the flag of the Natalia republic . Pietermaritzburg is on the N3 highway , the primary route between the harbour city of Durban , some 90 kilometres (56 mi) away, and the Pretoria-Witwatersrand-Vereeniging conurbation. The R33 connects Pietermaritzburg with Greytown and Paulpietersburg , while
1744-481: A strong feature of the years of Aylward's editorship. Horace Rose was to leave an indelible mark on the paper during his long editorship. He had been born in 1874 in Port Alfred , where his father was a Methodist minister. From his pre-teen years he had developed a love for the sort of African adventure novels that made Sir Rider Haggard famous and over the course of his lifetime wrote a large number of novels in
1853-431: A substantial part of the region's industrial output. Pietermaritzburg is also the city where major South African pizza franchise Debonairs Pizza was founded. The Pietermaritzburg borough council assumed a coat of arms in 1861. The shield depicted an elephant standing on grass, and a cross of five stars was placed above the shield. The motto was Umgungunhlovu . It is unclear what the original colours were, but by 1910
1962-408: A time when banning orders, imprisonment without trial and other draconian measures silenced most forms of opposition. Pietermaritzburg Pietermaritzburg ( / ˌ p iː t ər ˈ m ær ɪ t s b ɜːr ɡ / ; Zulu : uMgungundlovu ) is the capital and second-largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal , South Africa after Durban . It was named in 1838 and is currently governed by
2071-464: A tram service, which was closed down in the 1940s, and a bus service, which was closed down in the 1980s. Nowadays regular daily bus services connect Pietermaritzburg to other major cities in South Africa. The bus station is located on Burger Street, opposite the McDonalds Centre, and it serves major bus companies. Greyhound and Intercape are the most reliable and they operate several round-trips from Durban to Johannesburg daily, where Pietermaritzburg
2180-405: A vitriolic attack on the governor, his policies and his supporters. During Buchanan's editorship the paper was distinguished by its relatively liberal, if paternalistic, attitude towards the black and Indian populations of the colony. He remained a committed supporter of the policies of Theophilus Shepstone , the colony's secretary of native affairs. As Shepstone's locations policy is often seen as
2289-524: Is a major employer in the city due to local, district and provincial government offices located here. The city has many schools and tertiary education institutions, including a campus of the University of KwaZulu-Natal . It had a population of 228,549 in 1991; the current population is estimated at over 600,000 residents (including neighbouring townships) and has one of the largest populations of Indian South Africans in South Africa. Pietermaritzburg
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#17327901992112398-599: Is an emerging metropolitan area. The city was occupied by Voortrekkers , in April 1838 following the murder of Piet Retief and his seventy-strong party at the Zulu Capital, Mgungundlovu (6 February 1838), when seeking land to settle around Port Natal (The Natal-Land Treaty), and from where the reprisal Wenkommando departed (November 1838) to defeat Dingane at the Battle of Blood River (16 December 1838). Pietermaritzburg
2507-558: Is approximately 160 km (100 mi) direct from the Zulu capital, Mgungundlovu. Prior to the battle (9 December 1838) a vow was taken that if the Boers were granted victory over the Zulu, then a sacred church would be built which still stands today, The Church of the Vow . It was Jan Gerritze Bantjes, Secretary General to Andries Pretorius, Commander of the campaign who arranged the financing of
2616-642: Is on the N3 highway , the primary route between the harbour city of Durban , some 90 kilometres (56 mi) away, and the Pretoria-Witwatersrand-Vereeniging conurbation. The R33 connects Pietermaritzburg with Greytown and Paulpietersburg , while the R56 connects Pietermaritzburg with Ixopo and Kokstad . The city is served by Pietermaritzburg Airport , which has regular scheduled services to OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. There are 4 flights to Johannesburg and 4 return flights daily, with
2725-694: Is served by two public universities, University of KwaZulu-Natal and Durban University of Technology . There are also many private and public colleges operating in the city, such as Varsity College . Pietermaritzburg is home to a number of prominent civil society organisations including the Abahlali baseMjondolo (shackdwellers) movement, GroundWork, CINDI, PACSA, and the KwaZulu Natal Christian Council. Pietermaritzburg Pietermaritzburg ( / ˌ p iː t ər ˈ m ær ɪ t s b ɜːr ɡ / ; Zulu : uMgungundlovu )
2834-626: Is the capital and second-largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal , South Africa after Durban . It was named in 1838 and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality . The town was named in Zulu after King Dingane's royal homestead uMgungundlovu . Pietermaritzburg is popularly called Maritzburg in Afrikaans and is often informally abbreviated to PMB . It is a regionally important industrial hub, producing aluminium , timber and dairy products, as well as
2943-473: Is the second to last stop before Durban. Pietermaritzburg has two types of taxi services: metered taxis and minibus taxis . Unlike in many cities, metered taxis are not allowed to drive around the city to solicit fares and instead must be called and ordered to a specific location. A number of companies service Pietermaritzburg and surrounding areas. These taxis can also be called upon for airport transfers, point to point pickups and shuttles. Minibus taxis are
3052-473: Is the second to last stop before Durban. Pietermaritzburg has two types of taxi services: metered taxis and minibus taxis . Unlike in many cities, metered taxis are not allowed to drive around the city to solicit fares and instead must be called and ordered to a specific location. A number of companies service Pietermaritzburg and surrounding areas. These taxis can also be called upon for airport transfers, point to point pickups and shuttles. Minibus taxis are
3161-571: Is therefore not surprising to find that the Witness also supported Colenso during the upheavals caused by the bishop's advanced religious views. Buchanan fell on hard times during the extremely depressed years of the late 1860s. Around the time he spent more than a year petitioning in France and England on behalf of Cetshwayo and the Basotho people for more equitable terms on the treaty entered by
3270-428: The Battle of Blood River (16 December 1838). Pietermaritzburg is approximately 160 km (100 mi) direct from the Zulu capital, Mgungundlovu. Prior to the battle (9 December 1838) a vow was taken that if the Boers were granted victory over the Zulu, then a sacred church would be built which still stands today, The Church of the Vow . It was Jan Gerritze Bantjes, Secretary General to Andries Pretorius, Commander of
3379-709: The Battle of Majuba . To the disgust of his detractors, he arrived on the battlefield after the humiliating British defeat as an advisor to the Boer Commander Piet Joubert . After a short break, Statham took up the reins of the paper once again (the Cape Post having foundered). His return coincided with a political brouhaha over the breakdown of the Wolseley settlement in Zululand – which had seen that territory divided up among 13 chieftains – and
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3488-515: The Julia in Durban and from there proceeded inland to Pietermaritzburg, which had only three years previously been the capital of a Boer republic. He seems to have functioned throughout his many years in the colony of Natal as both a lawyer, advocate and the most enduring of the colony's newspapermen. It was this connection with the law which led to the choice of “witness” in the name of the paper. This
3597-416: The Msunduzi Local Municipality . The town was named in Zulu after King Dingane's royal homestead uMgungundlovu . Pietermaritzburg is popularly called Maritzburg in Afrikaans and is often informally abbreviated to PMB . It is a regionally important industrial hub, producing aluminium , timber and dairy products, as well as the main economic hub of uMgungundlovu District Municipality . The public sector
3706-399: The R56 connects Pietermaritzburg with Ixopo and Kokstad . The city is served by Pietermaritzburg Airport , which has regular scheduled services to OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. There are 4 flights to Johannesburg and 4 return flights daily, with a reduced number of weekend flights. It once operated flights to Cape Town International Airport in Cape Town – this route
3815-517: The Second World War raging, very much on everyone's minds. Indians too received strong support at a time when discriminatory laws were being passed against them. Calpin's term as editor coincided with a period of extreme financial difficulty for the company that owned The Witness , and after various offers had been considered by the board the majority shareholding was bought by the company's accountant, James Craib, in late 1941. This marked
3924-547: The Witness , Potter's interests in matters relating to economics fitted well with the dire economic climate of the Great Depression , which marked much of his time with the paper. He showed considerable prescience in an October 1931 editorial in urging South Africa to abandon the gold standard – a move that was carried out more than a year later and served to stabilise the South African economy . Editorially
4033-491: The Basotho. He ended up not being paid for his efforts when Cetshwayo died during the trip and he was punished with non payment by Government officials who he had lambasted for corruption, who blocked payment and got their retribution. This along with failed investments in the economic downturn left him financially weak and he left Pietermaritzburg for the diamond diggings (later Kimberley ) in 1872. Here he became very ill as
4142-650: The British annexation, before re-emerging in Pietermaritzburg as the editor of The Witness. It was during Aylward's term as editor that The Witness became a daily paper, and the railway line reached Pietermaritzburg, both in 1880. The outbreak of the First Anglo-Boer War in December 1880 saw Aylward uncompromisingly on the side of the Boers, and his vocal support of the "enemy" eventually led to his hasty withdrawal from Pietermaritzburg, shortly before
4251-731: The Haggard genre, in addition to publishing two books about his travels in East Africa and Europe. He also wrote the screenplays for two of South Africa's earliest feature films – The Symbol of Sacrifice , about the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 , and The Voice of the Waters . He began his editorship in somewhat dramatic fashion as a passenger on an Orient Buckboard motorcar, which made the first motor journey between Pietermaritzburg and Durban, an adventure that he described with much relish in
4360-556: The Natal legislature and a passionate proponent of responsible government, Ridley became the main opponent of the political reforms introduced by Sir Garnet Woleseley to downgrade the Natal legislature in order to pave the way for the implementation of Lord Carnarvon's plan for a confederation of the South African states. Despite suffering from a terminal heart condition, he fought the scheme with all his considerable talents, dying shortly before Wolseley had achieved his ends. Ridley
4469-497: The Progressive Party, which consisted of disillusioned liberal members of the opposition United Party who had broken away in 1959, during the campaign preceding the 1961 elections. The paper's liberal credentials were to be fiercely challenged by the apartheid government, which acted ruthlessly to crush all extra-parliamentary opposition during what is sometimes referred to in liberation circles as "the silent sixties" –
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4578-416: The Union. Prior to 1994, Pietermaritzburg was the capital of Natal Province . Following the first post-apartheid elections in South Africa, as a result of which the Inkatha Freedom Party won a majority in the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government, Pietermaritzburg shared its status as capital of the (then newly created) province of KwaZulu-Natal with Ulundi . Pietermaritzburg became the legislative capital of
4687-566: The University of Natal in March 1949. It became a major voice in the struggle against apartheid and was one of the first universities in the country to provide education to African students. It became the University of KwaZulu-Natal on 1 January 2004. Pietermaritzburg was the capital of the Colony of Natal until 1910, when the Union of South Africa was formed, and Natal became a province of
4796-412: The Zulu monarch. Legend has it that Shaka had his warriors hunt elephant there to sell the ivory to English traders at Durban (then called Port Natal). Today, the town is still called by its Voortrekker name, although the municipality of which it is part bears the Zulu name. The University of Natal was founded in 1910. In 1922 the University extended to Durban . The two campuses were incorporated into
4905-486: The area's tourist attractions include; the KwaZulu-Natal Museum, City Hall, Colonial Buildings, Imperial Hotel, Comrades House and SANBI Botanical Gardens . Attractions in the surrounding areas include; Albert Falls Nature Reserve, Howick Falls, Midmar Public Nature Reserve, Queens Elizabeth Park and World's View. Pietermaritzburg has a well-developed higher system of public universities. Pietermaritzburg
5014-414: The area's tourist attractions include; the KwaZulu-Natal Museum, City Hall, Colonial Buildings, Imperial Hotel, Comrades House and SANBI Botanical Gardens . Attractions in the surrounding areas include; Albert Falls Nature Reserve, Howick Falls, Midmar Public Nature Reserve, Queens Elizabeth Park and World's View. Pietermaritzburg has a well-developed higher system of public universities. Pietermaritzburg
5123-610: The arms was granted by the College of Arms in May 1961. It was registered at the Bureau of Heraldry in May 1973. The blazon was: Per fess Azure and Vert, over all an elephant statant Or, tusked Argent (i.e. the shield was divided horizontally into blue over green, and displayed a gold elephant with silver tusks). The crest was changed to a blue sun displaying gold and silver stars, and two black wildebeest were added as supporters. Each had
5232-596: The battle with the Zulus at Bloukranz. At the time of the rise of the Zulu Empire, the site that was to become Pietermaritzburg was called uMgungundlovu. This is popularly translated from the Zulu as "Place of the Elephant", although it could also be translated to mean "The elephant wins". Umgungundlovu is thus thought to be the site of some Zulu king's victory since "Elephant" (Indlovu) is a name traditionally taken by
5341-553: The beginning of the Craib family control which continues to the present day, as Craib's grandson, Stuart Craib, is currently chairman of the Natal Witness Printing and Publishing Company. Craib was a much more hands-on manager than his predecessor, Philip Davis, and he developed a particular dislike for Calpin. This was reinforced when he discovered that Calpin had been guilty of releasing confidential information about
5450-587: The campaign who arranged the financing of the church by the Boer towns folk which by then had taken a low priority after the war. The town grew rapidly to become the capital of the short-lived Boer Republic or Natalia . Britain took over Pietermaritzburg in 1843 and it became the seat of the Natal Colony's administration with the first lieutenant-governor, Martin West , making it his home. Fort Napier, named after
5559-620: The capital of the Zulu Kingdom at the time of its fall to the British in the Anglo-Zulu War , be the post-apartheid capital of the province. Ulundi had also been the capital of the bantustan KwaZulu , which makes up a portion of modern KwaZulu-Natal. However, Ulundi severely lacked the infrastructure to be an effective seat of government, and the African National Congress (ANC) and the Democratic Party ,
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#17327901992115668-472: The casualty rate among locals was lower than for the First World War , the conflict brought other strains as a significant number of South Africans became prisoners of war after the fall of Tobruk . Few families were not directly affected by the world conflict, including that of James Craib, whose sons, Desmond and Alistair, were both combatants. Alistair's fate was particularly poignant as he survived
5777-503: The church by the Boer towns folk which by then had taken a low priority after the war. The town grew rapidly to become the capital of the short-lived Boer Republic or Natalia . Britain took over Pietermaritzburg in 1843 and it became the seat of the Natal Colony's administration with the first lieutenant-governor, Martin West , making it his home. Fort Napier, named after the governor of the Cape Colony , Sir George Thomas Napier ,
5886-491: The city center. In 1910, when the Union of South Africa was formed, Natal became a province of the Union, and Pietermaritzburg became one of the capitals of the country. During apartheid , the city was segregated into various sections. 90% of the Indian population was moved to the suburb of Northdale while most of its Zulu inhabitants were moved to the neighbouring township of Edendale and white inhabitants were moved out of those areas. There exist two interpretations about
5995-461: The coat of arms, visible on older public building and wrought iron lampposts, features an elephant which is clearly an Asian elephant rather than an African elephant . More recent versions reflect an African elephant. The final version of the arms was granted by the College of Arms in May 1961. It was registered at the Bureau of Heraldry in May 1973. The blazon was: Per fess Azure and Vert, over all an elephant statant Or, tusked Argent (i.e.
6104-484: The company was increasingly being taken over by his son Desmond. An important consequence of this was that with the appointment of Stan Eldridge as editor, the younger Craib was able to bring some stability to the editorial department. The new editor was a veteran of the Second World War, during which he had escaped from an Italian prisoner of war camp and worked on a camp newspaper, called Marking Time , with
6213-497: The end of the train: he refused, and he was removed from the train at Pietermaritzburg. Shivering through the winter night in the waiting room of the station , Gandhi made the momentous decision to stay on in South Africa and fight the racial discrimination against Indians there. Out of that struggle emerged his unique version of nonviolent resistance , Satyagraha . Today, a bronze statue of Gandhi stands in Church Street, in
6322-555: The fiction that this would be a short and glorious war was long over and the paper's report on the Somme offensive was headlined “Natal's share of the price being paid for freedom”. Casualty list number 56, published in early August, gives 157 deaths, 58 wounded and five missing, in itself a formidable attrition rate if the size of the local population is considered, although it is also necessary to bear in mind that 55 casualty lists had proceeded this one and many more were to follow. In view of
6431-415: The governor of the Cape Colony , Sir George Thomas Napier , was built to house a garrison. In 1893, Natal received responsibility for its own government, and an assembly building was built along with the city hall. On 7 June 1893, while the young Mahatma Gandhi was on his way to Pretoria , a white man objected to Gandhi's presence in a first-class carriage. Despite Gandhi having a first-class ticket, he
6540-497: The independence of the Boers at the time of the annexation of the Transvaal by the British in 1877, and for the Zulus during the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879, demonstrated these characteristics. Statham left the Witness in late 1879 for Cape Town, to edit the new radically liberal newspaper, the Cape Post . He was succeeded by Alfred Aylward, a colourful Irishman who openly boasted that as a staunch Fenian he had been implicated in
6649-460: The infrastructure to be an effective seat of government, and the African National Congress (ANC) and the Democratic Party , the two other strong political parties in the province, among others, called for Pietermaritzburg alone to be the capital. The debate came to an end when the ANC came to power in the province in 2004, and named Pietermaritzburg the sole capital of KwaZulu-Natal. This has resulted in
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#17327901992116758-425: The ivory to English traders at Durban (then called Port Natal). Today, the town is still called by its Voortrekker name, although the municipality of which it is part bears the Zulu name. The University of Natal was founded in 1910. In 1922 the University extended to Durban . The two campuses were incorporated into the University of Natal in March 1949. It became a major voice in the struggle against apartheid and
6867-480: The killing of a Manchester policeman – a claim which, like many others made by the larger-than-life Aylward, has not withstood historical scrutiny. Arriving in Kimberley in the early days of the diamond rush , Aylward initially posed as a medical doctor despite having no training in that field. Thereafter he edited one of the papers on the diamond fields in between serving a jail sentence for attempted murder. He
6976-456: The largest populations of Indian South Africans in South Africa. Pietermaritzburg is an emerging metropolitan area. The city was occupied by Voortrekkers , in April 1838 following the murder of Piet Retief and his seventy-strong party at the Zulu Capital, Mgungundlovu (6 February 1838), when seeking land to settle around Port Natal (The Natal-Land Treaty), and from where the reprisal Wenkommando departed (November 1838) to defeat Dingane at
7085-528: The late-1990s, the region was renowned for the production of high quality textile, clothing and footwear products. An example of the latter included the production of Doc Marten shoes. However, these industries have declined in the area due to lower production costs in Asia. Extensive timber plantations and numerous citrus farms surround the city, contributing a significant share of the city's output. The Liberty Group has made major investments in several phases in
7194-461: The main economic hub of uMgungundlovu District Municipality . The public sector is a major employer in the city due to local, district and provincial government offices located here. The city has many schools and tertiary education institutions, including a campus of the University of KwaZulu-Natal . It had a population of 228,549 in 1991; the current population is estimated at over 600,000 residents (including neighbouring townships) and has one of
7303-453: The management of the Witness were the events leading up to the Second World War (1939–45), as well as the sturm und drang of the war itself. Not surprisingly for someone with a Quaker background, Calpin greeted Chamberlain's diplomatic intervention at Munich with enthusiasm, noting in an October 1938 editorial that “the agreement signed in Munich lifts a burden almost too great to be borne by
7412-611: The midst of this struggle on behalf of the embattled chief, the fact that Statham had served a jail term in England for embezzlement came to light and was used by his opponents to discredit him. On top of this a report in The Witness, based on Usuthu sources describing an alleged attack launched by John Shepstone of the Natal Native Affairs Department on the "defenceless" supporters of Cetshwayo at
7521-412: The neighbouring township of Edendale and white inhabitants were moved out of those areas. There exist two interpretations about the origin of the city's name. One is that it was named after Piet Retief (Pieter Mauritz Retief) and Gerrit Maritz (Gerhardus Marthinus Maritz), two Voortrekker leaders. The other is that it was originally named after Piet Retief's full name alone. In this interpretation
7630-418: The new province, while Ulundi became the administrative capital. The IFP, being strongly Zulu nationalist, desired that Ulundi, the capital of the Zulu Kingdom at the time of its fall to the British in the Anglo-Zulu War , be the post-apartheid capital of the province. Ulundi had also been the capital of the bantustan KwaZulu , which makes up a portion of modern KwaZulu-Natal. However, Ulundi severely lacked
7739-413: The origin of the city's name. One is that it was named after Piet Retief (Pieter Mauritz Retief) and Gerrit Maritz (Gerhardus Marthinus Maritz), two Voortrekker leaders. The other is that it was originally named after Piet Retief's full name alone. In this interpretation the original name was "Pieter Mauritz' Burg", later transliterated to the current name. In 1938, the city announced officially that
7848-532: The original name was "Pieter Mauritz' Burg", later transliterated to the current name. In 1938, the city announced officially that the second element Maritz should also honour Gert Maritz. In fact, neither Retief nor Maritz ever reached Pietermaritzburg. Retief was killed by Dingane , successor to Shaka , king of the Zulus . Maritz died of illness on 23 September 1838 near the present-day town of Estcourt , some eighty kilometres northwest of Pietermaritzburg, after
7957-541: The pages of the paper. The imaginative side of Rose's nature expressed itself early on in The Natal Witness . In 1907, the newspaper started publishing photographs for the first time, and in January 1909 it broke with the other South African papers of that time by abandoning the publication of advertisements on the front page in favour of publishing news and photographs in this prominent position, thereby giving
8066-429: The paper a much more modern appearance than its contemporaries. If Aylward and Statham had been characterised by their anti-imperialist stance, Rose was something of a British patriot. It is therefore not surprising to find that the paper under Rose took a strong stance against the union of the two British colonies and the two ex-Boer republics, which resulted in the formation of the Union of South Africa in 1910. Rose
8175-478: The paper and the Davis family, of whom the most enduring was Peter Davis Jnr, who took over from his father as chairman in 1873 and continued in this position until his retirement in 1916. As Buchanan saw himself as a fearless crusader for the truth, the paper's strong views often put it and its editor in opposition to the governing authorities of the nascent colony of Natal and to sections of colonial opinion. In fact,
8284-544: The paper until August 1928. His successor Robert Skelton 's tenure ended with his being fired for idleness and financial profligacy in September 1930. Sidney Barnett Potter followed in 1931. The son of working-class parents in Britain, Potter had become thoroughly immersed in socialist politics in Britain and had in the immediate period before his emigration to South Africa been the editor of The Miner . Although he seems to have tempered his socialist leanings as editor of
8393-468: The paper was edited by R. W. Talbot, the academic Alan Lennox-Short, later well known to South African radio listeners for his book reviews and expertise in the English language, Raymond O’Shea and Prestwich himself. A long-time Witness staff member, Ronnie Moon, seems to have been called on repeatedly to fill the position of acting editor. By 1961, James Craib was elderly and infirm and the management of
8502-417: The peoples of the world”. Although the war seemed to hold out hope of an increased demand for hard news on the part of the local population, this was not immediately apparent as the paper experienced a sharp drop in advertising revenue which led to a decision by the board to cut the salaries of 14 members of the business and editorial staff by 12 percent. Even though this financial shock proved to be temporary,
8611-553: The period up to 1945 was to be dominated by two men, both of whom had studied at Cambridge University , George Calpin and Mark Prestwich, the former as editor and the latter mainly as a leader writer. Together, the two took a decidedly liberal line on matters of race, even going so far as to compare the conditions of migrant labourers working for certain Witwatersrand gold mines with those in Nazi concentration camps , an issue, with
8720-449: The period. The first was Herbert Penderel Longlands, who as the editor of a Kimberley paper had known the flamboyant Aylward. In contrast to the latter, Longlands seems to have been an intensely private man about whom not a great deal is known despite his long association with The Witness , which continued even after he had relinquished control of the paper to the much younger Ernest Thompson . Thompson, who had been born in Pietermaritzburg,
8829-425: The printing department. Mary Davis ran the company for a while, followed by her son, Philip Davis. There are various indications that by 1925 the proprietors were no longer happy with Horace Rose and in that year his position as editor was terminated with the payment of a year's salary as severance pay. Rose's successor as editor was Desmond Young , later to gain a measure of fame as the author of The Desert Fox ,
8938-635: The production of Doc Marten shoes. However, these industries have declined in the area due to lower production costs in Asia. Extensive timber plantations and numerous citrus farms surround the city, contributing a significant share of the city's output. The Liberty Group has made major investments in several phases in the region since 2002 with the development of the Liberty Midlands Mall (the area's largest shopping centre by gross lettable area and its most prestigious) and Stay Easy hotel. Hulett's Aluminium and Willowton cooking oil contributes
9047-444: The region since 2002 with the development of the Liberty Midlands Mall (the area's largest shopping centre by gross lettable area and its most prestigious) and Stay Easy hotel. Hulett's Aluminium and Willowton cooking oil contributes a substantial part of the region's industrial output. Pietermaritzburg is also the city where major South African pizza franchise Debonairs Pizza was founded. The Pietermaritzburg borough council assumed
9156-411: The region. Since 2004, progress such as the modernisation of several buildings in the city centre and a proliferation of retail and housing developments in the suburbs are results of recent investment in the city by both the public and private sectors. Until the late-1990s, the region was renowned for the production of high quality textile, clothing and footwear products. An example of the latter included
9265-400: The relocation of several government offices to Pietermaritzburg, an action that has generally been welcomed as a positive development for the region. Since 2004, progress such as the modernisation of several buildings in the city centre and a proliferation of retail and housing developments in the suburbs are results of recent investment in the city by both the public and private sectors. Until
9374-607: The restoration of Cetshwayo as a result of the active lobbying of Bishop Colenso and his family. Colenso soon decided – probably correctly – that the colonial officials were doing all in their power to undermine Cetshwayo and his Usuthu supporters. The bishop soon found a passionate supporter in Statham , who used The Witness and his position as the special correspondent for the London Daily News to attack what he referred to as "the official clique". Unfortunately, in
9483-458: The rise of the Zulu Empire, the site that was to become Pietermaritzburg was called uMgungundlovu. This is popularly translated from the Zulu as "Place of the Elephant", although it could also be translated to mean "The elephant wins". Umgungundlovu is thus thought to be the site of some Zulu king's victory since "Elephant" (Indlovu) is a name traditionally taken by the Zulu monarch. Legend has it that Shaka had his warriors hunt elephant there to sell
9592-399: The running of the company and its financial problems to parties who were making bids to buy the ailing enterprise. The discovery of this incriminating material led to Calpin's summary dismissal in September 1943. Calpin's subsequent career seems to have been characterised by misfortune as he ended up serving a term of imprisonment for financial crimes. Overshadowing the changes taking place in
9701-405: The second element Maritz should also honour Gert Maritz. In fact, neither Retief nor Maritz ever reached Pietermaritzburg. Retief was killed by Dingane , successor to Shaka , king of the Zulus . Maritz died of illness on 23 September 1838 near the present-day town of Estcourt , some eighty kilometres northwest of Pietermaritzburg, after the battle with the Zulus at Bloukranz. At the time of
9810-487: The shield had been coloured blue. By 1931, the council had approved new artwork in which the stars were placed on a radiant sun. The arms were registered with the Natal Provincial Administration in November 1950. Many early renditions of the coat of arms, visible on older public building and wrought iron lampposts, features an elephant which is clearly an Asian elephant rather than an African elephant . More recent versions reflect an African elephant. The final version of
9919-407: The shield was divided horizontally into blue over green, and displayed a gold elephant with silver tusks). The crest was changed to a blue sun displaying gold and silver stars, and two black wildebeest were added as supporters. Each had a shield on its shoulder, the dexter supporter's shield displaying the Union Jack and the sinister supporter's the flag of the Natalia republic . Pietermaritzburg
10028-399: The slaughter it is not surprising to find that an Armistice Day Witness editorial (11 November 1918), headlined "Make them Pay", was anything but forgiving. The retirement in 1916 of Peter Davis and his death in 1919 seem to have signalled the beginning of financial troubles for the Davis family, marked by the selling off of all the family's commercial outlets, leaving only the newspaper and
10137-672: The standard mode of transport for the majority of the population who cannot afford private vehicles. A bus rapid transit system is currently being developed in Pietermaritzburg. The initial phase would see the development of a west to east corridor from Edendale to Northdale. The BRT route will traverse the CBD along Church Street. Pietermaritzburg has a dry-winter humid subtropical climate ( Köppen climate classification : Cwa ). Summers are warm and occasionally hot, with frequent rainfall. Winters are dry with high diurnal temperature variation , with light air frosts being possible. Some of
10246-623: The standard mode of transport for the majority of the population who cannot afford private vehicles. A bus rapid transit system is currently being developed in Pietermaritzburg. The initial phase would see the development of a west to east corridor from Edendale to Northdale. The BRT route will traverse the CBD along Church Street. Pietermaritzburg has a dry-winter humid subtropical climate ( Köppen climate classification : Cwa ). Summers are warm and occasionally hot, with frequent rainfall. Winters are dry with high diurnal temperature variation , with light air frosts being possible. Some of
10355-422: The two other strong political parties in the province, among others, called for Pietermaritzburg alone to be the capital. The debate came to an end when the ANC came to power in the province in 2004, and named Pietermaritzburg the sole capital of KwaZulu-Natal. This has resulted in the relocation of several government offices to Pietermaritzburg, an action that has generally been welcomed as a positive development for
10464-480: The war brought other challenges for the paper, not least of these being the effects of the U-boat blockade which curtailed the supply of newsprint so that the editions that appeared during the war years were in most cases closely printed in minuscule type on only four pages. Another result of the war was the relatively advanced age of those working for the paper, as most of the younger men had gone off to fight. Although
10573-469: The war only to be killed in an aircraft crash on his way home to South Africa. Robert Johnston, who had previously worked for the Durban paper, the Natal Mercury , followed him briefly, with Prestwich continuing to play a substantial role as leader writer and part-time editor. Although Craib's careful management had rescued The Natal Witness from closure, the period under discussion was marked by
10682-574: The widely held position that this was "the war to end all wars" in its August 1914 headline, which proclaimed “Nations in Arms Together – Great Britain and France face the crisis side by side”. At first it was possible for the paper to carry a photograph of each of the local boys who had signed up and it was only in October 1914 that it carried tidings of the first death of a local in the war – namely that of Lieutenant J. R. Shippey. By August 1916
10791-503: Was Ralph Ridley, who edited the paper until his death in June 1875. Unlike Buchanan, Ridley's views on matters relating to the black people of the colony were far less enlightened, and consequently during the Langalibalele Rebellion the paper approved of the strong line taken against the Hlubi , their unfortunate chief Langalibalele and the neighbouring clans. As an extremely active member of
10900-597: Was a leading figure in the so-called Black Flag Rebellion – an abortive attempt to challenge British authority in Kimberley. This was followed by a military career of sorts fighting against the BaPedi, under their leader Sekukuni , on behalf of the unpopular president of the South African Republic (ZAR), Thomas Francois Burgers . Despite his supposed Irish hostility towards the English, he stayed on after
11009-417: Was built to house a garrison. In 1893, Natal received responsibility for its own government, and an assembly building was built along with the city hall. On 7 June 1893, while the young Mahatma Gandhi was on his way to Pretoria , a white man objected to Gandhi's presence in a first-class carriage. Despite Gandhi having a first-class ticket, he was ordered by the conductor to move to the van compartment at
11118-448: Was followed by a Dr Smith, about whom not much is known. Smith's successor was Francis Reginald Statham , who had been specially recruited in 1877, by Peter Davis from England. Statham was to serve two terms at the helm of the Witness , his second being marked by major controversy. The main characteristics of the new editor were his fierce independence and his tendency to side with the underdog. Already in his first term, his support for
11227-476: Was further underlined by the paper's masthead which read: “The Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth”. At first Buchanan was both editor and proprietor of the paper, but in 1852 the printing was taken over by a company named May and Davis. May seems to have dropped out of the picture and by 1860 the paper was owned by the firm of P. Davis and Son. This marked the beginning of a long period of close association between
11336-448: Was one of the first universities in the country to provide education to African students. It became the University of KwaZulu-Natal on 1 January 2004. Pietermaritzburg was the capital of the Colony of Natal until 1910, when the Union of South Africa was formed, and Natal became a province of the Union. Prior to 1994, Pietermaritzburg was the capital of Natal Province . Following the first post-apartheid elections in South Africa, as
11445-448: Was ordered by the conductor to move to the van compartment at the end of the train: he refused, and he was removed from the train at Pietermaritzburg. Shivering through the winter night in the waiting room of the station , Gandhi made the momentous decision to stay on in South Africa and fight the racial discrimination against Indians there. Out of that struggle emerged his unique version of nonviolent resistance , Satyagraha . Today,
11554-455: Was particularly concerned that Natal's, and particularly Pietermaritzburg's, interests would be overlooked by the new state. He was also extremely hostile towards General J. B. M. Hertzog, the leader of the political opposition, for what he saw as his anti-British and pro-Afrikaner sentiments. A pivotal event during Rose's term as editor was the First World War (1914–1918). The Witness reflected both its editor's strongly pro-British stance and
11663-401: Was terminated in 2019. Pietermaritzburg Railway Station is served by long distance trains on the Durban-Johannesburg and Durban-Cape Town routes of Shosholoza Meyl . It has been proposed that the Metrorail commuter rail system be expanded from Cato Ridge to Pietermaritzburg. The Pietermaritzburg Municipality historically operated a tram service, which was closed down in the 1940s, and
11772-483: Was the first editor to have been born in South Africa. The paper's views under these two editors could be described on the whole as being those held by the bulk of colonial society, particularly when it came to the growing crisis with the Boer Republics, which resulted in the South African War (1899–1902). Certainly there does not seem to have been any of the overt sympathy for the Boer cause that had been such
11881-647: Was the last independently owned mainstream daily newspaper in South Africa . Media24 signed an agreement to buy the remaining 50% shares in the Natal Witness Printing and Publishing company in July 2010. The founding editor and first proprietor of the newspaper was David Dale Buchanan, who was born in New Lanark , Scotland on 17 December 1817. In 1829 at age 12 he arrived in Cape Town in the company of his elder brother, William. In Cape Town, he came into contact with men like Thomas Pringle and John Fairbairn who played
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