Gauteng's two major cities are just 50km apart, but could hardly be more
different. PRETORIA , or ePitoli as it is known in the townships, has
throughout much of its history been the epitome of staid traditionalism,
with its graceful government buildings, wide avenues of purple flowering
jacarandas, and staunchly Boer farming origins. Yet, although South Africa's
administrative capital was long regarded as a bastion of Afrikanerdom , with
its notorious supreme court and massive prison, things are changing fast.
Ever since the nation's re-acceptance into the international arena, Pretoria
has become increasingly cosmopolitan, with a substantial diplomatic
community living in Arcadia and Hatfield, east of the city centre.
Furthermore, most Pretorians are not Afrikaner, but Sotho and Ndebele, and
the change of government has brought many more well-educated and well-paid
blacks into the ranks of civil servants living in the capital. The city's
Afrikaner community is hardly monolithic, either: as well as the
stereotypical khaki-shorted rednecks, there are thousands of students, an
active art scene and a thriving Afrikaans gay and lesbian community.
Pretoria is close enough to Johannesburg's airport to provide a practical
alternative base in Gauteng, though don't fall into the blithe assumption
that Pretoria is crime-free. The main attractions are that it feels safer
and less spread out than Johannesburg, there are more conventional sites,
some of which are worth seeing, and the nightlife of Hatfield and Brooklyn
is energetic and fun.
The City
Pretoria's city centre is a
compact grid of wide, busy streets, easily and comparatively safely explored
on foot. Its central hub is Church Square , where you can see some
fascinating architecture, and there are other historic buildings and museums
close by around the Museum Mall . To the north lie the vast Zoological
Gardens , while the Arcadia district is the site of the city's famous Union
Buildings . Away from the centre, Hatfield , close to Pretoria University,
is where students and yuppies throng the latest bars and restaurants, as
well as being the home of Pretoria's diplomats, who live in the swankiest
houses in town. On the southern fringes of the city is the remarkable
Voortrekker Monument , as close as the Afrikaner race have to a sacred site.
You need to travel 15km east out of town to find the sprawling township of
Mamelodi ; Pretoria's other major township, Atteridgeville , is equally far
out of town to the west, off the N4, or R104, on the way to the Hartbeesport
Dam and Sun City.
SEE also Johannesburg,
Cape Town, Kysna here...
For maps of the cities, check:
www.brabysmaps.co.za/brabys/
www.easymaps.co.za
