The History of the Magaliesberg

The Magaliesberg is a mountain range in northern South Africa, composed mainly of quartzites and dating back around 2.3 billion years to the Orosirian Period. It runs from just south of the Pilanesberg past Pretoria and ends near Bronkhorstspruit, with the highest point at Nooitgedacht (1,852 metres above sea level). The range intersects both the Bushveld and Highveld biomes and has a long record of human activity.

The earliest human occupation of the Magaliesberg area dates back at least two million years. The region is close to the Sterkfontein Caves and the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, where remains of early hominins such as Australopithecus africanus ("Mrs Ples") were discovered.

The oldest recorded name for the mountains is Dithaba Diloka, a seTswana term referring to a grass species common in the area. Local Tswana speaking tribes referred to the range more generally as Dithaba (“the mountains”). Early European explorers called the range the "Cashan" or "Kashan" Mountains, a mispronunciation of Kgwasane, a chief of the BaKwena ba Mmatau. In the mid-1800s, the range became known as Magaliesberg, after Kgosi Mogale. The name "Mogale" means "brave" or "warrior" in Tswana.

In 1822, Zulu king Shaka sent Mzilikazi to conquer Sotho tribes in the area. Mzilikazi later broke away from Shaka and established the Matabele (Ndebele) nation, settling in the Magaliesberg. In 1837, after Mzilikazi’s forces attacked Voortrekkers, Boer leaders Hendrik Potgieter and Gerrit Maritz - assisted by local Sotho-Tswana groups - drove the Matabele north across the Limpopo River.

Following this, relations between the Boers and Sotho-Tswana tribes were initially friendly. The Boers established the town of Rustenburg ("resting town") and began settling south of the Magaliesberg, later moving into the Bushveld to the north. According to 19th-century accounts, Boers and Tswana communities often collaborated, particularly on hunting expeditions.

The Magaliesberg saw significant action during the Second Anglo-Boer War (1899–1902). The Boers used their knowledge of the terrain for guerrilla warfare. In response, British forces built blockhouses on the mountains to control movement. Several battles were fought at strategic mountain passes, including Buffelspoort, Nooitgedacht, and Olifantsnek.

After the war, farming resumed, with tobacco and citrus among the most successful crops. In 1923, the Hartbeespoort Dam was completed in one of the valleys of the range. It became a popular weekend destination for residents of Johannesburg and Pretoria, leading to the growth of nearby towns such as Hartbeespoort and Kosmos.

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