Street names reflect history 1
The wealth of Potchefstroom’s history, being the oldest town north of the Vaal River, is reflected in its street names. The most unusual origin of a Potchefstroom street name might be Grietjie Street in Dassierand, which was named after a canon. Zeederberg Street,...
Jack Borrius – a man of many adventures
He lost an eye in a war, rubbed shoulders with many famous South Africans, including the two Boer generals Jan Smuts and Louis Botha, Cecil John Rhodes and Dr Leander Starr Jameson, leader of the Jameson Raid. He was Jack Borrius, eldest son of the pioneer printer of...
Smithy at the President Pretorius Museum collapsed
Potchefstroom lost its third heritage building in four months when the smithy at the President Pretorius Museum collapsed at 10:00 on Thursday 29 October. The building was approximately 175 years old. The building formed part of the President Pretorius Museum complex...
What is good about the heritage of Potchefstroom?
In the space of slightly more than a month Potchefstroom received a double shock when two of its heritage buildings were lost to fire. It paints a very bleak picture of a city going to ruin, which is not the case. Unfortunately bad news gets much more coverage than...
Potchefstroom railway station destroyed by fire
The Potchefstroom railway station was destroyed by fire during the night of 19 September. This is a mere month after the General’s House, a declared historical building, succumbed to the same fate. The current station building was opened in 1919. It was once regarded...
Beyers Naudé: ingeperk vir sewe jaar
Iemand wat geweet het wat inperking beteken was Beyers Naudé, voormalige predikant van die NG Kerk, Potchefstroom (Moedergemeente) en uitgeworpene tydens die apartheidsjare. Oor sy inperktyd skryf hy later: Die sewe maerste jare van my lewe (het) die sewe verrykendste...
Ammonia explosion . . . in Potchefstroom!
The humongous explosion of ammonium nitrate in Beirut on 4 August 2020 resonates with Potchefstroom, which had its own ammonia explosion in 1973. I wrote an article on it for the centenary supplement of the Potchefstroom Herald in 2008. It is regarded as the biggest...
Pandemie maak Herald gratis
Vir 112 jaar is daar klokslag weekliks ’n Herald in Potchefstroom. Plakkate en vriendelike koerantverkopers was so deel van die Herald – én Potchefstroom – as die koerant se kenmerkende mashoof. En nou het dit verdwyn! Aan die begin van die inperkingstyd is daar...
Langer lewens vir hartpasiënte*
Opspraakwekkende navorsing wat in die laat sestigerjare by die Potchefstroomse Universiteit gedoen is, het gelei tot ’n revolusionêre benadering in die behandeling van hartpasiënte. Ongelukkig is dié navorsing oorskadu deur die wêreldnuus van die eerste...
How Potchefstroom became connected
Being connected is arguably the most imported reason while the world still keeps functioning at this time of Covid-19. After South Africa went into lockdown on 27 March cell phones and computers were the only ways to stay in contact – and helped many to stay safe and...
