Thaba Tshwane

Thaba Tshwane
Voortrekkerhoogte
South Africa

SA Army College in Thaba Tshwane
Coordinates 25°47′24″S 28°08′32″E / 25.7901°S 28.1421°E
Site history
Built 1905

Thaba Tshwane is a military base (or military area), in Pretoria, South Africa. Founded around 1905 by the British Army, and called Roberts Heights[1] after Lord Roberts. It was renamed Voortrekkerhoogte ("Voortrekker Heights") in 1939 by the government of the Union of South Africa, following the beginning of the building of the nearby Voortrekker Monument, at a time of growing Afrikaner nationalism.

The oldest building in the complex is the South African Garrison Institute, what is now known as the Army College. Lord Kitchener laid the cornerstone on 12 June 1902.[2]

On the 19 May 1998, following the end of apartheid, it was renamed again, getting the name Thaba Tshwane.[3] Today the installation is home to the South African Army College, the South African National Defence College under Rear-Admiral Laura Jansen van Vuuren (), the National Ceremonial Guard and Band, the Military Police School, 1 Military Hospital, 2 Parachute Battalion, 44 Parachute Engineer Regiment, 44 Parachute Anti-Aircraft Regiment, 1 Military Printing Regiment, Tshwane Regiment (Motorised Infantry), 18 Light Regiment (Artillery Formation) and 4 Survey and Map Regiment.

Thaba Tshwane should not be confused with the much larger City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, that was created in 2000, which includes Pretoria (including Thaba Tshwane).

References

  1. ↑ Wallis, F. (2000). Nuusdagboek: feite en fratse oor 1000 jaar (in Afrikaans). Kaapstad: Human & Rousseau.
  2. ↑ du Preez, Sophia (1989). "Voortrekkerhoogte 90 Jaar Oud". Scientaria Militaria 19 (1).
  3. ↑ "The name of the military base, Voortrekkerhoogte is officially changed to Thaba Tshwane". sahistory.org.za. 19 May 1998. Retrieved 24 November 2014.

External links