History

Stone Age man most certainly lived and hunted in the Dwarsberg area. Large Early stone Age tools from around 100.000 years ago and more recently, more refined and smaller tools of the middle stone age people (40.000 to 10.000 years ago) have also been found.

From the centre of the Dwarsberg range through to Derdepoort runs the famous Mafeking road ( now spelt Mafikeng), which was the main road Northwards from Cape town to Bulawayo during the 19th century. Many explorers, traders, hunters, missionaries and Mzilikazi and his followers passed this way during the making of South African history. Dr David Livingstone visited the Madikwe area several times during the 1840's. In December 1885 a mission station (priest's house) was established by the Lutherans and later a school and a chapel were build on the farm Vleischfontein, situated on the tweedepoort plateau on the Mafeking Road. The missionaries soon made dams in which fish (barbell) were raised for Friday meals. A garden was also established and the Vleischfontein mission became a well known landmark and many travellers along Mafeking road stopped over, in effect making it the area's first Inn. Remains of the mission are still visible today.

The Madikwe area is also well-known for the stories written by the famous South African author, Herman Charles Bosman . During 1926, Bosman spent a number of months teaching at a school at Aberjaterskop, on the South western corner of the reserve. Many of his often humorous books reflect the personalities living in the area at the time and the features of the land now incorporated in Madikwe.

Operation Phoenix

In 1836, William Cornwallis Harris described large herds of elephants and lions that terrorised the local people, the first sable known to science and many more animals that roamed the fertile Marico valley. But farming activities and hunting took their toll and most of the large game had disappeared before the start of Operation Phoenix. However birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects and many small game species, such as duiker and steenbok and even the larger species such as kudu, leopard, brown hyena and a few cheetah and spotted hyena managed to survive the hostile activities in the area.

Other smaller mammals, including honey badger, caracal, African wild cat, genet and several species of mongoose, also occurred in the area. Operation Phoenix has successfully reintroduced species not seen in the area for a hundred of years and more…

Entire breeding herds of elephant totalling 220 individuals, were brought in from Ghona-re-zo in Zimbabwe during a time when these animals were suffering from a severe drought in their country. They are thriving and their numbers have increased dramatically in the mean time. The reintroduction also includes the establishment of key populations of the endangered wild dog, white and black rhino and the protection of valuable species, such as the sable antelope and tsessebe.

The Groot Marico

The name Marico originates from the Bahurutse words Madi, meaning blood and Kwa meaning there. Marico therefor means there is blood.

A visit to the historical town of Groot Marico en route to Madikwe is nice, to sample its infamous "Mampoer", a locally made alcoholic beverage. The Information centre can give directions to places of historical interest, the Marico Ramble, the local art studio and the Herman Charles Bosman Literary society.

The Kaditshwene Ruins are taking you back to about the year 1700, here one can spend some time in awe of the remains of a once-glorious civilisation, exploring the ruins and the majesty of the Enselbergs situated in the surrounding Bushveld.

Groot Marico, the name doubtlessly derived from Madikwe (Setswana), refers first of all to the perennial Marico river, a tributary of the Limpopo. The eponymous village nestling on the banks of the river is situated about halfway between Rustenburg and Mafikeng and is two hours away from Gauteng.

Early 19th century travellers came across a bushveld teeming with wildlife. Quite a few testified to experiencing the astonishing spectacle of a real-life giraffe for the first time here in the vicinity of the Marico river. Also occurring in abundance were rhino, crocodile and hippo, lion, buffalo and elephant and countless wildebeest, rooihartbees, tsessebe and quagga. A veritable paradise existed attracting naturalists and hunters. Since the late 20th century attempts have been made to re-establish at least a token presence of this vast and vivid variety in the many game and hunting farms gracing the area as well as the 75 000 ha Madikwe Game Reserve.

During the 1830's, Afrikaners fleeing British rule in the Cape, started settling here. Their descendants are still to be found here, together with those of muslim Indian families who first arrived in Groot marico shortly after the end of the Anglo-Boer war. The Marico thus offers ample opportunity for a contemporary visitor to uncover an extensive heritage of natural and cultural assets.

Perhaps no other person has contributed so much towards popularising the Groot Marico as Herman Charles Bosman in the scores of short stories from his pen, celebrating the singularity of the place and its heterogeneous population and validating the grandeur of the Marico with brilliant, oblique humour.

The timeless Marico pastime of distilling Mampoer requires no renewal or resuscitation but continues undisturbed by the passage of time, except that the fruit (wild or domesticated) are currently being fermented in plastic containers; coops made of animal hide having gone out of fashion. Oh yes, and some still owners nowadays indulge in the dubious practice of acquiring a licence to pursue or embellish their activity.

In the town of Groot Marico one may find a visit to the antique grain mill worth the trouble (and the special coarse-milled maize meal a culinary asset adding relish to any braai).

With several artists resident or acquiring property in the area (painters, sculptors, musicians, poets) it is small wonder that Groot Marico hosts an annual Art and Music festival towards the beginning of the year, a celebration of and testimony to the abundant creative energy. The farming community and its produce feature during two festivals hosted by the local churches at the beginning and end of winter, while the Herman Charles Bosman Literary Society celebrate their annual event in October.