MZANZI ISSUE 16

Heritage
The colonisation of South Africa by the Dutch in the mid-
1600s started with the building of a castle. Since then castles
and palaces seem to have proliferated here at the southern
tip of Africa in what seems to be a love affair between the
people and such mythical abodes… strange for a country
that has no monarch, wouldn’t you say?
Did I say, no monarch? Well that is absolutely wrong! In
fact, South Africa has no fewer than seven kingdoms
that are fully recognised and supported by the state and
the Constitution, plus a unique queenship that has been
recognised since 2016. But more about this in a moment.
Much of the earlier part of the modern history of South
Africa that followed the beginning of Dutch colonisation
revolved around an impressive building that still stands
today as a sturdy landmark in the heart of Cape Town:
the Castle of Good Hope. In 1652, the Dutch East India
Company sent Commander Jan van Riebeeck with three
ships to establish a refreshment station for the Company’s
ships en route from Europe to East Asia, and to maintain
its monopoly over the Spice Trade. Initially Van Riebeeck
erected the Fort de Goede Hoop (Fort of Good Hope), little
more than a wood and mud construction located at what
is today the central business district of the city.
But as rumours and the threat of war between the Netherlands
and England grew in 1664, the Company ordered that the
fort be replaced with a stronger stone fortress to provide
greater protection for the Dutch settlement.
The Castle of Good Hope
In 1666, Governor Zacharias Wagenaar laid the four
cornerstones of the Castle of Good Hope and most of the
subsequent building work was carried out by soldiers and
sailors. The Castle was finally completed in 1679 after many
delays. Today it is the oldest still-existing building in South
Africa and the guided tours offered within its confines provide
a fascinating look into South Africa’s early colonial history.
The design of the castle consisted of a large central courtyard
dissected by a main building called De Kat, with five bastions
at the corners giving it a star shape. The five bastions were
named Leerdam, Buuren, Katzenellenbogen, Nassau, and
Oranje, being the main titles of Philip William, the Dutch
Prince of Orange. Each of the bastions housed its own
garrison complete with magazine, storerooms, workshops
and facilities like bakeries. Originally the entrance was seafacing
– where Strand Street passes it today – but high
tides made it impractical and it was moved to the western
side facing the Grand Parade, where it is today.
iStock-Matthew Ragen
SCAN & SHARE
ONLINE
MZANZITRAVEL| www.mzanzitravel.co.za|ISSUE 16 | 87