Apies River
Encyclopedia
The Apies River is a river
that flows through the city of Pretoria
, South Africa
. Its source is located just south of the city (south of Erasmus Park) and it flows northward until it drains into the Pienaars River
.
The river is also known as the Apiesrivier in Afrikaans
(in which "Apies" means "small monkeys"), and is traditionally also called the Tshwane River by the indigenous peoples. Pretoria itself also came to be referred to as Tshwane by the African communities, after the river, and that name is currently the center of a controversial, politically driven attempt to rename the city itself to Tshwane .
In fact it only becomes officially the Tshwane River at Makapanstad about 7 Km before it joinst the Pienaars River
.
Nguni-speaking settlers, who became known as the Ndebele, are thought to have been the first people to recognise the suitability of the Apies River valley as a place to put down roots. They named the river after one of the chiefs, Tshwane (“little ape”), which was later translated into the Afrikaans “Apies”. The river is presently to a large extent canalised with little resemblance of the natural river reach of the past. The river reach between Wonderboom Poort and the Bon Accord Dam is, however, not canalised.
The Mamelodi township also draws its name from the name of the river, with the full name being "Mamelodi ya Tshwane", meaning "Whistler of the Apies River", a nickname given to Paul Kruger
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
that flows through the city of Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. Its source is located just south of the city (south of Erasmus Park) and it flows northward until it drains into the Pienaars River
Pienaars River
The Pienaars River originates east of Pretoria, City of Tshwane, Gauteng Province, South Africa, flowing northwards into Roodeplaat Dam , from where it carries on northward until it passes under the N1 and turns westward. North of Makapanstad the Apies River joins it...
.
The river is also known as the Apiesrivier in Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
(in which "Apies" means "small monkeys"), and is traditionally also called the Tshwane River by the indigenous peoples. Pretoria itself also came to be referred to as Tshwane by the African communities, after the river, and that name is currently the center of a controversial, politically driven attempt to rename the city itself to Tshwane .
In fact it only becomes officially the Tshwane River at Makapanstad about 7 Km before it joinst the Pienaars River
Pienaars River
The Pienaars River originates east of Pretoria, City of Tshwane, Gauteng Province, South Africa, flowing northwards into Roodeplaat Dam , from where it carries on northward until it passes under the N1 and turns westward. North of Makapanstad the Apies River joins it...
.
Nguni-speaking settlers, who became known as the Ndebele, are thought to have been the first people to recognise the suitability of the Apies River valley as a place to put down roots. They named the river after one of the chiefs, Tshwane (“little ape”), which was later translated into the Afrikaans “Apies”. The river is presently to a large extent canalised with little resemblance of the natural river reach of the past. The river reach between Wonderboom Poort and the Bon Accord Dam is, however, not canalised.
The Mamelodi township also draws its name from the name of the river, with the full name being "Mamelodi ya Tshwane", meaning "Whistler of the Apies River", a nickname given to Paul Kruger
Paul Kruger
Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger , better known as Paul Kruger and affectionately known as Uncle Paul was State President of the South African Republic...