Page 96 - SAICE book proof 2 LATEST JULY 2014

s a i c e
NORTHERN CAPE PROVINCE

ber are still around and easy to reach for a visit. The ◊ From top to bottom:
infamous battle of Magersfontein took place between ◊ Riverton
Kimberley and the Orange River and of note is that a ◊ Kimberley Telkom Tower
civil engineering consultant designed and executed the ◊ De Beers diamond
restoration of this battlefield, developing tourist ame-
nities for the centenary commemorations in 2002 and
2003.

28°04’00.00” S, 24°53’00.00” E

6. Riverton was and still is the point from
where water for Kimberley and the diamond fields of
yesteryear gets its water. At the site of the Colesberg
Koppie where the diamond pipe was discovered, water
was virtually nowhere to be found. Ox wagon tracks can
still be seen where purveyors of water trekked along to
the Vaal River to fetch water.

28°29’52.01” S, 24°46’52.00” E

7. Kamfers Dam to the north of Kimberley
is one place where humans incidentally created an
environment for wild life. In this case thousands of pink
flamingos have taken up residence in the shallows and
provide a beautiful sight. Careful monitoring of sewage
effluent is in place to ensure that the flamingos are not
harmed.

28°40’22.00” S, 24°45’48.00” E

8. Kimberley Telkom tower resembles a dia-
mond, or so says the designer of this huge concrete
tower.

28°44′ 21.09″ S, 24°45′ 20.97″ E

9. De Beers diamond sorting building in
Kimberley is a multi-storey structure with huge glass
façades facing south, away from the suns glare. The
glass walls are concertina-shaped if viewed in cross
section to prevent reflections that might affect the
experts who are sorting diamonds according to a
number of parameters including colour. Very few people
know that glass walls are structural elements which
have to be designed carefully due to the nature and
properties of glass.

28°44′17″ S, 24°45′47″ E

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