Page 97 - SAICE book proof 2 LATEST JULY 2014

s a i c e
NORTHERN CAPE PROVINCE

10. Labour intensive roads and canals in the Boer makes a plan), is true. To the north of the river a
township of Galeshewe are testimony to the efforts of 200 km pipeline makes it possible to farm with livestock
government and engineering firms to create jobs and in the Kalahari Desert, a place with little or no surface
at the same time durable infrastructure. Interlocking water but with enough grazing. In Upington there is a
concrete paving for roads and streets have been used unique sculpture commemorating the role of the lowly
extensively and under residential use conditions should donkey used to turn water well pumps. And some of the
never have to be replaced or resurfaced, thereby creat- famous water wheels to elevate water from the canals
ing a very long-term economical solution. onto higher ground remain as historic monuments to
pioneering efforts and can still be seen when travelling
through the towns.
28°43’26.70” S, 24°43’44.88” E
28°24’46.22” S, 21°37’30.30” E
11. Canals, tunnels and pipelines along
the Orange River in the vicinity of Upington and the
lower Orange River towns like Kakamas – purportedly 12. Kimberley electric tramway travels a short
meaning place of the raging cow – and others provide stretch between town and the famous Big Hole. The
the farming community with millions of cubic metres vintage Kimberley tram dates back to a time when the
of irrigation water. The old historic tunnel structures town was the bright lights, big city of Africa. Prospec-
created by Japie Lutz somewhere around the late tors from the corners of the world made their way to
1800’s are today, more than 100 years later, still in use. diamond-rush Kimberley and transformed a hill where
The first canals were built by impoverished farmers who diamonds were discovered in 1871 into the historic Big
eventually settled in the area on the irrigated plots. It Hole.
is said that the farmers ignored the advice engineers of
the time gave in terms of the methods of construction Retailers, drinking spots, houses, gambling joints and
but it seems that the saying, “’n Boer maak ‘n plan’ (a dance halls sprang up around the Big Hole and Kim-

◊ Labour intensive roads and canals in Galeshewe

1