Preserving diverse cultures is the order of the day in Groot Marico in the North West, with residents sharing their knowledge through various activities held in the area.
It is also known as the capture site of former President Jacob Zuma in 1963. He was travelling with other Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) recruits to Botswana for military training. You can also not leave the town without tasting some of its Mampoer and local coffee.
Groot Marico was established in 1850, and years later developed into a town. It was made popular by writer Herman Charles Bosman, who was a teacher back then.
It is located along the busy N4 linking Zeerust and Swartruggens.
The area has a diverse community that makes a living through tourism, mining and agriculture, amongst others.
The local tourism council says it has the potential to attract local and international tourists.
Marico Tourism Association Chairperson Edward La Rose says, “The majority of your guest accommodation here is near the river, actually, that is what sells it, and you got others further up like your game farms. So that is the diversity that one has at the end of the day with tourism. Challenges that we have here are getting people to come through the tall gates. We’re only 2 and a half hours from Johannesburg. We’re en route to Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and this is where it is. It is a popular route.”
Some tourists say they frequent the area often because of its beauty and the various activities it has to offer.
“What amazing place it is. Just tell anybody who is been through a journey themselves to find spiritual healing through music, nature, the beauty, you can just tell them to come to Groot Marico,” says one tourist.
Another one adds, “So yah! It is a special combination of nature and culture, which has made me a person who keeps coming back here.”
Apart from the museum, the Marico River is a big drawcard. It was declared the cleanest river in the country by UNESCO in 2018.
A Biosphere Reserve was established recently, which, amongst others, focuses on environmental conservation.
Daan van der Merwe of the Marico Biosphere Reserve says, “Due to the quality of water and the quantity of water in dolomitic aquifers and UNESCO deemed it necessary to declare it as an international conservation site specifically focusing on the water of the Groot Marico but also other territories in the areas meeting to Limpopo. So it is a water management of national importance. Gaborone gets drinking water from this river that flows down to Molatedi dam and is then pumped into Gaborone. Batswana are also dependent on the river as it feeds Zimbabwe and Mozambique up to where it flows to the Indian Ocean.”
Another unifying factor is cultural activities that teach young people about their culture.
Marico Cultural representative Jolene Muir says, “All we can do is just keep on doing it and to introduce the young generation to the old culture and also to the old Afrikaans culture. So sometimes in history in school, they do not learn it anymore, so this is what we do here. We do all things here; we even make clay here. So it is part of our activities. But there are also black people, older black people who come here telling us staff we did not know and they’re interested in this museum.”
Young people say that, due to the high rate of employment, these activities stop them from participating in criminal activities.
“It is a very difficult place to earn an income and I think that as someone can make a business, I should rather than being employed, I should make a business and I hope at some point my businesses will grow enough to employ other people and make opportunities for other people,” laments one resident.
Another one adds, “The reason why we play Marimba is something that we realised as a talent for us. So we want to see ourselves recording our albums and producing as well.”
“For young people who are on the streets doing crime, they should refrain from that; instead, they must participate in activities taking place in their areas,” he explains.
The youth have called on the government to assist them with resources in order to showcase their various skills in the country and around the globe.
