Church Square

The square was laid out in 1855 as a market and gathering place for the Voortrekker community that had founded the city two years earlier. The first church, from which the square takes its name, was built at the centre but was demolished in 1905 and never replaced. By the late 19th century the square had been ringed by the most important civic buildings of the South African Republic, several of which still stand.

The Paul Kruger statue at the centre of the square is the work of Anton van Wouw, completed in Italy and erected in 1954. It shows the long-serving president of the South African Republic in his characteristic top hat, flanked by four bronze burghers in slouch hats. The statue has been the focus of fierce debate in recent years and is now surrounded by protective railings.

The buildings around the square include the Palace of Justice on the western side — built in 1902 and the courtroom in which Nelson Mandela and his Rivonia Trial co-accused were sentenced in 1964; the Old Capitol Theatre; the Ou Raadsaal (Old Council Chamber); the Palace Hotel; and the General Post Office. The walking distance around the full square is only 400 metres and rewards a slow lap with a guide who can read the architectural details and the political history.

Church Square is once again a busy public space — taxi rank, lunch spot for government workers, occasional protest venue and quiet bench for retired locals. It is best experienced with a guide between 09:00 and 14:00 on a weekday when the surrounding precinct is alive and safe.

We include Church Square as the urban heart of our Pretoria Day Tour, paired with the Union Buildings and the Voortrekker Monument — the same city from three very different vantage points and three different chapters of South African history.