Castles of "South Africa" PALACE OF JUSTICE vs MAHLAMBA NDLOPFU

The Palace of Justice forms part of the northern façade of Church Square in Pretoria. The building dates to the nineteenth century and was designed by the Dutch architect Sytze Wierda. It is currently the headquarters of the Gauteng Division of the High Court of South Africa. The foundation stone was laid on June 8, 1897 by South African Republic (ZAR) President Paul Kruger. The most famous political trial in South Africa's history, the Rivonia Trial, took place here. During the trial, Nelson Mandela and a number of other prominent African National Congress (ANC) members were charged with treason and subsequently jailed. The Palace of Justice was built by the Departement van Publieke Werken (DPW) under the guidance of design architect Sytze Wierda and builder John Munro. Construction of the building took place during the Second Boer War, wherein it temporarily functioned as a hospital for British soldiers. The interior design features an ornate combination of polished wood, brass, stained glass, tiled floors, and several other prestigious fixtures for its era. At the time of completion, construction costs totaled £115 260.

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Mahlamba Ndlopfu (formerly known as Libertas) is the official residence of the President of the Republic of South Africa. The head of government has made it his home since 1940 and it is located in the Bryntirion Estate in Pretoria. The building was built in 1940 by South African architect, Gerard Moerdijk, to be home to the Prime Minister of the time, Jan Smuts. Since its creation, Mahlamba Ndlopfu has also hosted official visits from foreign presidents such as the American President Barack Obama or the French President François Mitterrand. The current occupant of Mahlamba Ndlopfu is Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic since February 14, 2018. In the late 1930's, Prime Minister Jan Smuts and his government organized a national competition to select the architect who would lead the construction of the new official residence of the South African head of state. Gerard Moerdijk, already known for designing the University of Pretoria and the Voortrekker Monument, convinced the jury appointed by the Department of Public Works. Moerdijk decided to adopt the Cape Dutch style, a type of traditional house common among Boer and Afrikaans descendants in South Africa. However, he adapted this style to a more luxurious context so that the place could express the charm and power of the South African union. Jan Smuts was the first head of state to settle in this residence which was then called Libertas (freedom in Latin).

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