Zeerust

Zeerust is a small farming and mining town, located in the Groot Marico district of the North West Province’s Central Region – the district through which the perennial Groot Marico River runs and which borders Botswana.

The area is rural and the main farming activity is cattle farming, though various other crops are also cultivated in the area, as well as fruit and vegetables.
Minerals mined at Zeerust include lead, chrome, manganese, fluorspar and andalusite.

Zeerust is also a ‘last stop’ on the N4 before the Botswana border post at Lobatse.

There are a number of historical attractions in Zeerust, including the Church of St John the Baptist, around which Zeerust was built. Built in 1873, the church is a National Monument. An unusual feature of this church is that it is not a Dutch Reform Church – far more often the norm for the old ‘cornerstone’ churches associated with South Africa’s small farming towns.

There are also three old mission stations in Zeerust: the Hermannsburg Mission Lehurutshe (1859), the Dinokana Mission Lehurutshe (1889) and the Livingstone Mission Lehurutshe – Dr Livingstone’s first Southern African Mission.

The stone ruins of Iron Age Villages can be seen at the Kaditshwene Village Ruins and at Marula Kop, 50km outside of Zeerust.

There are also various other monuments and memorials in and around Zeerust commemorating tribal wars and the Kleinfontein Memorial which marks the spot of a particularly brutal battle in the Anglo-Boer War.

Information on all of the above can be obtained from the Zeerust Library, which features a cultural history exhibition on the Marico district. Tel (018) 642 3713

The Maricobosveld and Kromelboog Dams just outside of Zeerust are popular among locals for watersports and fishing. Other attractions include 4×4 trails and the Madikwe Game Reserve – 90km north of Zeerust.

The nearby town of Groot Marico is an attraction in itself.

Getting there: Zeerust is located on the N4 between Swartruggens and the Botswana border. From Johannesburg take the R509 to Swatruggens, turning left for Zeerust.