Mmabatho

Mmabatho was the capital city of the former South African province of Bophuthatswana. Bophuthatswana was a Bantustan, a nominally independent territory created by the apartheid government for Tswana-speaking people.

The name "Mmabatho" means "mother of the people" in Tswana.

Established in 1977, Mmabatho served as the administrative and political center of Bophuthatswana until the reintegration of the Bantustans into South Africa in 1994, following the end of apartheid.

After 1994, Mmabatho was merged with the nearby town of Mafikeng (formerly Mafeking) to form a single municipality. Mafikeng was then designated as the capital of the newly formed North West Province. While Mafikeng serves as the primary administrative center, some provincial government functions are still located in the former Mmabatho area. The University of North-West has a campus in the former Mmabatho.

The area continues to be known as Mmabatho and retains a distinct identity within the broader municipality, marked by its history as a capital city.