De Tuynhuys

Description

De Tuynhuys, the president's Cape Town office, is conveniently located on Government Avenue in the Company's Garden at the top of Adderley Street, next-door to the South African Houses of Parliament buildings. De Tuynhuys features a statue of General Louis Botha who fought during the Anglo-boer war from 1899-1902 and was prime minister form 1910-1919.

It was on the steps of De Tuynhuys on 18 March, 1992, that South Africa announced the end of apartheid. Built in the 1700s and situated in Company Gardens, it was the official residence for almost all the governors and dignitaries of Cape Town. It is said that the entire complex as we know it today was originally just a tool shed, that in 1679 was built into a double-storey guesthouse by the then governor, Simon van der Stel. Having survived many threats of demolition over the ensuing centuries as wear and tear made it increasingly less habitable, the restoration of the structure began in 1967. The buildings are now in excellent condition.