Peddie

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Peddie is a small town in the Amathole district of the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Peddie is a historic little town which lies 50 km South-West of Bisho, on the Grahamstown road.

In 1835, during the Sixth Frontier War, a fort was built at this spot and named after Colonel John Peddie of the Seaforth Highlanders. A village developed around the fort, which was built to protect the British and their allies, the Mfengo Tribe, against the indigenous Xhosa tribes. A road through the nearby Double Drift Game Reserve, now part of the Great Fish River Complex, links Peddie with the town of Alice.

Although it is a small town, Peddie has an immensely proud community, especially after it was chosen as the town to which the TV series “Tsha Tsha” was shot. The community of Ngqushwa was excited with “Tsha Tsha” as they had been given a chance to test their acting skills and given a chance to showcase their talent in the fictional town called Lubusi.

Activities

The Anglican Rectory: The building was once used as a military hospital and mortuary during the Frontier Wars. The Church itself was formerly part of the original earthwork fort.

The Cavalry and Infantry Barracks: The old cavalry barracks is now the residence of the magistrate of the town and the old infantry barracks have been converted into the town’s courthouse.

The Resettlement Memorial: A bronze plaque on a milk wood tree commemorates the resettlement of the Xhosa tribe, the Mfengo, who cooperated with the British during all nine Frontier Wars. Each year, on May 14, Mfingo descendants visit this site, honouring their ancestors.

The Watchtower: The old watchtower on its hilltop was built in 1841, just in time to withstand a 4 000-strong Xhosa attack.