Hammanskraal is a functional, trans-provincial region anchored in northern Gauteng Province, South Africa. The region consists of multiple, residential, industrial and commercial areas in a decentralized settlement pattern. History The historical roots of the region trace back to the 13th century and it is noted that the area around Gauteng province was initially occupied by the Batswana. The Batswana Chief Mokgatla dominated the area to the north of what we know today as Gauteng province and his descendants are known as the Bakgatla. To this day, nearly half of the population of the Hammanskraal region are descendants of the Batswana nation signifying this historical fact. According to oral narration, the Amandebele A Lebello settled the area around Hammanskaal close to Ramotse in the 1800s. The Amandebele originated in the eastern part of the country and now form an integral part of the region's community The Great Trek that took place in the first half of the 19th century saw the inward movement of Dutch settlers from the Cape into the interior of South Africa. The Dutch settled the area to the north of what is today known as Pretoria in 1855. As time went by the Dutch settlers forcefully occupied land dispossessing the indigenous tribes in the process. The discovery of gold about 60 Kilometres to the south of Hammanskraal lead to a boom of economic activity in the region and the agricultural sector flourished. Owing to the booming agricultural industry, a farmer by the name Hamman had a large agricultural venture where he owned a famous cattle barn. This barn was referred to in Afrikaans as Hammanskraal, named after the famous farmer. The 1913 Natives Land Act and the implementation of the Apartheid laws by the 1940s saw a larger program of forced removals around the Pretoria, Witwatersrand and Vaal regions. These forced removals coupled with an increase of industrial activity saw an increase in the population of the Hammanskraal region. With the increase in population numbers there was very little planning for the region. This ended up being a region of underserved residential neighborhoods serving as a dormitory town to surrounding industrial complexes with little development of infrastructure and industry within the region itself. In 1972, the Bophuthatswana self governing state was established which had a profound impact on the developmental trajectory of the region. By 1977, Bophuthatswana had become an independent 'republic' in terms of the then