Cecil Rhodes a one-off gun named Long Cecil. Rhodes used his position and influence to lobby the British government to relieve the siege of Kimberley, claiming in the press that the situation in the city was desperate. The military wanted to assemble a large force to take the Boer cities of Bloemfontein and Pretoria, but they were compelled to change their plans and send three separate smaller forces to relieve the sieges of Kimberley, Mafeking and Ladysmith. Although Rhodes remained a leading figure in the politics of southern Africa, especially during the Second Boer War, he was dogged by ill health throughout
Mafeking, Ontario 1924 until 1967 and had 45 pupils graduate during its tenure. The building was also used as the township hall until the Ashfield Municipal Road Shed was built in the adjacent lot. The school still stands on Belgrave Road but is now used primarily for storage. The first Post Office was opened in Mafeking in 1900 by William Stuthers who was also Postmaster from 1911 until its closure in 1915 when it was amalgamated into the RR#7 Lucknow postal route. Other Postmasters in Mafeking included W.J. Treleaven (1900-1915) and Anson Finlay (1901-1911). Today the original post office still stands and