Smuts House

Jan Smuts relaxes in his garden in Irene during the late afternoon winter sun. This house is the Smuts museum where he lived whilst being the Prime minister of the Union of South Africa and into retirement. There are interesting artifacts relating to his life and times. Smuts was mainly responsible for drafting the 'Preamble to the Charter of the United Nations'. He was born in 1870 and died in 1960. When war broke out with Great Britain in 1899, Smuts received a command in the Boer army. As a skilful military leader he rose to the rank of General.

Today the grounds serve as a recreation center. One can enjoy a picnic, tea and scones in the well known tea garden or enjoy a leisurely walk in the grounds and onto the top of the Koppie (hill) to view the surrounding country side. On the first and last Saturday of the month the popular Irene Village market is held in the grounds and many visitors flock to the stalls. It makes an interesting outing to visit the flea market where the merchants sell anything from beads to furniture.

The town of Irene has transformed from a quiet tranquil village to a busy residential suburb with many shopping malls and business complexes emerging. Traffic jams are now becoming the norm as construction expands in the City of Tshwane.