Maf ‧ e ‧ king /ˈmæfəkɪŋ, ˈmæfɪkɪŋ/ BrE AmE
the old name of a town in the northern part of South Africa, now called Mafikeng. It is famous in British history because of the Siege of Mafeking in 1899–1900, when British soldiers defended the town against the Boers during the ↑ Boer War . The Relief of Mafeking took place after 217 days when more British forces arrived, and the news of this event caused great celebrations in the UK.