Monuments in honour of civil war victims
Date:
Read:
What made the events especially memorable was the presence of a group of Australian tourists as well as descendants of the civilians.
One monument was in honour of the German missionary Daniel Heese and his unnamed Ndebele driver. They were both shot dead in the vicinity of Vliegenpan on August 23, 1901, presumably by the Bushveldt Carbineers (BVC), an Australian regiment under lieutenant Breaker Morant. Vliegenpan is the site where the Zoutpansberg Commando under Commdt Genl C F B Beyers was victorious in a battle against the British armed forces on March 2, 1902.
A granddaughter of Rev Daniel Heese, Prof Malie Smuts, who is a retired professor in Veterinary Anatomy, unveiled the monument in honour of Rev Heese on Thursday, June 1. Danie Heese, fourth-generation descendant was also present.
At the unveiling ceremony, historian Louis Changuion said that the Reverend, who was stationed at Makapanspoort, brought a friend to Elim Hospital and witnessed the Boers coming in under a white flag and being shot by the BVC.
“The next day, his body and that of his driver were found,” said Prof Changuion. Members of the BVC were subsequently arrested and tried by a British military court, and Lts Breaker Morant and Peter Handcock were executed by firing squad.
In an interview by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Prof Malie Smuts said that she had laid the matter to rest.
“I have made peace with the facts,” she said. The family requested the inscription, the German version of Romans 8:28, “Wir wissen aber, dass denen die Gott lieben, alle dinge zum besten dienen.”
“It was a very compelling experience,” Dr Craig Wilcox, military historian from Australia, said after the unveiling. “I have always had a harsh view of Breaker Morant, but now my dislike has increased,” Willcox said. He was quick to add that it was his own personal opinion.
“Love him or hate him, he is in our Australian folklore. In Australia, there is a great following for Breaker Morant,” said Australian Les Perrett who believes that the Bushveldt Carbineers shouldn’t have been executed since they followed orders by Lord Kitchener. Mr Perrett is a businessman and author of a remarkable book on the Anglo Boer War.
Dr Willcox said earlier on that the BVCs “were bad eggs. They lied when they said they were following orders. They were serial killers.”
The second monument was in honour of more than 30 known and unknown civilians who lost their lives in the Zoutpansberg/Spelonken area. The inscriptions show that they were mostly killed by BVC patrols and some commanders are named. The monument is in honour of CJ van den Berg, JJ Vercuil, FGJ Potgieter (18), JC Greyling, JJ Geyser, PJ Geyser (12), Van Heerden, Njoba, Mattungen, Floris Visser (20), Jan Derk Grobler (14), Jacobus Daniel Grobler (6), Baaukens, CPJ Smit, WA Vahrmeijer, Logenaar, B Wouters, JJ du Preez (16), three unnamed black men, Pauskie, another unnamed black man, R van Staden (father), R van Staden (18) and C van Staden (12).
Local historian Charles Leach unveiled the monument on June 2 at Fort Edward in Vleyfontein. The monument was erected by friends and descendants.
