REG. 126-240 NPO

INHOUD/CONTENT Botshabelo: Valuable heritage asset in total decay Iets oor die Oosthuizens Buller, Victor of the Battle of Long Tom Pass

All about the ox wagon Alles oor die ossewa

Prof Eric Holm, bekende entomoloog en kenner van ossewaens was Saterdag die spreker met ‘n uitstappie oor ossewanes en ander rygoed van Mpumalanga Erfenis. Hier verduidelik prof. Holm sekere eieskappe van ‘n transportwa. Hierdie is die bekende Merryweather wa wat by Nelspruit Hoerskool bewaar word. Prof. Holm is tans besig met die saamstel van ‘n omvattende publikasie oor die ossewa en sy ontwikkeling in Suid Afrika. Dit behels ondermeer ‘n lysting van alles bestaande ossewaens in die land. Die voorsitter van Mpumalanga Erfenis, Duncan Ballantyne het ook by die geleentheid ‘n provinsiale projek angekondig om alle waens in die provinsie te lys en te dokumenteer. Meer hieroor asook ‘n verslag oor die dag se gebeure verskyn in ons volgende nuusbrief.

Regular Newsletter/Gereelde Nuusbrief

No. 156 11.02.2015

www.routesmp.co.za Click: Follow the history/Click: Mpumalanga Historical Interest

NOTE: That this is not an edited publication but merely a compilation of the contributions and comments as received from members and participants

A regular edited annual will be available shortly

Botshabelo: Valuable heritage asset in total decay Botshabelo: Waardevolle erfenisbate verval

The following by Gerhard Rheeder was published in the Middelburg Observer of 05.02.2015:

Botshabelo is vandag 150 jaar terug deur twee Berlynse sendelinge,

Alexander Merensky en Heinrich Gützner vir 500 Persiese thalers

gekoop. Die stukkie paradys langs die Klein Olifantsrivier is die “Plek van Toevlug,” oftewel

Botshabelo, gedoop.

Alexander Merensky het aanvanklik vir hom en sy Christen volgelinge, wat deur

koning Sekukhuni vervolg is, ’n tuiste daar gevestig.

’n Baksteenhuis is opgerig as pastorie, en terselfdertyd is daar ook begin bou aan ’n

fort, wat vandag Fort Merensky heet en tot nasionale monument verklaar is.

In 1868 is die Botshabelo kerk opgerig en amptelik in Oktober 1871 geopen.

Teen 1873 was daar reeds 1315 bewoners, wat ’n klipgooi van Middelburg, ’n

onafhanklike dorpsbestaan gemaak het.

Daar was ’n winkel, meule, boekbindery en ystersmid, en ’n skool is ook opgerig en

later uitgebou en gebruik as opleidingskollege tot in 1979.

Die geboue het behoue gebly tot 1995 toe daar met skok aangekondig is dat 400

gesinne die grond eis.

Die getal het bly groei tot daar ongeveer 1000 eisers was wat hul kleim afgesteek het

op die Plek van Toevlug.

Sedert die oorhandiging van Botshabelo in 2003 aan die Botshabelo

Ontwikkelingstrust, wat die voormalige premier van Mpumalanga en dienende

adjunkminister van justisie, mnr. Thabang Makwetla, insluit, staan die plek vervalle.

Nog die regering, nog die eisers, is gepla oor die behoud van die internasionale

trekpleister, wat tot 2000 buitelandse toeriste per week gelok het en eintlik as

nasionale erfenis verklaar moet word.

Talle huisies wat sedert 1965 opgerig is, soos die pastorie, staan nou nog, maar die

krake wat sedert die eisers se oorname begin wys het, sal miljoene kos om te herstel.

Met die verkoop van Botshabelo aan die plaaslike munisipaliteit in die laat 70’s, het

die voormalige kurator, me. Jeanette Fraser daar regeer met ’n ysterhand.

Met behulp van me. Fraser, het die Ndebele vroue wêreldwyd getoer en met hul

vlytwerk oral opskudding veroorsaak.

Vandag is daar nie ’n enkele Ndebele vrou oor nie.

Wild word links en regs gestroop en een van die sensitiefste natuurlike erfenisse, ’n

broodboom woud, word bedreig met die grens aan Botshabelo waar die wildheinings

lankal geval het.

Die huisies is aan toeriste beskikbaar gestel en ’n Ndebele stat is gevestig.

Die Middelburg Observer kan vandag sonder om doekies om te draai sê Botshabelo is

’n bouval met geen hoop vir die toekoms nie.

Miljoene rande sal benodig word om die geskiedkundige dorpie na ere te herstel.

Selfs die kerk se mure begin kantel en afpleister terwyl ry op ry geelhoutbanke, die

geelhouttrappe na die gallery en die unieke preekstoel kreun onder die verval.

Water lê in damme op die kerk se vloer, die klok is gesteel en die deure staan oop,

soos dit geskop is om ingang te verkry.

Die pastorie wat as museum ingerig is, is selfs ’n hartseerder storie – daar’s niks, alles

gebuit en geplunder om plek te maak vir drankbottels van vandaliste wat sommer

vuurmaak op die houtvloere.

Die huise is vervalle, en staan toegegrendel, buiten vir dié wat deur eisers betrek is.

Met die Observer se besoek Donderdag het ’n waterpyp uit een van die bewoonde

eenhede steeds gelek, en drie jaar later lê daar ’n moeras wat onbegaanbaar is.

In dié huis was die bad en wasbak se krane almal oopgedraai met geen mens in sig

nie.

’n Vrou in die winkeltjie waar die laaste Ndebele vlytwerk van die hand gesit word sê

bloot – “hulle (die Ndebele vroue) is lankal weg, niemand bly hier nie, hier’s nie geld

nie”.

Meer as R21 miljoen wat onder meer deur die Lotto aan Botshabelo gegee is, word

vermis, adjunkminister Makwetla het dit meer as ’n jaar terug self aan die Observer

bevestig.

Maar heelaas, niks het verbeter nie.

Woendende eisers het verlede jaar begin gehuggies oprig omdat die munisipaliteit te

stadig vorder met 1000 huise, ’n skool, winkelsentrum en, en…

Die SA Erfenis Hulpbronne Agentskap trek net skouers op.

Die regering trek net skouers op.

Die eisers stel net verdere eise, maar is nie in staat om die bewaringsgebied en

reservaat te bestuur nie, dis ook duidelik gemaak deur adjunkminister Makwetla.

Selfs politieke druk van die DA dra geen vrug nie.

Anthony Benadie MPL, DA Provincial Leader and Spokesperson on

Culture, Sport and Recreation writes: I have issued this today. I am also asking the portfolio committee and MEC to join me on

a visit, separate to the one we spoke about yesterday. If they agree, we will invite

members of the executive of Mpumalanga Heritage along.

Media Release:

Botshabelo turns 150 but who is celebrating? 05 February 2015 Release: Immediate Today marks the 150th anniversary of Botshabelo, the now neglected former missionary

station, cultural village and heritage site just outside Middelburg which now lies in ruins. Once known as the Jewel of Mpumalanga, this historical village used to be frequented by

both international and domestic tourists who would immerse themselves in the customs

and various art forms traditionally practiced by the Ndebele and baPedi people. A jewel

that not only created jobs, but also generated vital revenue for the local municipality and

local tourism economy. The museum is now in a shocking state of disrepair and the once famous site is just a

shadow of its former self. The locals selling traditional Ndebele arts and crafts can barely

eke out a living because now, only a handful of tourists can be found visiting the site.

Today is a significant day on the province’s cultural calendar but there is nothing to

celebrate. On a visit to Botshabelo with former Culture, Sport and Recreation MEC Nomsa Manana,

the MEC committed herself and her department to resolving the matter of the decaying

heritage site. She also committed to addressing the ongoing dispute between the

beneficiaries of the successful land claim that saw Botshabelo placed in the hands of land

restitution beneficiaries. To date, nothing has been done. The DA requested to help preserve Botshabelo by being granted permission to access

the museum in order to remove the precious artefacts and place them in safe keeping,

while the department created a rescue plan but we had no success. Nothing came from MEC Manana’s promises and there has yet to be an indication of

when the heritage will be restored. While Botshabelo must be managed in a manner that

generates financial and residential benefit to the land beneficiaries, the heritage site and

historical town must be restored and protected. A day that should have been filled with celebration and cultural reflection will pass by

literally unnoticed, symbolic of how the ANC has neglected not only Botshabelo, but the

land beneficiaries of the site as well. To this end, we will write to current Culture, Sport

and Recreation MEC, Norah Mahlangu, as well as the chairperson of this portfolio

committee and invite them to accompany the DA on an oversight visit to Botshabelo. The department must restore Botshabelo to its former glory, by providing investment

and guidance to the claimant beneficiaries to ensure that the beauty and heritage of this

significant site cannot simply fade into distant memory.

More under Further Correspondence /Sien ook by Verdere Korespondensie

Iets oor die Oosthuizens Johann van Zyl, Rhenosterhoek skryf: Net ‘n interessante staaltjie oor die Oosthuizen familie. Ek was onlangs by die oorkundige toe ek ‘n ou vriend daar raakloop. Dries Oosthuizen, ‘n makelaar in die stad. Ek het hom gevra of hy weet wie die twee mees bekende en heldhaftigste Oosthuizens was in ons Boere geskiedenis. Nadat hy eers homself voor gestelstel het, moes ek hom reg help en meer oor sy eie voorgswlagte vertel. So kom mens ook agter hoe min die Afrikaner van sy eie geskiedenis weet. Die een was Marthinus, algemeen bekend as Tinie Oosthuizen. Hy was verloof aan Gerrit Maritz se dogter maar het haar later verruil vir n nooi Rudolph wat hy in die Kaap kolonie moes agter laat toe hy deel geword het van die Groot Trek. Hy het haar eers later weer ontmoet toe haar familie ook Kaapland verlaat het en toe is hulle getroud met die mooie Aletta . Met die Zulu-aanval by Blaauwkrans het hy gejaag om na hulle perde te soek toe hy hom in die Zoeloes vasry. Hy het afgespring en geskiet en al skietende op sy perd retireer tot naby die waens van ‘n groep Van Rensburgs wat op n koppie vasgekeer was en wie se skietgoed begin opraak het. Daar was n klomp Zoeloes tussen hom en die koppie en tussen hom en die waens van die mense. Hans van Rensburg het vir hom geskreeu om vir hulle kruit en lood op n sekere Pretorius se wa te probeer haal. Hy draai toe sy perd om en jaag terug deur die Zoeloes en laat sy perd sommer oor die disselboom staan terwyl hy die lood en kruit uit die voorkis haal. Hy hang toe sy geweer oor sy skouer agv die gewig wat hy moet dra en jaag dwarsdeur die Zoeloes terwyl die Van Rensburg vir hom n pad probeer oopskiet met hulle laaste ammunisie. Oosthuizen het later self vertel dit was asof hulle vir hom n pad oopgemaak het en so het hy saam met hulle geveg en die aanvallers verdryf het. Die tweede dappere was genl. S.F. Oosthuizen wat in die tweede Vryheidsoorlog as veldkornet geveg het by die stasie Chieveley ( waar Churchill gevang is ), daarna by Beacon Hill , Colenso en Spioenkop. In Desember 1899 neem hy namens kmdt. F.J. Potgieter waar en in Feb 1900 word hy veggeneraal. Hy veg by Biggarsberg teen Sir Redvers Buller en veg ook later by Donkerhoek teen die Britse opmars uit Pretoria. Daarna help hy om genl,-maj. Smith-Dorien by Dwarsvlei te verslaan. Op 11 Julie 1900 is hy swaar gewond toe hy die Briitte se kanonne wou buit. Hy sterf drie weke later aan sy wonde. Hy was maar 38 jaar oud. Sy foto in Malan se boek oor die Boere -Offisiere toon n man van forse temperament en deurdringende blik. Van die Lessenaar: Ek merk die name van nie minder as ses Oosthuizens op die adreslys van Mpumalanga Erfenis. Dalk kan ons ook meer inligting kry oor die Ooshuizen uit hierdie geweste.

A Short Biography of General Sir Redvers Buller, Victor of the Battle of Long Tom Pass

Posted on December 9, 2013 by tourism marketer

General Sir Redvers Buller

Redvers Henry Buller was to become a controversial figure but in 1895 he was at the height

of his career as Adjutant General of the British Army. He had had a distinguished career,

serving in most of the hot spots of the British Empire, and had earned the Victoria Cross at

the Battle of Hlobane, in the Zulu War.

The Victoria Cross

He was regarded as a fighting soldier and an Africa specialist. He was also regarded as a

good leader, although in fact he had never held an independent command.

When things started to get difficult in South Africa in 1899, he was summoned to the War

Office and offered the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Forces in South Africa, in

the case of war breaking out. He declined the post, pointing out that he would rather go as

Second-in-Command. Nevertheless, when the Anglo-Boer War did break out, he was

appointed as Commander-in-Chief, with immediate effect.

http://sabie.co.za/blog/?p=2168http://sabie.co.za/blog/?author=3

Buller leaving Britain for the Cape

His request for an additional 50 000 troops for his campaign was slashed to 10 000 and his

departure for South Africa was delayed for a fortnight by red tape.

When he finally arrived in Cape Town he decided that as the Commander he should operate

against the Boers in Natal. He had specifically ordered the local commander, General Penn-

Symons, not to cross the Tugela River to meet the Boer advance. This order had been

ignored; Penn-Symons was killed at Talana and his successor, General White, was bottled up

under siege in Ladysmith.

Gen. Penn-Symons

Other British forces were besieged at Mafeking and Kimberley, but Buller saw relieving

Ladysmith as his first priority. He promptly moved on up to Durban, gathered together a

force of 30 000 men and advanced up the rail line to Frere, where he established his

headquarters.

His first major task was to get across the Tugela and he decided on a frontal attack at

Colenso. The Boers, under General Louis Botha, were waiting for him and the assault ended

in an ignominious defeat. Buller suffered heavy losses, amongst whom was Lt Freddie

Roberts, the only son of Field Marshall Lord Roberts.

Freddie Roberts

Freddie was killed in a gallant, but vain, attempt to move a number of Buller’s guns which

were in danger of being over-run by the Boers.

The defeat of Colenso was followed by the even more disastrous defeat at Spioen Kop. Buller

was by now personally thoroughly demoralised and made the career-limiting mistake of

telling Whitehall that he intended to tell General White to “fire off all his ammunition and

surrender”. This thoroughly alarmed the British politicians and they promptly sent out Lord

Roberts as new C-in-C, with Kitchener as his 2IC. Buller was relegated to OC of the Natal

area and told to do nothing further and await instructions from Roberts. White ignored

Buller’s suggestion that he surrender and Buller continued in his attempts (ultimately

successful) to cross the Tugela and relieve Ladysmith. At this stage, Ray Heron (in his lecture) broke away from Buller’s campaign and instead postulated the theory “what if Buller’s idea of surrendering Ladysmith had been accepted?”

Lord Roberts

If Ladysmith surrendered, the Boers would have been able to call for negotiations, in which

they would have held the whip hand, and it is possible the war could have been ended. This

didn’t happen and instead the war dragged on, with its attendant concentration camps and

guerrilla phase; the construction of about 8 000 blockhouses across the country and the

subsequent desperate fight to the bitter end by the so-called Boer “bittereinders”. The legacy

of hate and mistrust by the Afrikaners towards “the English” which arose from this lasted for

generations and culminated with the Nationalist Party coming in to power in 1948. Ray then

proffered the idea that it is just possible that if White had indeed surrendered much of what

subsequently occurred might not have happened and South Africa’s history might have been

irrevocably changed.

The Tomb of General Sir Redvers Buller

Returning to Buller, Ray added, during the ensuing question time, that Buller, although side-

lined by the War Office, remained a highly respected general, especially by those who served

under his command. He is one of the very few soldiers present at the unveiling of his own

monument when, in 1905, a statue in his honour was unveiled in his home town of Exeter in

Devon. He died of natural causes in 1908

Memorial Plaque to Gen. Sir Redvers Buller

. Gleaned from a lecture by Raymond Heron, Battlefield Tour Guide, Kwazulu Natal.

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Panorama, Kruger, and Lowveld regions and beyond, call our Dream Merchants on

013 764 1177 Email us at johnt@tripsza.com

HISTORICAL TIMELINE

MPUMALANGA & NEIGHBOURING REGIONS - 04

This a public project in progress. Members and participants are requested to send

dates, detail and photographs – or even completed timelines to enable us to compile a

comprehensive picture of the passing times in this region. A regular continuation of the

timeline will be published here. Please help us to correct facts or to provide us with

sources for more information.

1840

April

Carolus Trichardt leaves Delagoa Bay on horseback for the Voortrekker republic of Natalia.

A while after his arrival he marries Geertruida Erasmus.

Other

Albasini establishes a trading station near the present Lower Sabie but after a while moves it

to a second position close to the present Pretoriuskop.

1843

A Dutch trade ship of the company Ohrig, Klijn & Kie arrives in Delagoa Bay after the

British occupying the bay of Port Natal shown it away. A trader on board, Johan Arnold

mailto:%20johnt@tripsza.com

Smellerkamp sends a message to the Voortrekker settlers in the north that the ship will wait

for a period of four months in Derlagoa Bay to do business and to establish trade relations.

1844

June 22

Birth of Gert Nel, oldest of the Nel brothers, later to become the namesakes of the station,

town and later city of Nelspruit (currently Mbombela).

Other

The Potgieter commission visits Delagoa Bay to negotiate the border between a new

Transvaal Republic and the existing Portuguese territory. The present international border

between South Africa and Mozambique was surveyed later according to these negotiations.

Potgieter, accompanied by some wagons with women folk, leaves his trek behind at a rapidly

flowing river near the present day Bourke’s Luck. Only a band of men on horseback descends

the escarpment into the Lowveld on an unchartered route to the sea. When this so-called

commission does not arrive back at the wagons at a given date, those that stayed behind

feared the worst. Before turning back on their route west, the river they were camping at is

christened the Treurrivier (river of sorrow).

The following day when crossing the next stream the men caught up from behind. Great was

the joy and the river promptly called Blyde (river of joy)

The location where the Potgieter Commission left the wagons behind on the present day

R532 between Graskop and Bourke’s Luck

FURTHER CORRESPONDENCE/MEER KORRESPONDENSIE Meer oor Botshabelo

Harold Pakendorf skryf: (Gerig aan Cecilia Kruger van die Erfenisstigting)

Goeiemôre Cecilia - weet nie wat van Botshabelo-kwessie geword het nie maar volgens my

broer Gunther, wat hom besig hou met dinge rondom die Berlynse Sendinggenootskap en

heelwat van Botshabelo weet, is die sendingstasie hierdie Donderdag (5 Februarie) 150 jaar

oud. Weet nie wat om daarmee te doen nie, maar dis in elk geval interessant.

Cecilia Kruger skryf: Ek is jammer om jou te moet meedeel dat, soos met 99% van al die bewaringsprobleme waarmee die Erfenisstigting met amptelike owerhede moet skakel, het daar minder as niks gebeur nie. Ons het nie eers die notule van ons vergadering met die SA Erfenishulpbronowerheid van verlede Augustus ontvang nie. Dit laat my tog dink dat die 150e herdenking moontlik tot ondersoekende beriggewing kan lei? Moet ons nie maar die pad van ‘n TV program volg nie? Wat van die Carte Blanche roete? Van die Mpumalanga Erfenis lessenaar: ‘n Dagbesoek as een van die maandelikse uitstappies vir die lede en belangstellendes van Mpumalanga Erfenis is vasgeknoop vir Saterdag 14 March 2015.

Lost Correspondence The recent correspondence from Nigel Henson on the British observation and communication

posts at Kaapsehoop and elsewhere got lost. Please forward again.

We found some interesting photographs to answer you enquiry

UPCOMING EVENTS/VOLGENDE BYEENKOMST 14 March 2015 – Day outing to Botshabelo at Middelburg. 11 April 2015 – Sabie Branch Line Excursion. 25 to 27 April 2015 – Pilgrims Rest Weekend. 16 May 2015 – Mpumalanga Heritage membership drive and sale of books and collectables at the Avo Festival FROM OUR PHOTO COLLECTION/UIT ONS FOTOALBUMS

Photo from: Hans Bornman: Carolina, 1886-1986

ON BOOKS/OOR BOEKE: NEW/FOR SALE/FROM MY COLLECTION/IN SEARCH OF: NUUT/TE KOOP/UIT MY VERSAMELING/OP SOEK NA:

History books for Sale Hermanson, RA – The Moser Family in South Africa (Human Sciences Research Council Institute for Historical Research (1984/New condition) R250.00

Huizinga J – Herfsttij der Middeleeuwen, Studie over levens- en gedachtevormen der Veertiende en Vijftiende Eeuw in Frankrijk en die Nederlande (10de druk 1963/good condition) R200.00

King, Charles (Genl.) – A Knight of Columbia, A story of the War (1904/fair condition) R200.00

Kitshoff, MHC – Kitshof, Die nageslag van Johannes Ketshuck. (Human Sciences Research Council Institute for Historical Research (1984/New condition/3 copies available) R250

Major, John – The New Deal (Longmans proof copy 1967/soft cover/good condition) R100.00

Mandle, WF – Fascism History Monograph (1969/soft cover saddle stitch) R100.00

Miller, John C – Origins of the American Revolution (1965 reprint/soft cover/good condition) R200.00

Ranum, Orest – Paris in the Age of Absolutism, An Essay (1968/excellent condition) R200.00

Varé, Daniele – Laughing diplomat (1947 – 14th reprint since 1938/Fair condition) R250.00

Wiskemann, Elizabeth – The Europe I Saw (Europe between the Wars/1968/excellent condition) R200.00