23-06-2025
Alberton Voortrekkers' wreath laying to commemorate lives lost during Anglo-Boer war
As many in Alberton and across the country remembered and celebrated the brave stance taken by black school children during the Soweto uprisings, a group known as Die Voortrekkers commemorated lives lost during Anglo-Boer War.
More than seven decades before the Soweto uprisings, Lord Roberts, who was the commander of the British forces during the Anglo-Boer War, issued one of the most consequential proclamations of the war.
The year is 1900, and Roberts' proclamation on June 16 resulted in the launch of the 'scorched earth policy', which led to the destruction of Boer farms and caused women and children to end up in concentration camps.
The Anglo-Boer War was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (South African Republic and Orange Free State) over Britain's ambitions to takeover in Southern Africa. Alberton's Voortrekkers spent their holiday on Monday, June 16, at a wreath-laying and remembrance ceremony for the lives lost during the Anglo-Boer War.
'It is not just statistics. It is names, families. These are people who are still recalled in family histories to this day with tears in their eyes,' Die Voortrekkers said in a statement.
'On June 16, we commemorate not only the camps. We commemorate the people, the children who never made it to their first day of school,.the mothers who tried to protect their families with no support or means,' reads the statement.
Die Voortrekkers' commemorative ceremony was held at the Turffontein Concentration Camp Memorial Grounds. This location was used by the British as a concentration camp housing an estimated 4 000 Boer women and children.
'This is a day of mourning, but also a day of realisation. To realise that freedom doesn't come for free. Join The Pioneers if you want to learn more, remember together, and help build a future where our children will carry their legacy on with dignity,' said the Die Voortrekkers.
To follow the work of Die Voortrekkers in Alberton, visit their Facebook page at 'Die Voortrekkers – Org Meyer – Alberton,' their website, or email for more information.
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