Residents clean up Ossewabrandwag cemetery

Volunteers from the community and members of the Vryheidsfront Plus (VF+) cleaned up the Ossewabrandwag (OB) cemetery in Centurion. The OB cemetery is an acre in old Centurion cemetery, especially bought and laid out for OB members. Councillor Sakkie du Plooy also got his hands dirty on Saturday when the graves were washed and areas in-between cleared of weeds.

Du Plooy said Centurion is enriched with the history of the Afrikaner nation and used the opportunity to educate listeners about that part of its history. “In 1938 nine oxcarts departed from Cape Town to Blood river and the Voortrekker Monument to commemorate the Great Trek of 1838.” He said the carts aroused interest all along the various routes that they had taken.

“The commemoration trek reminded the Afrikaner nation of its strive for freedom during the Great Trek.” Du Plooy then referred to the Anglo Boer War in 1899 and The Rebellion in 1914. He said the Afrikaners longed to speak their language and practice their culture freely again. They also wanted to be politically free in order to do so.

“The OB was founded in February 1939 in Bloemfontein and thousands of Afrikaners joined the group. The group especially strived to have Afrikaans acknowledged as a proper language. English was the official language at the time. “In September 1939 the Second World War broke out and the South African government joined the British against Germany. Many Afrikaners were against this decision. “In 1914 with the First World War well-known Afrikaner leaders such as Generals De Wet and De La Rey rebelled against joining the British.

Du Plooy said the Afrikaners remembered the history of 1899 when the British captured 30 000 Afrikaner women and children and held them captive in concentration camps. He said the concentration camp is situated in Irene and those that passed away, have been commemorated at the Kampkerkhofterrein, also in Irene.

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“Those Afrikaners who remembered that Germany assisted them in the First World War against the British, refused to fight in the Second World War against a country who assisted them once. They joined the OB. “The OB did not support violent resistance, but unfortunately some members identified with an extremist group called Die Stormjaers. This group was involved in sabotage and even assassinations to prevent South Africa’s participation in the Second World War.”

Du Plooy said many residents from Centurion still remember how their parents strived to realise the ideals of the OB instead. “Here are residents who still remember how hundreds of Afrikaners used to meet annually in Parys where they had been addressed by their leader, Dr. Hans Janse van Rensburg.” Johannes Frederik (known as Hans) died on 25 September 1966 in Cape Town, however, was buried among his comrades in Centurion.

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