Treasure hunters visit Bela-Bela
The group of treasure hunters who had a scheduled visit to Bela-Bela was taken by surprise when upon their arrival in Bela-Bela they were prohibited from any search in the area.
Die Pos reported earlier that members of the Gauteng History Hunters Organization were due to visit historical sites in and around Bela-Bela from Friday 11 August. The operation was to scan ground surfaces for historical objects using metal detectors. The visit was organized, with permission from the Bela-Bela municipality, by Johan van Niekerk, chairperson of the Bela-Bela Heritage Organization.
“I received a phone call a few days earlier from a member of the South African Heritage Resources Protection Agency (SAHRPA) who informed me that the search for any Boer War-related history was not allowed and that any efforts to continue might lead to prosecution,” said Van Niekerk. “The purpose of the visit was to use the metal detectors to seek artifacts and relics of significant historical sites that might warrant any further investigation. It is our mandate as the association to document and preserve our history and make the public aware of our rich past. I notified all interested parties to be on standby while I obtained more information from SAHRPA.”
Van Niekerk said he explained to the SAHRPA officials their intentions and that the mission was to preserve the heritage. He even invited members of SAHRPA and other stakeholders to join the venture and oversee this and future excursions to investigate the sites and help preserve historical items.
“We decided to utilise all resources and changed the weekend into a training opportunity. The team only scanned a private property in the Spa Park area. The owner requested that a search still be conducted on his property since any item that might be found could enlighten him of his heritage,” said Van Niekerk. “Apart from a myriad of roof washers, the most exciting find of the weekend was a metal Wheel Tax Cycle Licence disk from 1950 that, as the property owner imagined, might have belonged to his father. We now have insight into how the metal detectors work and what articles would be detected by the equipment.”
Van Niekerk is currently negotiating with respected historians from the University of North West, as well as Heritage Worx, a public archaeology initiative, on aspects of protecting Bela Bela’s past and remaining transparent in the process.
“Another visit of the sites in the area deemed historically significant, is planned for September. I trust that our organization will continue to preserve our historical heritage.”
