Gerhardus Jacobus Maritz, better known as Oom Billy Maritz, was the first attorney in the Letaba district. Maritz moved to the newly proclaimed town of Tzaneen on the advice of friends in legal circles.
Graduating as an attorney in November 1924, Maritz moved to Tzaneen in February 1925. On the 17th July 1929, Maritz was appointed as Deputy Sheriff of the Letaba District, a post he held until his death in 1949.
Maritz was renowned for doing his own background work on cases and for building a great rapport with his clients. During one case, Maritz acquitted a father of killing his son. Tests by Maritz proved that the rifle that killed the young child was highly unstable and a small bump would set it off. The father maintained that the child had been playing on the floor next to the rifle, which was propped up aginst a wall.
Read: Throwback Thursday: Origin of the name
A movement caused the rifle to slide over towards the child, the child caught the rifle by the barrel and was shot in the process. On the contrary, the court maintained that as only the father’s prints had been found on the rifle, that he must have shot the child and the child grabbed the barrel trying to save himself. During the court case, the rifle was placed on the table and the small movement alone caused the rifle to go off. The father was acquitted.
During another case, Maritz defended a man that who was charged with stealing a donkey. Maritz won the case and the man was told to remove the donkey, to which he replied, “I can’t, it’s not mine, I stole it and it has caused me too much trouble.”
Maritz was also called the defend the notorious “Tzaneen Killer” who had shot one man, a Mr Beukes, and wounded a woman known as Mrs Wheatcroft.
The murderer was so impressed by Maritz’s efforts that he offered to work for Maritz for no renumeration once the case was over. The Tzaneen Killer was hanged for his crime.
Read: Throwback Thursday: Origin of the name (part 2)
In 1948, Maritz suffered a heart attack and later died on 13th October 1949 at the age of 49.
Do you have any interesting stories about Tzaneen’s history? Feel free to share them with us: bethc@herald.co.za
Source: Tzaneen – 75 (1919-1994), Louis Changuion
