Reliving the Battle of Majuba Hill
Nearly 142 years ago, during the First Boer War (20 December 1880 – 23 March 1881) near the town of Volksrus, the British suffered their most humiliating defeat in history at the hands of the Boers at Majuba Hill.
During the night of 27 February 1881, British Major General Sir George Pomeroy Colley occupied the summit of Majuba with his 405 men. During the early hours of the morning, the Boers attacked the British position in three groups of 100 to 200 men.
By 12:45, the one Boer group, commanded by Commandant Joachim Ferreira, managed to take up an advantageous position and opened fire on the exposed British.
The Boers broke through the British lines and engaged the British at long range, at which stage their discipline began to break, and their lines collapsed.
Some 92 British soldiers were killed, 134 wounded, and 59 captured, while the Boers only suffered one casualty and five woun-ded.
The Boer victory resulted in the end of the war and the reinstated South African Republic at the Pretoria Convention.
At 09:00 on 18 February 2023, this famous battle will be re-enacted at the Udolpho Rivierplaas just outside Parys.
This famous battle will be re-enacted at the Udolpho Rivierplaas just outside Parys this coming Saturday, 18 February. Photo credit: Chilli PicNic
“Military reenactments play an important role in preserving military history using period-related clothing and equipment. Additional benefits include drawing in tourists who support the local economy, allowing for cultural exploration, interaction, and socialisation as well as reinforcing cultural norms of the host communities,” said Dr Dewald Venter.
Dr Dewald Venter (photo) is a senior lecturer in Tourism Management at the Vaal University of Technology and is an internationallypublished researcher and author on military heritage and dark tourism.
