Rebel Ride- On the 1914 tracks of Gen de Wet into the Kalahari

[Armpie]

The de Wet Rebel commando took Piet de Wet's horses and set of on the 27th of November.  Going north to the Molopo.  But even that was 100 miles away.  With the cars and a number of loyal government horse commando's on his tail.  One of the commando's were commanded by Mentz, the brother of de Wet's son-in-law.

Going with the bikes through the sand was difficult. It was now midday and there were no shadows on the road.  You will see the dark line on the road, thinking it is the hard part of the road, just to realize with a shock it is the sandy ridge in the centre with loose dark stones on it.  Then negotiating away from it.  At stages the road was sunken sand 3m wide with sand on the shoulders.  There were tracks Kris-crossing the entire width of the road.  It was sand every where.  We stopped at Piet Plessis and took a photo of Piet Plessis at Piet Plessis

Piet Plessis at Piet Plessis

 

[Armpie]

So the road between Piet Plessis Tosca was the same as from Stella, only worse.  We reached Tosca, feuled up and set of 15km west to the Waterbury turn-off.  But now we were in Leeuwereld.  This was 300m sand.  Not long.  Deep!


By now de Wet's commando was in a battle with the cars and lost 50 wounded and captured and 30 men were cut off.  Only 50 remained with him. They reached Deelfontein 15km south of Waterbury midnight on the morning of 30 November.  But there was no water.  Luckily the cars had to give up the chase in the afternoon.  The cars got stuck in the sand.  But the horses were spend.  Only one thing remained go to Waterbury.  It was the only well in many kilometers.  4m deep and chipped out of the iron rock, the water was nearly undrinkable, but there was no other.  At 2 in the morning of 30 November the 50 riders reached the well at the northern side of the randjie.  There were two huntershuts and the hunters Jacobs and Fourie helped them.  In the morning the 30 lost men also arrived.  But there was no chance of taking off.  The horses were exhausted.  Along the route they came was a trail of discarded clothing, blankets and horses to weak to continue.  By the afternoon the hunters went south.  They would betray the position, if it has not already been betrayed by the stuff thrown away.



Callie's bike take a rest

 

[Armpie]

As we took on the 2 spoor paadjie I contemplated taking the de Wet option.  Throw away the baggage.  Drop the bags with baggage,  tools and spare tubes behind a bush and come fetch it later with a bakkie.  But my please fell on deaf ears.  I took off and a kilometer later the track split.  I waited and then Piet  and the other two arrived. I took off again and after another kilometer stopped again to rest and await the other.  It was only now that the suggestion made sense.  So we phoned farmer Gert and a while later he arrived with wife Jeanette (as official photographer) and Simon (official biker pick up helper).  We loaded the baggae on the bakkie and set off again for another 5km.  And so with falls and rests,  over the next 45 minutes we reached Waterbury.  But the Monument was still 6km away.

The moment before you debuss from a bike.  Side stand incident.  The bike on the floor but the rider always ending on his feet

 

[Armpie]

We arrived after a 7km grueling sand slog at the little house in the sand.  Gert and his wife Jeanette opened up their hearts and their koskaste.  Just like the de Wets at Beesdam.  May they be deeply blessed.  The most friendly hospitable people.  We were treated like kings.


We decided to leave the bikes at the house and set off in the 4x4 bakkie to the Monument.  This late in the afternoon there were no objections.  We travelled 8 hours over very challenging terrain, and to sit on the back of a bakkie with a beer was a fair break from the sand and the adrenalin.  So we continued through the sand and then up a little ironrock hill untill we reached the Monument on the northern side of the randjie.

 

[Armpie]

The Rebels stayed here at the well for the 30th of November 1914, and were finally betrayed by the two hunters.  At first light on Sunday 1 December 1914 a horse commando under the commando of Col Jordaan, a AWB Bittereinder surrounded the 80 rebels.  They also took the high ground around the Monument.  The rebels horses were to weak, and without a shot, the rebels surrendered.  de Wet turned to the soldiers and asked "Wie is julle?  Boere of Ingilse?  The young men answered "Boere", so de Wet made the remark "So die Ingilse kon my op die ou einde nooit vang nie!"  But that was the military end of Gen de Wet.  He was send to Johannesburg and tried on treason charges.  He was sentenced to 6 years, of which he did 2 years in the Johannesburg Fort.  The Helpmekaar Vereeniging paid his fine.  Today there is no mention of this at the Constitutional Court.

 

[Armpie]

That evening we had a most enjoyable night with beer and the most incredible dark night with beautiful stars.  Next morning we had a another quick stop at the Monument before we had a breakfast.  We said good bye to our new found friends.  The sand was cold this time and travelling back to the Tosca road a bit easier.  I placed my feet on the pedal when leaving the opstal and put it down 7km later on the tar.  Gert and Jeanette left for their farm at Ottosdal and so did Wicus, the Wes Transvaal rebel.  We remaining 3 decided to go north and then along the Molopo.  We headed for Mafikeng 300km away.

Everything went fine except for two incidents.  Near Mabule Dam a donkey mare and her fowl decided to make it a sprint from a standing start.  Luckily I applied the skill of a emergency stop successfully. 

 

[Armpie]

The second incident happened at this place.


Piet wanted to see the mighty Molopo but the road runs a few hundred meters from the river and the Botswana border.  The next thing the road turned and here is the dry riverbed 20m away and the border 60m away.  And the gate is open.  So I turned in to about 20m from the fence.  Piet made a turn in the dry riverbed and stopped next to me.  While he turned back, I took a picture of him in the dry riverbed 30 meters away.

Out of the blue through the gate burst a khaki Landcruiser, flying in our direction.  It swerved out and stopped about a meter from we.  "Wie is julle en wat soek julle op my plaas!!!?  Ek skiet mense soos julle!!!"  Peter Knipe, I found out on the internet his name is.  Piet Knipe, ou grote, luister mooi wat ek se. Die plaaslike vuurwapen offisier sal jou woorde op Piet se kamera interessant vind met jou volgende vuurwapenaansoek.  Vuurwapen eienaars moet maar versigtig wees wie hulle met die skietysters dreig. Dan moet ek jou hiermee inlig.  Nie een korrel van jou 8000 hektaar sal jy eendag kan saam vat nie.  Niks van jou rykdom nie.  En laastens.  MAAK JOU BLEDDIE HEKKE TOE AS JY SO OOR "JOU" GROND VOEL!! 

 

[Thump]

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[Armpie]

 

[Armpie]

 

[1ougat]

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Interesting

 

[Casting from Turd]

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