Recreation Africa

PEOPLE DRIVEN BY PASSION

This week’s blog will share the insights of a recent visitor to Kedar Heritage Hotel, Conference Centre & Spa (Kedar). Roger Webster is a well-known voice to South African Audiences - he has been broadcasting his “Fireside Chats” on SAFM for the last 10 years. Roger’s historical and anecdotal tales based on the true history of South Africa, and not what we were taught in school, have made him a controversial and sought after speaker on the South African circuit.

Below is Roger’s account of his first visit to Kedar and the inaugural Anglo Boer War Weekend;

As a writer and story teller, preserving the tales of yesteryear has been my bent for many many years, coming across people with like-minded passions is a rare and most delightful moment.

Let me elaborate.

Some weeks ago I received a phone call telling me about a Boer War weekend  that was taking place just North of Rustenburg., this then was followed up an official invitation. It took place this weekend and I went on Friday afternoon.

Nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to experience, which I shall go into later, but first a bit of background

Robert Forsyth and his wife spent over 30 years buying up the local farms from the Kruger Family, and consolidating it into one big unit which they turned into a game farm. They established Kedar Lodge. Robert has an absolute passion for South African History and the Boer War in particular, and when the Government phoned and told him they could no longer maintain Paul Kruger’s original farm house on Boekenhoutfontein, he jumped at the opportunity, bought the property, and now, under Kedar’s care it will be properly maintained and not go to rack and ruin like so many others. Another piece of our crumbling history saved.

That’s the background.

As I said earlier, nothing could prepare you for the experience. You drive through the gated entrance, go round a corner, and there, facing you is a life size bronze statue of General Jan Smuts mounted on his favourite horse, a few meters down, a life sized bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi, who was a stretcher bearer during that war. The next one needs a little bit of time, it is four statues representing the men involved 1 Indian, 1 Boer, 1 Brit and 1 Black. When you arrive at the reception Portcusre, a life size bronze of an old Spider with a matched pair is opposite the entrance.

Inside Reception there are glass encased, larger than life army figures, all dressed, in original assorted uniforms. This is when the penny drops; you are dealing with someone with a deep passion. Walk out of the back of reception, into the botanical like gardens, the first thing you notice, no foreign evasives, they, including the Boers most wanted and loved eucalypts trees, have all been removed, the result, all the old springs have now returned to the farm, just like it used to be those many years ago with lovely areas of wetlands, just the thing for birders.

Walk down the pathways lined with Bushveld trees and local vegetation, and the fist garden statue you come across is Kosi Magathla, how befitting too, as Maghatla was around before the war, he backed the Boers, and was given his land by Kruger’s Government, whilst the Po people, on the other side of Rustenburg backed the Brits and lost their land, but that’s another story. Magadha’s neck, on the Zeerust road is named after him, and the place down the road Fokeng, of course belongs to the BA- Fokeng people, the “people of the mist” the richest tribe in the whole world.

I could go on and on forever, but suffice to say that there are 5 stand alone statues, including Cecil John Rhodes, which led to quite a debate on Friday night, and 5 memorial statues dotted around the gardens and lawns of the Lodge.

There’s a swimming pool, a spa, and those not interested in the War have many options to follow, but this talk is not about Hotels, it’s about the preservation of culture and history.

There are many what I would describe as “Halls”. Each one serving a different purpose, but let me try and paint you a mind picture of what I mean. An Ancient thick, high walled large hall with its double volume effect, and thatched, the high pitched roof: picture the flags , all draped at an angle, all lining the side walls as you enter, the Family Crests, the Armorials, granted by none other than the King Himself. Each one belonging to a family whom would give their very life for their Sovereign Liege. Such is the feeling that overcomes one; looking down a high walled, thatched hall, the Boer war rifles, inclined at an angle slightly downwards, lining the walls like flags, each one belonging to a man that fought to protect the freedom of his family, his country and himself. It's as if each and every one of them has its own personal story to tell, and collectively speak, of eventual defeat against a mightier Foe. The feeling is electric.

The walls of all the various halls are decorated with memorabilia to vast to comprehend, here a wall with over 100 English Officers swords, with scabbards, all glass  encased an annotated, there a passage, its wall adorned with an individual  painting of every single man who won a VC during that war. Another room, dedicated to the English POW camps scatted all over the world, their letter home, their art work, There heartbreak. The one thing I learnt there was that, it was the prisoner of war that were taught to play cricket and rugby against the warders during that period, and those games were brought back, and that’s how we became a cricket and rugby playing nation!

Upon another wall, encased in glass, is a pictorial of every aristocrat from Britain, Europe, and surrounding places, which took place in the war. It just goes on and on hall after hall, conference room after meeting room.

It is without a doubt, the biggest single collection of Boer war memorabilia in the world, and if it could come to pass that it could be amalgamated with the biggest collection of cannons, which is owned by a friend of mine, it would be mind blowing!

Why do I go on and on about it? Let me tell you. Natal displays their battlefields to the fullest, Thlana, Spionkop Ihlandwana et al, The magaliesburg has over 50 battlefields and squirmishes that took place in and around the area, and it was the late great David Rattray that one said to me “I have one battle field to talk about, Islandwana, it’s not on the way to anywhere, it’s isolated, and yet people come”.  “You guys have over 50 yet y you do nothing with them”

Well that’s about to change , because yesterday, whilst this Boer war day was on, the government’s department of the North West was meeting (Yes, on a Saturday) with all the stakeholders in the area to find a way forward for the promotion of local, and foreign tourism.

And I feel that with passionate people like Robert Forsyth, John Penne father, Vincent and His Prof of history wife, Jane, the late Lionel Wolfson’s  work and all the others, the time has really come.