the sa war comes to an end (1901 - 1902) - cnx

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The SA War comes to an end (1901 -1902)*

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1 SOCIAL SCIENCES: History

2 Grade 7

3 DEMOCRACY OR WAR

4 Module 11

5 THE SA WAR COMES TO AN END (1901 � 1902)

First study the synopsis of the last two years of the war before attempting the assignment.

*Version 1.1: May 12, 2009 1:47 pm -0500�http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

http://cnx.org/content/m23215/1.1/


Figure 1



Figure 2

6 Activity 1:

7 To reconstruct important events of the war

8 [LO 3.3]

1. Work in groups to complete one of the following assignments. Your educator will provide you with theanswers of the assignments completed by other groups.

a) Suppose that you were a black child during the war. Write a brief letter to explain the important roleplayed by black people during the war, and about why you prefer to refer to the war as the South Africanwar.



b) Compile an information lea�et on life in the concentration camps in South Africa for the BritishGovernment, on behalf of Emily Hobhouse.

c) Do you regard Gen. De Wet as a hero or a fool? Why? Write a song to voice your feelings about him.2. Conduct a group discussion on the following:a) Who won the war? Provide evidence for you point of view.b) Discuss the following statement and indicate whether war and democracy are related:War is the science of destruction � John AbottEmily Hobhouse under arrest and back to EnglandWANTING TO EASE THE LOT OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN CAMPSCape Town, 31 October 1901. � When Emily Hobhouse was on the point of landing in Cape Town this

month, she was placed under arrest and forced to re-embark for England. No explanation was o�ered forthis curious action by the government.

Emily Hobhouse, who has been in the country from 27 December 1900 to 24 May 1901, visited sixconcentration camps. She then did everything possible to obtain help for the women and children in thecamps and to inform the public of the wretched conditions that existed in those camps. Large protestmeetings were held in England and members of the Liberal Party in Britain attacked government policy inparliament. In the mean time the death rate in the camps this month was higher than ever before. In theseventeen Transvaal camps, 1 616 of the 57 905 women and children have died, with most of the deathsoccurring among children, while 1 319 of the 1 514 deaths that occurred in the Free State also were those ofchildren.



Figure 3http://cnx.org/content/m23215/1.1/


JAPIE GREYLINGIn April 1901, the youthful Japie Greyling came to oppose the British captain James Seeley on his father's

farm Smaldeel in the Free State district of Hopetown. The story of his fearless heroism is one of dozens ofincidences that occurred while the Second War of Independence was fought between Great Britain and thetwo Boer Republics of the Orange Free State and the Transvaal during 1899 to1902 and of which some aretold here:

That the child should have done it, little Japie - and him not eleven years old yet! To challenge a �ringsquad - not everyone has the backbone for that. It is the war that makes men of children who should still beplaying with marbles. Dad Greyling was on commando with the two older boys � with the Free State force.Now Japie and his twin, apart from the girls, provided his mother's main support.

That night in April a small group of burghers had slept at Smaldeel, but they had to take to their heelsearly in the morning when they noticed a division of English soldiers approaching. There were anxiousmoments while it seemed that the English might catch up, but then the Boers swerved into an overgrownkloof and disappeared.

�Ha! Fooled you!� Japie laughed to himself. He had been watching the pursuit from behind the house,but now entered the house to put on water for co�ee for his mother.

Not long after the sound of approaching horses was heard. Japie peeked through the door. Yes, theEnglish had come up to the house. And their leader seemed to be furious. Angry, of course, because theBoers had evaded him with such ease. Japie Greyling laughed again, but quietly.

The English captain approached with long strides. Everything was going against him this morning andhe had run out of patience. He knew that a Boer commando was operating in the area and he wanted to getat them. The captain noticed the boy and smiled. It shouldn't be too di�cult to get the information thathe needed from the youth.

He beckoned to his interpreter and commanded: �Ask the child where the Boers who rode o� from herewent.�

�To their commando,� Japie answered readily.The captain's expression darkened. �That I know!" he retorted roughly.�Where is the commando?�Japie looked him straight in the eyes. �That I'm not telling,� came his reply.�Cocky, isn't he now?� muttered the captain. �I'll pull his tail feathers for him!�His large hand closed over the boy's shoulder and he dragged him across the farmyard. By a narrow strip

of wall between two doors of an outbuilding he forced the child's slight frame against the wall.�Where are the Boers?� he asked again. No interpreter was required. The boy knew what the Englishman

wanted. And the captain? Perhaps he already knew the boy's answer.�I'm not telling!�The captain barked a command, and the sergeant reported it to his men. Six soldiers stepped up, dropped

to the ground on one knee, ri�es cocked, their �ngers on the triggers. The boy could have no doubts aboutthe intentions of the English. Inside the kitchen, a woman's voice was raised in a pitiful moan. Somewhereoutside a horse snorted and stamped the ground impatiently. Everything else was suspended in stillness.

Then the captain waved away the ri�es, his men lowered their weapons and he walked over to the boy.�You are a brave boy,� he said, grasping his hand. �I hope to meet you again one day!�

The English mounted their horses and rode o�, and the mother burst through the door to hug her sonto her. But Japie shrugged her o�, watching the disappearing English soldiers, a hint of disappointment onhis face, like when a child is denied something lovely that has been promised.



Figure 4

This and many other heroic tales from the history of the wars fought in our country can be read inHeldeverhale a book by P.W. Grobbelaar and others.

STATISTICS22 000 British troops in SA before the war.450 000 British troops in SA by the end of the war.35 000 burghers between 16 and 60 years of age on commando.2 000 foreign volunteers on the side of the Boers.16 years of age22 074 girls and boys under 16 12 000 burghers on commando by the end of the war.30 000 farmhouses burnt down.R404 000 000 (¿202 000 000) - the cost of the war to Britain.43 000 Non-Whites in concentration camps in May 1901.118 000 Whites in concentration camps in May 1901LOSSBritish empire6 000 soldiers fallen in battle16 000 dead due to illness and accidents400 000 horses and mules on the battle�eld dead due to illness and accidents.Free State and Transvaal110 000 horses and mules on the battle�eld died due to illness and accidents3 990 burghers on commando fallen in battle1 081 burghers on commando dead due to illness and accidents1 118 burghers died as prisoners of war in camps on islands27 927 people died in concentration camps, of which1 676 men over 16 years of age4 177 women over years of age

7 000 � 12 000 Black people have died in camps due to hunger and disease



LU 3.3

LO 3.3

Table 1

From: D. Sleigh. Ruiter teen die Ryk.Sources:A. Boëseken: Die NuusbodeP.W. Grobbelaar, e.a.: HeldeverhaleD. Sleigh: Ruiters teen die RykM.C.E. van Schoor: Spotprente van die Anglo-Boereoorlog, Tafelberg-uitgewers

9 Assessment

Assessment standards(ASe)

LEARNING OUTCOME 1: HISTORICAL ENQUIRY- The learner will be able to use enquiry skills toinvestigate the past and present

1.1 Access the sources

1.2 Use the sources

1.3 Communicate information from sources (reporting))

LEARNING OUTCOME 2: HISTORICAL KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING � The learner willbe able to demonstrate historical knowledge and understanding

2.1 Understand chronology and time

2.2 Supply reasons why an historical event took place (causes, e�ects)

2.3 Di�erentiate between di�erent periods (similarities, di�erences)

LEARNING OUTCOME 3: INTERPRETING HISTORY � The learner will be able to interpret aspectsof history

3.1 Be aware of more than one view of the past

3.2 Distinguish between fact and opinion

3.3 Reconstruct the past

Table 2


the sa war comes to an end (1901 - 1902) - cnx

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