THE ZOUTPANSBERG SKIRMISHES ROUTE (ZSR)

This unique route was initiated in 2003 by Charles Leach and the late Andre Smit. Due to the area involved in the main focal issue – the Bushveldt Carbineers – the cooperation and interest of land owners, government and tribal authorities was the first obstacle. This people and families, such as Hennings of Sweetwaters, the Hendriks of Vliegenpan and Spelonkwater, Hasane Chauke of the Chauke Clan, Elim Hospital, the Dept. of Water Affairs and Forestry – on whose property Old Lemana and Colonel Adolf Schiel’s fortified homestead stand, the Thomas family, John Mulungwa the present owner of East Lynne and the occupants of Lovedale Park are but a few of the many roleplayers who have became involved.

A base had to be established and this materialized through the interest and passion for heritage and history of the Gilfillan Family – Marius and Inga – the owners of Lalapanzi Hotel. This ZSR base has became the home of the Museum which is attracting international interest.

There could not be a better base for this route. It is on the N-1 some 28kms south of Louis Trichardt in Limpopo Province.

The Tudor style architecture of the hotel, complete with dove-cote in the garden and horses in the paddocks is so much part of the period – atmosphere and the 50-plus years of the hotel as a milestone in the Soutpansberg.

The Anglo Boer War (1899-1902) only affected the Soutpansberg-or Spelonkop, as it was known at that time-during the 3rd phase when Lord Kitchener instituted the in famous ‘scorched earth’ policy which included the establishment of Concentration Camps and special mounted units consisting of ‘men who could shoot and ride’ and who would presumably fight the remnants of the Boer Commandors on their own turf and so end the war.

This action of the British military brought a pot pourri of ‘soldiers of the Empire’ to the northern regions of the Transvaal.

The Bushveldt Carbineers- a unit that has been immortalized by the actions of a few Australian officers, of whom Ltn. Harry ‘Breaker’ Morant was probably the most famous-were sent to the Elim / Bandelierkop area.

During the months that this unit occupied the Spelonken-7 June to about December of 1901-they established (and left behind) a legacy that is irrevocably bound to names of places such as Elim Hospital, Valdezia, Rossbach, Fort Edward, Sweetwaters, Lovedale Park, Vliegenpan, Bandelierkop, Medingen and Ravenshill.

Even the soft, swirling mists of the Soutpansberg will never obliterate names such as Capt. ‘Bulala’ Taylor, Ltn. ‘Breaker’ Morant , Commandant Tom Kelly, the Van Staden family, Rev. Daniel Heese of the Berlin Mission Society, Commandant General Christiaan Beyers, and Colonel Adolf Schiel and his sons.

A typical tour includes the graves of the Van Staden family, Cmdt. Tom Kelly and his wife, the 6 Boers shot at Valdezia, the military grave markers of Trooper Van Buuren- BVC- and members of Kitchener’s Fighting Scouts and the Pietersburg Light Horse as well as those of Const. Charles William Eagle and other members of the S.A.C. and TP.

Monuments that are included are those of the civilian victims of the BVC at Ford Edward that of Rev. C.A.D. Heese and of the Zoutpansberg Commmando at Vliegenpan. A monument in honour and remembrance to the 700,000 horses of the ABW is in the garden of Lalapanzi Hotel.

There are several buildings and structures that are on the route. Examples are the fortified homestead of Col. Adolf Schiel and his stables that became the 1st Lemana College, the famous steel fort first named Hendrina and then later Edward, the Sweetwaters Hotel-quarters of Capt. Taylor, the historical ‘relocated; railway station of Louis Trichardt, the Alexis Thomas Hydro Electric Mill and Gertudsburg Mission Station where the Revs. Endeman and Schwellnuss lie buried.

An extended ZSR tour includes the Medingen Mission Station at Modjadje – founded by the Rev. Reuter, the graves of Capt. Percy Hunt and that of Sgt. Frank Eland at Ravenshill, as well as that gravestones and monuments in honour of the Viljoen brothers and other members of their commando.

This extended tour falls into the area of the legendary Prof. Louis Changuion, one of our foremost authorities on the A.B.W. The Long Tom Monument at Haenertsburg is part of his legacy and is included in this section

Other historical sites that can be visited by prior arrangement are Schoemansdal, the site of the settlement of Pioneer Louis Trichardt, Elim Hospital Museum, the grave of Joao Albasini and the Church of the Vow in the town of Louis Trichardt.

The story of Constable C.W. Eagle – now available in print – also lends itself to a tour that traces his last journey from Pont Drift via Mapungubwe and the old Transport Road through Linton and ‘Heidelberg’ to Musina and finally to Elim Hospital and his monument in the old Police Cemetary at Fort Edward.

The two senior guides of the ZSR and the Long Tom Gun story, Prof. Louis Changuion and Charles Leach are also available to do slide and / or digital presentation for functions of an historical nature.There include presentations of The Long Tom Gun History, The Bushveldt Carbineers, Constable Charles William Eagle and many more.