Today in Kimberley's History
January 9th
"Every day has a story about Kimberley's past."
On this day...
The ninth day of January reflects both the hardships and resilience of wartime Kimberley while celebrating one of the city's most important modern monuments—a tribute to Solomon Plaatje, one of South Africa's greatest writers, journalists and political pioneers.
1900 – An Escape from Captivity
86 days into the Siege of Kimberley
On 9 January 1900, Kimberley's residents received both encouraging and sobering news from beyond the siege lines.
In The Diary of a Doctor's Wife – During the Siege of Kimberley, October 1899 to February 1900, Winifred Heberden recorded the remarkable return of Mr Field, a military dispatch rider who had previously been captured by Boer forces and taken to Bloemfontein.
After a daring escape, Field managed to make his way back to Kimberley. He had survived almost nine days with virtually no food, leaving him so thin and pale that Dr Jack Heberden remarked his complexion resembled that "of a person who is dead."
Field brought reassuring news about Inspector Blyth, another prisoner being held in Bloemfontein. Although still in captivity, Blyth was reportedly being treated well and was allowed to walk in a garden under parole. Not all the day's news was encouraging. Reports arrived from the besieged town of Mafeking, where an unsuccessful British attack on Boer positions had resulted in 21 soldiers killed and 26 wounded. The strong Boer defences had once again proved impossible to overcome.
Despite the grim reports, life in Kimberley continued as normally as circumstances allowed. Winifred spent the afternoon taking tea with officers at the Artillery Mess, where she watched the military band perform and learned how artillery ammunition was transported and prepared for action. Even during a siege, moments of normality offered welcome relief from the constant anxiety of war.
Did You Know?
Dispatch riders carried vital military messages across enemy territory, making them among the most dangerous assignments during the Anglo-Boer War. Many were captured or killed while attempting to reach isolated garrisons.
1993 – Building the Road to Democracy
On this day in 1993, the African National Congress (ANC) set out a series of key demands to ensure that South Africa's first democratic elections would be free and fair.
Meeting as its National Executive Committee (NEC), the ANC called for the resumption of constitutional negotiations, the establishment of an Independent Electoral Commission, an Independent Media Commission, a Transitional Executive Council, and the reincorporation of the former homelands into South Africa.
ANC President Nelson Mandela also indicated that the movement would not insist on holding elections in 1993 unless the necessary conditions for genuinely democratic elections had first been established. Many of these proposals became central elements of South Africa's peaceful transition to democracy, culminating in the country's first non-racial elections on 27 April 1994.
For Kimberley, these negotiations laid the foundations for a new democratic local government and a more inclusive political future.
Did You Know?
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), first proposed during the negotiations leading up to the 1994 elections, continues to oversee South Africa's national, provincial and local elections today.
2010 – Solomon Plaatje Honoured with a Bronze Statue
On this day in 2010, President Jacob Zuma unveiled the bronze statue of Solomon Plaatje in Kimberley following the ANC's annual January 8 Statement celebrations.
The sculpture, created by renowned South African artist Johan Moolman, depicts Plaatje seated in a relaxed pose, reflecting his thoughtful nature as a writer, journalist, linguist and political leader.
Around the base of the monument are a series of bronze relief panels illustrating key moments from Plaatje's remarkable life. One celebrates his work as a newspaper editor, another honours his translations of William Shakespeare into Setswana, while a powerful panel depicting the 1913 Natives Land Act symbolises his lifelong campaign against injustice.
The monument stands near the Kimberley City Hall, not far from the places where Plaatje lived and worked, and has become one of Kimberley's most photographed public artworks.
A decade later, in 2020, President Cyril Ramaphosa laid a wreath at Plaatje's grave in Kimberley before delivering the ANC's January 8 Statement in the city, underlining the enduring importance of Plaatje's legacy to South Africa.
Did You Know?
The Solomon Plaatje statue, photographed for this website by Richard Jones, remains one of Kimberley's most recognisable modern landmarks.
Sol Plaatje bronze statue during the unveiling in 2010
Sol Plaatje bronze statue during the unveiling in 2010
Sol Plaatje broze statue
Can't find a Kimberley connection for a particular date? Our Today in Kimberley's History collection is continually expanding as we research Kimberley's rich history. If you know of a notable local event that occurred on a specific date, we'd love to hear from you using the Contact Us page.
Kimberley's Story Continues
These are just two of the many events that helped shape Kimberley. Every date on the calendar reveals another chapter in the city's remarkable history.
Continue exploring...