Today in Kimberley's History
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Solomon Plaatje marries Elizabeth Nomthetho M’Belle - 1898
Sol Plaatje and Isaiah Bud-M'Belle stayed in the Malay Camp, sharing a house in this multiracial and vibrant suburb of Kimberley that was demolished during the apartheid era. It was here that Plaatje met his wife-to-be, Elizabeth (Lilith) Nomthetho M’Belle, the younger sister of Isaiah in 1897. Elizabeth (born in 1877) was a few months younger than Plaatje, and had been educated at the Lesseyton Girls School, receiving an education better than he, according to Plaatje.
They had met when she was visiting her brother Isaiah in Kimberley, she being a teacher at a mission school in Steynsburg at the time.
They soon started courting and despite the objections of many – Plaatje was Motswana and Elizabeth was Mfengu – they were married on 25 January 1898 by civil licence. The marriage ceremony that followed was officiated by the Reverend Davidson Msikinya, the Congregational minister who took over after Reverend Gwayi Tyamzashe’s death in 1896.
Plaatje himself wrote of the “problem” of their courtship and marriage:
“My people resented the idea of my marrying a girl who spoke a language which had clicks in it; while her people likewise abominated the idea of giving their daughter in marriage to a fellow who spoke a language so imperfect as to be without and clicks.” He called their courtship “rocky” because of both families disapproval.
Sol Plaatje and Isaiah Bud-M'Belle stayed in the Malay Camp, sharing a house in this multiracial and vibrant suburb of Kimberley that was demolished during the apartheid era. It was here that Plaatje met his wife-to-be, Elizabeth (Lilith) Nomthetho M’Belle, the younger sister of Isaiah in 1897. Elizabeth (born in 1877) was a few months younger than Plaatje, and had been educated at the Lesseyton Girls School, receiving an education better than he, according to Plaatje.
They had met when she was visiting her brother Isaiah in Kimberley, she being a teacher at a mission school in Steynsburg at the time.
They soon started courting and despite the objections of many – Plaatje was Motswana and Elizabeth was Mfengu – they were married on 25 January 1898 by civil licence. The marriage ceremony that followed was officiated by the Reverend Davidson Msikinya, the Congregational minister who took over after Reverend Gwayi Tyamzashe’s death in 1896.
Plaatje himself wrote of the “problem” of their courtship and marriage:
“My people resented the idea of my marrying a girl who spoke a language which had clicks in it; while her people likewise abominated the idea of giving their daughter in marriage to a fellow who spoke a language so imperfect as to be without and clicks.” He called their courtship “rocky” because of both families disapproval.
(Photo Public Domain)
102 days since beginning of the Siege of Kimberley, 1900
Extract from "The Diary of a Doctor's Wife – During the Siege of Kimberley October 1899 to February 1900" by Winifred Heberden.
The bombardment went on again this morning, a regular fire beginning at 4 a.m. Jack went round to No.2 Redoubt to see 'Long Cecil' firing, but found that some of the Boer guns were concentrating their fire in that direction, so left it. At 7 a.m. they had it very hotly in the Malay Camp from the guns on the Lazaretto Ridge. In fact, all Kimberley had its share to-day, yet with a surprisingly small amount of damage done. A child was killed; and the mother and another child badly injured. These are all.
Mr Rhodes sat on the verandah of the Sanatorium looking worried, but calm. The worry would be more about other people than himself. The people of Kimberley might be his children! A shell fell on the road in front of the Sanatorium while he was there.
We enjoyed peace - and a smart shower of rain at midday, but bombarding began again at about 4.30 p.m. and the first shell, a shrapnel, burst almost over Jack's head as he was mounting his horse at the door of the hotel. One this morning having done the same in the Main Street.
News by flashlight this evening came in and cheered us up about Ladysmith and Colesberg. Warren and Buller are getting closer and in better positions near Ladysmith and General French is slowly but surely closing in upon the latter. Mafeking, up to Jan 6th 'All well', but still having a hot time. Sir Hector MacDonald has joined the Relief Column at Modder River. So we hope he has the 7th Division behind him and will make things begin to move again.
Extract from "The Diary of a Doctor's Wife – During the Siege of Kimberley October 1899 to February 1900" by Winifred Heberden.
The bombardment went on again this morning, a regular fire beginning at 4 a.m. Jack went round to No.2 Redoubt to see 'Long Cecil' firing, but found that some of the Boer guns were concentrating their fire in that direction, so left it. At 7 a.m. they had it very hotly in the Malay Camp from the guns on the Lazaretto Ridge. In fact, all Kimberley had its share to-day, yet with a surprisingly small amount of damage done. A child was killed; and the mother and another child badly injured. These are all.
Mr Rhodes sat on the verandah of the Sanatorium looking worried, but calm. The worry would be more about other people than himself. The people of Kimberley might be his children! A shell fell on the road in front of the Sanatorium while he was there.
We enjoyed peace - and a smart shower of rain at midday, but bombarding began again at about 4.30 p.m. and the first shell, a shrapnel, burst almost over Jack's head as he was mounting his horse at the door of the hotel. One this morning having done the same in the Main Street.
News by flashlight this evening came in and cheered us up about Ladysmith and Colesberg. Warren and Buller are getting closer and in better positions near Ladysmith and General French is slowly but surely closing in upon the latter. Mafeking, up to Jan 6th 'All well', but still having a hot time. Sir Hector MacDonald has joined the Relief Column at Modder River. So we hope he has the 7th Division behind him and will make things begin to move again.
Abram Fischer fails to arrive in court - 1965
Abram (Bram) Fischer, Q.C., standing trial under the Suppression of Communism Act, fails to arrive in court, forfeits his bail and disappears. He went underground and only recaptured in November to stand trial for conspiring to commit sabotage and being a member of the banned organisation, the Communist Party of South Africa. He was served with life imprisonment.
Abram (Bram) Fischer, Q.C., standing trial under the Suppression of Communism Act, fails to arrive in court, forfeits his bail and disappears. He went underground and only recaptured in November to stand trial for conspiring to commit sabotage and being a member of the banned organisation, the Communist Party of South Africa. He was served with life imprisonment.