Number 71, November 2016

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Browsing Number 71, November 2016 by Subject "Free State, South Africa"

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    Ek, Goliath Yzerbek
    (National Museum, 2016-11) De Graaff, Bart; Botes, Marianna
    I, Goliath Yzerbek. In 1834 five German missionaries of the Berlin Missionary Society travelled into the wild interior of South Africa to work among the indigenous people. They were granted land for a mission station near the Riet River in the current Free State Province by Adam Kok II, Paramount Chief of the Griquas in Philippolis. After a difficult journey and harrowing experiences the missionaries named their new mission station Bethany - Hebrew for "House of the poor" or "House of misery". They did not know that this land was part of the farm Brandewynsfontein and actually belonged to Chief Witvoet and his Regshande, a nomadic Koranna clan. In 1837 missionary Carl Wuras was sent to Witvoet and his Koranna at Bethany. Wuras later received land from Witvoet on which to build a church. In 1842 Witvoet was succeeded by Goliat(h) Yzerbek. Wuras convinced the new Chief to trek northwards to look for new pastures for his followers' cattle. When Yzerbek and his Koranna returned to Bethany more than 10 years later, missionary Wuras had Yzerbek chased away. Yzerbek wrote a letter to the Volksraad (Legislature) of the republic of the Orange Free State to apply for the re-instatement of his property rights at Bethany/Brandewynsfontein, but was unsuccessful. Without land and pasture for cattle, Goliath Yzerbek lost his wealth and followers. He and his wife lived in Bethany as destitute people for the rest of their lives.