Upset–War

 Ek het vanmore verder gegaan op my soektog na kuns oor die Boer/Britse oorlog, toe ek op Tala  se bloginskrywing afkom oor die Boere-oorlog. Wat my sommer omgekrap het, is die feit dat sy sê dat die konsentrasiekampe nie so erg was soos Hitler se gaskamers nie!! Wel, wel, daarmee stem ek nou glad nie saam nie. Dis nou een ding waaroor jy nie met my moet verskil nie, dit is om deur dit te se! Waar in die lewe sien jy, dat ‘n sterk nasie, soos die Britte, wat al soveel oorloë geveg het, dat hulle teen die Boere nie hond-haaraf kon maak nie! Dit was ‘n situasie van “stalemate”…pat…soos ons in Skaak sê! Hulle het nie geweet waarheen met ons klomp nie, so wat was die volgende “beste” ding om te doen? Sit die vroue en kinders in konsentrasiekampe en verhonger hulle!! Brand hulle huise af tot op die grond….!! Maak die plaasdiere (vee) dood….Waar in die lewe kan jy nou sê dat dit nie so erg is nie! Jammer, Tala, maar ek verskil heeltemal met jou! Ek glo nie jy besef mooi wat daar gebeur het nie. Jy sê selfs dat jy nie die SA geskiedenis ken nie, omdat jy dit nie geleer het nie. Dus verskoon ek jou die keer, maar my liewe genade! Daar is vroue en kinders dood as gevolg van die kampe en die verhongering. Dink net aan die siektes daar ook! Ek wens so ek het daardie boek, wat ek op Lady Smith gekoop het, hier gehad om aanhalings vir jou te kon gee. Daarin word vertel hoe die vroue sterf, hoe die swanger vroue nie kry wat hulle nodig het nie, hoe die siekes ‘n tekort aan medikasie gehad het….hoe hulle hul water moes rantsoneer…ag nee man!! Dit is erg genoeg om na hierdie foto’s te kyk en te weet wat aangegaan het. Ek glo nie enige persoon wat ‘n Christen is, kan dit goed praat nie, of selfs sê dat dit nie so erg was nie. Ek gaan nou eers tee drink om my opgewondenheid te onderdruk…

For the English speaking people visiting my site…I was just letting some steam off, because I read on a blog found this morning, after looking for some Art-stuff on the British/Boer-War, that Tala said by putting the women and children – to starve – in concentration camps, wasn’t as bad as Hitler with his gass chambers!! For heavens sake!! What I say is…it is just as bad…how in your right mind can you let women and children starve and say…”that’s not too bad..”!! Wow! Hello!! Am I narrow-minded,…or what!…that’s what upset me! Do you think it’s “cool”…and please, don’t tell me war is war… we all know that..there is WAYS to seek solutions…and putting women and children in camps and to starve them…is NOT a solution… and please, don’t tell us that the British thought it was a way to feed the women and children..bull!! We all know that one too…there was no need for them..why did they not let them go when they wanted to leave the camps…hey..we’re not stupid….we all know the reasons…

 

Farm houses were burnt down!...with the scorced-earth policy

Women and children suffered the most! There were not allowed to leave the camps.

On this blog-entry you will find tons of info, tons of photos, links, even audio files…check it out…
https://chessaleeinlondon.wordpress.com/2007/09/23/boer-war-art-poetry-and-history/

Edit…
More info can be found HERE and more on my blog-entry link.
The scope of the war was the biggest thus far on South African territory and one of the greatest thus far waged by Britain in Southern Africa. The Boer forces had a potential of 54 000 men but never more than 40 000 were empIoyed at once, whilst the British forces grew to 450 000 at the height of hostilities. Casualties were as follows:
British soldiers: 7 792 (killed) 13 250 (deaths from disease)
Boers: 6 000
Women and children in Concentration Camps: 26 370
Blacks in Concentration Camps: 20 000+ (Official British figure: 14 154)
Of special importance is the final phase of the war, after the capitals Bloemfontein and Pretoria were captured and the Boer forces resorted to guerrilla warfare. In an effort to contain the guerillas the British adopted a two pronged strategy: the so-called scorched earth policy and the removal of the Boer women and children to concentration camps. It was during this phase of the war that the suffering of the Black people intensified. Since the farms were destroyed, livestock killed and crops burnt, the farm labourers and their families were taken to refugee camps Since there was also fear amongst the British that those Biack farmers who farmed independently may supply the Boer commandos with victuals or that their livestock might be commandeered, these farmers were taken to concentration camps. As the main reason for the war was the British desire to gain control of the gold mines in the Witwatersrand, there was a need to build a Iabour force with which to reopen the mines as soon as the state of hostilities allowed it. Forced labour camps were introduced and Black labourers were concentrated therein.
The condition in these camps were appalling, Epidemic diseases, malnutrition, insufficient medical care and dreadful sanitary arrangements resulted in the high death rate. In the white camps the death toll rose to 26 370 of the approximately 100 000 inmates. In the Black camps the official British figure was just over 14 000, but recent research proves that a figure in excess of 20 000 deaths among the 120 000 inmates of these camps is acceptable.

http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping