I have a confession to make, South African history didn’t much interest me during my school years, or after for that matter. Too many mind-numbing dates and facts, too much oppression, or just more interest in other subjects? I don’t know, but a morning spent with Raymond Heron, renowned raconteur of Spion Kop Lodge, changed that in a heartbeat.
Monument atop Mount Alice, with Tugela River below
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Perched atop Mount Alice, part of the Heron’s farm, and gazing 10 km or so across to the next hilltop of Spioenkop, Raymond starts at the beginning with the original Khoi people. Touching on the migration of other tribes, the arrival of the Dutch East India Company, French Huguenots and British 1820 Settlers, to the ensuing Great Trek, Kimberley diamonds and Johannesburg Gold Rush, Raymond artfully weaves the story leading up to the Anglo-Boer War and the Battle of Spioenkop.
Monuments and graves on Spioenkop
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Abandoning our post atop Mount Alice, we make our way through the surrounding farmlands, crossing the fast-flowing Tugela River, to the deceptively steep slopes of Spioenkop with its panoramic views. The purple mountains of the Drakensberg stretch beyond, and the dam glistens below. And this is where the details of the Battle of Spioenkop are brought vividly to life. 111 years ago, in the dead of night, British soldiers crept up the slope of Spioenkop hoping to surprise the much smaller Boer force entrenched on the summit. Scattering the Boers and triumphantly securing the summit they wait for the darkness and mist to lift. But when day breaks they realise the true horror of their situation. The Boers have deployed guns and men onto the hills either side of Spioenkop and a rain of shell and rifle fire begins to descend.
– Raymond Heron, battlefield expert and renowned raconteur
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I won’t pretend to remember all the retreats, advances and tactical blunders made on both sides, but what really struck me was the fact that the fate of three different countries could have been radically altered right here on this hilltop. Three men atop this koppie went on to lead their respective countries. Louis Botha, the Boer commander, became the first Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa in 1910. Mahatma Gandhi, a stretcher bearer with the volunteer ambulance core, went on to lead India to independence. And Winston Churchill, a 23 year old war correspondent who became Britain’s Prime Minister. To this day, one end of Anfield football stadium in Liverpool is known as the ‘Kop’ in honour of the Liverpool soldiers at the Battle of Spioenkop.
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The monuments and white-washed stone trenches, now graves, remain, but they wouldn’t be as meaningful without the knowledge and passion of a great story teller. You might not have an interest in military tactics, but if you have a love for this country then this experience will leave you with a wonderful perspective on how it was born. And maybe even a better understanding of where we find ourselves today.
Trench, now a grave, on Spioenkop
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Stay at Spion Kop Lodge
Spion Kop Lodge is in the Battlefields of KwaZulu Natal and is set in indigenous tranquil grounds. In the Drakensberg area, Spion Kop Lodge offers warm hospitality. It was General Buller’s headquarters during the Anglo-Boer War (1899 to 1902) and also Winston Churchill’s camp site. Guests recall the history on specialised trips to Battlefields, which are brought alive by Raymond, an historian and raconteur.
