A recent weekend trip to eMakhazeni in Mpumalanga by metal detectorists uncovered a neglected, vandalised and partially looted graveyard at the Belfast Anglo-Boer War concentration camp cemetery.
“I went to visit friends in Belfast on the weekend, and we stopped at the old Boer War concentration camp site. But we couldn’t get in,” said Johann Papenhagen of the Detectorist Association of South Africa (Dasa). “The chain fence was gone, the grass was about two metres high, and metal crosses had been cut off British graves.”
Papenhagen said they eventually managed to walk around the site and discovered the badly neglected cemetery, where at least one grave appeared to have been completely stripped — including the skeleton inside.
According to information on the graves, dating from 1899 to 1940, those buried there included British soldiers and some of Belfast’s early founders.
Papenhagen said military graves were often targeted by grave robbers because soldiers were commonly buried in full uniform with medals, regiment badges and other military paraphernalia. Even cloth-covered metal buttons could have scrap value, he said.
“We believe the scrappers — at least that’s what we call the guys who come in and take what they can — break the metal crosses off and destroy the graves,” he said, adding that most of the British graves at the site remained covered over.
He said the matter had been reported to the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) and other relevant departments.
The site serves as an important place of memory, and SAHRA condemns such acts of desecration.
— Clinton Jackson of SAHRA
Dasa has called for the Belfast concentration camp cemetery to be secured to prevent further damage. The organisation has also proposed that the remaining metal crosses still standing be removed, preserved and replaced with wooden markers of lesser value.
Clinton Jackson of SAHRA confirmed that the agency had received Dasa’s “report regarding vandalism and theft at the Belfast Anglo-Boer War concentration camp and cemetery”.
“The site serves as an important place of memory, and SAHRA condemns such acts of desecration,” he said. “At this stage, a formal site inspection is being scheduled to assess the extent of the damage.”
After the inspection — and once the relevant role players were identified — a decision would be taken on the way forward.
“We also wish to acknowledge and appreciate the vigilance of community members in reporting incidents of this nature, and we encourage the public to continue reporting such matters to heritage authorities and the SAPS,” Jackson said.
Papenhagen said Dasa — which represents detectorists and heritage enthusiasts — was working with communities and heritage authorities to help safeguard historical sites and preserve heritage.
Gill Gifford
www.timeslive.co.za
