Leliefontein massacre
Encyclopedia
The Leliefontein massacre occurred at the Leliefontein mission station in the Northern Cape
, South Africa
on 31 January 1902. Boer
leader Manie Maritz
executed 35 indigenous inhabitants of the settlement as punishment for attacking his party when he went to interview the European missionaries in the town during the Second Boer War
. Deneys Reitz described the attack as a "ruthless and unjustifiable act", and mentioned that Jan Smuts
was displeased when he visited the site of the massacre
along with Reitz in the aftermath.
Northern Cape
The Northern Cape is the largest and most sparsely populated province of South Africa. It was created in 1994 when the Cape Province was split up. Its capital is Kimberley. It includes the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, part of an international park shared with Botswana...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
on 31 January 1902. Boer
Boer
Boer is the Dutch and Afrikaans word for farmer, which came to denote the descendants of the Dutch-speaking settlers of the eastern Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 18th century, as well as those who left the Cape Colony during the 19th century to settle in the Orange Free State,...
leader Manie Maritz
Manie Maritz
Manie Maritz was a Boer General during the Second Boer War and a leading rebel of the 1914 Boer Revolt.Maritz was born in Kimberly and christened Salmon Gerhardus Maritz and also known as Gerrit Maritz....
executed 35 indigenous inhabitants of the settlement as punishment for attacking his party when he went to interview the European missionaries in the town during the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
. Deneys Reitz described the attack as a "ruthless and unjustifiable act", and mentioned that Jan Smuts
Jan Smuts
Jan Christiaan Smuts, OM, CH, ED, KC, FRS, PC was a prominent South African and British Commonwealth statesman, military leader and philosopher. In addition to holding various cabinet posts, he served as Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa from 1919 until 1924 and from 1939 until 1948...
was displeased when he visited the site of the massacre
Massacre
A massacre is an event with a heavy death toll.Massacre may also refer to:-Entertainment:*Massacre , a DC Comics villain*Massacre , a 1932 drama film starring Richard Barthelmess*Massacre, a 1956 Western starring Dane Clark...
along with Reitz in the aftermath.