The Ossewabrandwag exhibition, which was on display in the Heritage Foundation at the Voortrekker Monument, is now on display in Orania’s Cultural History Museum.
Jan van Zyl from the Orania town council expresses his gratitude to the Heritage Foundation and is very excited about the exhibition.
“This exhibition also connects with our environment because there were internment camps at Koffiefontein and Kleinfontein near us,” says Van Zyl.
The exhibition is now open to the public for viewing.
“There is so much depth and substance to our history, which our people in Orania must also take note of. An exhibition like this one gives better insight into our past, where we have excelled and also made mistakes. It empowers us to make better decisions for the future,” says Van Zyl.
Rienie du Toit (née Kriek), whose father was part of the Ossewabrandwag in Ganspan, Koffiefontein and Narsaplein, was also at the opening of the exhibition in the museum.
She tells the story of her father’s Ossewabrandwag days as if she remembers his stories like it was yesterday.
“He was one of the nine internees who escaped from Ganspan in a 50-meter-long tunnel. Over days the tunnel was dug, then they went back,” says Du Toit.
“They had to camouflage it in the house where they lived in Ganspan so that no one could see where the tunnel started. The tunnel finally came out beyond where the camp is fenced off.”
Du Toit further tells of a man, Danie du Toit, who played the piano to distract the guards. Every time he started playing the piano, it was an opportunity for someone to escape. Messages were sent through Morse codes, and a car picked up the prisoner when he came out on the other side of the tunnel.
“My father was a fugitive for a long time. He took refuge in Babanango and with friends for a long time. He made notes on which dates and with whom he got accommodation,” says Du Toit.
Click HERE to listen to the voice recording of Rienie du Toit, where she tells the remarkable story of her father. Please note that the recording is only available in Afrikaans.
The Heritage Foundation is grateful to put such a valuable exhibition on loan for one year, not only to an environment where it will be preserved but also to carry meaning for the people of that environment.
