The destiny of the Human family and Johannes Seseane during the Anglo-Boer War, 1899-1902

Abstract

The destiny of ordinary women, children and farm workers that stayed behind on the farms when war broke out in the Boer Republics has been comprehensively documented for more than 100 years. However, in spite of the numerous printed accounts of the collective plight of ordinary people in the face of extreme adversity, new untold accounts seem to resurface regularly. The article describes an amazing tale of survival and courage of the Human family and their extra-ordinary relationship with one of their farm workers, Johannes Seseane, which has up to this point remained substantially obscured. Johannes was an ordinary farm worker, but his assistance to the wife of the farm owner, Bettie Human, borders on the extra-ordinary. What was particularly exceptional was that he protected a small herd of live stock during the last months of the war and sold off small numbers at a time to the three black concentration camps in the area. The money was hidden and the existence and location thereof was
only disclosed after the war and was used to rebuild the farm and aid the fi nancial recovery of the family.

Keywords: Battle of Vet River, Brandfort, British offi cer, concentration camp, Johannes Seseane, Jurie and Bettie Human, Landdrostmoeite, Taaiboschspruit, Winburg