History of Ohrigstad Valley

This Heritage site is just a few Kilometers outside the town Ohrigstad on the R36 Mainroad towards Hoedspruit.

The Town of Ohrigstad was first found in 1845 by Andries Hendrik Potgieter and Voortrekker companions. The Town was named after Andries Hendrik Potgieter and Georgius Gerhardus Ohrig who was a traveling merchant.

At this site where the hall is built there used to be a fort where the people would stay and protect themselves. The Hall was built on the original foundation of the fort. It was dedicated on 16 December 1952 a hundred years after the death of Andries Hendrik Potgieter.

The Monument in the picture below:

The Monument was erected in 1927 to the remembrance of the Voortrekkers who lived here between 1845 and 1850 who died because of Malaria. You can read more about the history of Ohrigstad on my other post.

Next to the Monument we have the Voortrekker Chest. It was built by Mr. S.J. Schoeman, the chair person of the ‘Ossewa-Eeufees komitee’ in 1938. The chest is to be opened in 2038. No one knows what is in the box.

The Entrenchment is kept in order by the Ohrigstad community. It was fenced with an electric fence a few years ago to keep it from being vandalized. You need to make arrangements to get a key from the local people to be able to visit this site. (I will post the details as soon as it is available)

However you can go and see the Voortrekker Cemetery which is only a few kilometres from this site.

The Voortrekker Cemetery

The Cemetery is open to the public and is located right next to the main road towards Burgerfort just a short drive outside the town of Ohrigstad.

The Map location above will help you find the spot.

Places to visit in Ohrigstad the Town

Ohrigstad now has 2 Stop streets! Wow!

If you were to enter Ohrigstad from the North (Burgersfort/Tzaneen) you will first find our local Butchery / Restaurant. It is called Tizers.

Tizers

Tizers sells some fresh produce, meat, milk, cheese en preserves. They also offer a small Lunch and Breakfast menu.

Try Me Dealers

Try Me Dealers is the name of our local supermarket. They are located on the main road of the town. (Turning up into town at the first stop street)

The local Pep Stores will help you out if you need any emergency clothes.

Ruba Bande/Tyres

Ruba Tyres will fix any Tyre problems you might have. They are also located on the Main Road of Ohrigstad.

Driving through Ohrigstad towards the second stop street you will find the Police station on your left and the Oasis shopping center on your right.

Oasis Shopping Center

Other than a filling station and tuck shop the Center also offers a Liquor store, Deli, Hair dresser, Restaurant, hobby shop and a hand made wooden furniture shop.

At the tuck shop you will find the local Magnets for your fridge with the name of Ohrigstad on it.

If you did not manage to find them you can get them all at The Shoe.

On the Property where the Shoe is, a shallow cave was found. After digging into the cave several artefacts from the Iron Period was found.  A literature study was done based on the findings.  This is what the archaeologist Helgart Prinsloo said about this cave, the developing of the landscape and the people who lived in it:

Background:
Early in 1990 Mr Johan Vlock and Mr Ron van Zyl started developing the cave on this farm. The intent being to find more tunnels which would show stalagmites and stalactites for tourism. The following was found during this process:
• Utensils and whole pots (earthenware)
• Animal bones
• Tools and human remains
The Bushman rock shelter is in close proximity and has a long chronological evidence of inhabitants. For this reason the development of Mogaba Cave was started.

Literature study:
The Peopling of Southern Africa, by David Phillips 1978 of Cape Town.
The Pedi, Pretoria; by JL van Schalk of Pretoria

Cave developing:
Cave systems are found in different stages of development in SA. Hollows are formed by the dolomite dissolving in water. When the water level resides, rain-water along with oxygen form travertine. By erosion opening are eaten in into the roof. This is how the cave under discussion was formed, now being used by bats and other small animals. Owl dung and the bones of small animals form breccias. The gaping hole now allows soil and bones of dead animals to wash in. The cave now provides protection for leopard, porcupine, hyenas, warthogs and more breccias forms.

Initiation of Pedi Boys
Monnig 1967
Fighting starts among the young boys of age to determine a leader. The leader is now called ‘Nkgwete’ and the loser ‘Tshiding’. Amongst the girls, the leader is chosen according to their ability to sing and dance. The girl leader is called ‘Malokwane’.
The non initiated boys and girls forms a groups. The Boys are known as ‘Leseboro’ and the girls are known as ‘Lethumasa’. They form their own community with their own social laws. Their parents are no longer responsible for their deeds. The leaders form their own court of law to discipline the others.
The Pedi people consider the initiation ceremony of so much importance that the tribal chief is in complete control. This is the cultural precept of the Pedi and counts for the whole tribe. It is unlawful for the females to be present at the initiation of men and vice versa. All youngsters of the tribe are obligated to attend all ceremonies.
Ceremonies are centralised around the leader of the group, which would usually be the highest ranking son of the chief. The leader is called: Khosana ya Mphatho. This person will remain the leader of this group for life. Blood brothers are not allowed to attend ceremonies at the same time. Those men who are not interested in the initiation process forever have the status of a Child. Non – interested children and those who die during the initiation process are forgotten as quickly as possible.
The normal age of initiation is between 12 – 16 years. Boys as young as 6 years of age are sometimes sent for initiation by their parents fearing that their children will be indoctrinated at school with Western concepts. These youngsters are often not strong enough to overcome the difficulties of the initiation process.
The initiation process consists of three stages:
For the Boys – The Bodika followed by the Bogwera. For the Girls the Byala.
Before the initiation process starts the ‘Rabadia’ (Initiation Chief) and the ‘Moditiana’ (Second in charge) is elected. The Rabadia is usually the younger brother of the Tribal Chief. The Witch doctor who will perform the circumcision is also elected. He is not a member of the tribe to eliminate the possibility of witchcraft.

1. Bodika
This part of the initiation take approximately three months. The Initiates are not allowed to come into contact or be seen by females or people of non-interest.
The group of initiates are completely obedient to the leader.
Circumcision starts at the lowest rank to lessen any possibilities of witchcraft. All these operations are completed before sunrise. After this process they are considered as teenagers and are now called ‘Badikana’.

The Bodika huts are always built far from the kraal.

During this stage initiates white wash themselves with ash. They are taught a secret language and how to hunt and do wood and leather work. Certain manly qualities such as bravery, endurance, obedience to their fathers and disobedience to their mothers, respect for the tribal chief, tribal history, tribal genealogy and also sexual education are taught to them.

Before the end of this time the group forms a regiment and are given a name. A few days before the initiation process ends the tribal leader is informed so that he can give orders for a great feast to be held. During these last few days they are now taught how to break stones by heating and then cooling them off in water. Every boy must prepare a flat stone to give to the Leaders. When the boys are send to fetch firewood on the last day, the leaders construct three conical shaped rock piles near the entrance of the hut.

The boys now wash the white paint off and rub themselves with a red oak fat which their mothers prepared for them and sent along in a small container. They are no longer ‘Badikana’ but are now ‘Dialogane’. All deaths which would occur during the initiation would be made known to the mothers by placing their son’s container of red oak fat in front of her hut.
The boys stay with the tribal chief for 10 days after which they are allowed to go home. They are now known as ‘Magaola’.

2. Bogwera

During the bogwera the boys are now incorporated into the political system with the men. A day before the ending off the ceremony a pole is erected next to the initiation hut. On top of the pole a special grass mat is fastened, this is called a Sepekwe. The Sepekwe looks like a bird with outstretched wings. The Sepekwe is the sign to the community that the Bogwera is about to end. The length of the pole would be determined by the size of the regiment. All the members would stand in a row and place their hands on the pole covering the pole completely. The pole is placed in the kgoro next to the ceremonial fire and will never be removed. This is the formal incorporation of the regiment s as unity into the community of men.

3. Byala

After both of the initiation processes of the boys were completed the Byala begins for the girls.

The History of the Ohrigstad Valley

The Iron Period
(200AD – 700AD)

All the artifacts displayed in the show cases inside The Shoe were taken from a shallow cave about 300 meters up the mountain from where The Shoe is standing now. The previous owners, Mr Ron van Zyl and Mr Johan Vlok started digging into the shallow cave and this is what they found. According to the archaeologist Helgard Prinsloo these artifacts date back to the Iron Age, 200 – 700 AD.
It is believed that The Pedi (Bapedi) people, today known as Northern Sotho’s, stayed in this area during the Iron Period for about 500 years and then left. Where they came from is unclear. Some people talk of a Western and Eastern stream as they came from the North.

Throughout other parts of Limpopo, Mpumalanga and even Kwazulu Natal various articles and sites have been identified as areas where people lived during the Stone and Iron Ages. Not only were iron implements found but also various earthenware. These people mined for iron and knew how to melt it. They were self sustaining; planted somewhat and traded livestock with the neighboring communities.
This particular site on this property was believed to be used for two purposes. A large amount of cattle and other animal bones were found leading us to believe that the shallow cave was used to hide stolen cattle in. Secondly the stone piles outside the cave shows that cultural initiation was done at this site. (Read more about the initiation process here)
After the children came out of the initiation process they got to add their stone to the pile, indicating that they were now considered adults and part of the community. Many deaths occurred during this time. The scull in the smaller display case is proof of that. The small clay pots in the large display case was found at the deepest level of the cave and is believed to have belonged to a Witch doctor. Exactly when the Pedi people abandoned the area is not known.

Andries Hendrik Potgieter (Dutch Voortrekker Leader) left the Cape Province permanently in 1835. He was convinced that they needed to get away from British rule and find a route to Delgoa Bay (Taday called Maputu). In 1838 he established Potchefstroom. In 1843 a trading ship from the Netherlands belonging to Gregorius Gerhardus Ohrig landed in Delagoa Bay after shown away by the British in Cape Town. Mr Ohrig’s Captain and admin clerk, J. A. Smellekamp sent messages to all immigrants to come and meet him to discuss trade opportunities. In 1844 Andries Hendrik Potgieter arrived in Delagoa Bay and was informed by Mr Smellekamp that they should settle themselves North of 26 degrees and further than 4 day’s travel from Delagoa Bay. So they did. On 5 July 1845 the Bapedi Captain Sekwati signed a contract with Potgieter giving them all the land between the Loeloe Mountains and Swaziland in exchange for defense against Mswazi.

So the town of Ohrigstad came into being. Malaria was a problem and just as quick as the people came, they quickly moved back West and so Lydenburg came into being. The name ‘Lydenburg’ came from the suffering of loosing so many people to the ‘fever’. Not many people stayed in the Ohrigstad valley. It was only after the Anglo – Boer war (1899-1902) that people from the High Veld (JHB) came to Ohrigstad after loosing their farms. The Government started fighting Malaria round about 1920’s.
Our Great Grandmothers still remember how the woman and children stayed on top of the mountains during the summer months to get away from the mosquitoes.
Back then this very fruitful valley was covered in grass and water came out of the mountains. Eventually with ploughing and burning of the land the trees took the place of the grass, the water level dropped and it became a dryer area. It was only after the First Wold War in 1918 that farming took on a better shape. The Farmers mainly planted Wheat, Maize, Barley and Tobacco. The farm lands in Ohrigstad are all under irrigation. 70% Of the districts water supply comes from the Ohrigstad –, Spekboom –, Sabie and Oliphant’s Rivers, the rest uses boreholes.

This immediate area around The Shoe (Branddraai) planted allot of Tobacco during the middle and late 1900’s. You can still see all the tobacco barns standing around in which they hanged the tobacco to dry. Somewhere during the 1980’s the tobacco industry fell flat and the farmers had to change back to wheat, maize and dry beans. Today a large percentage of Branddraai is covered with citrus for export purposes.
The tarred roads were started in 1965. Along with it the first Telkom lines and eventually around 1985 Eskom (Efkom) brought the first power lines.