VECHT GENERAAL GERT MARTHINUS CLAASSEN
| Where: SYFERFONTEIN NORTH OF VAL STATION Date Unveiled: 24th SEPTEMBER 2013 Unveiled By: LUDWIG ANKIEWICZ GPS: S26° 41.988 E29° 01.179 |
Assisted By: RITA BRITZ Construction: SOUTH AFRICAN GRANITE Interest: ANGLO-BOER WAR 1899-1902 Brief Reason: BOER WAR AND SOUTH AFRICAN HERO |
Note: The construction of the memorial was organised by David Scholtz. This is his story:-
IN THE SEARCH FOR THE LOCATION OF THE ACTION IN WHICH ARTHUR MARTIN-LEAKE HAD WON THE VC, RITA BRITZ, WHO IS THE PROPRIETOR OF A DELIGHTFUL COUNTRY HOTEL AT VAL, LOCATED BETWEEN STANDERTON AND GREYLINGSTAD, ON THE DURBAN-JOHANNESBURG RAILWAY LINE, HAD POINTED OUT THE FARM SYFERFONTEIN, WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS A POST OCCUPIED BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN CONSTABULARY, OF WHICH MARTIN-LEAKE WAS A MEMBER. THE FARM WAS OWNED BY VECHT-GENERAAL MARTHINUS CLAASSEN. VECHT-GENERAAL CLAASSEN IS BURIED ON THE FARM. BECAUSE OF HIS STATUS, IT WAS DECIDED TO ERECT A MEMORIAL TO HIM IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THAT OF THE MARTIN-LEAKE MEMORIAL. MARTHINUS CLAASSEN WAS THE ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN PARTY, HEADED BY GENERAL J.C. SMUTS, IN THE STANDERTON CONSTITUENCY. IN THE GENERAL ELECTION HELD ON 19th JUNE 1924, GENERAL SMUTS LOST HIS SEAT IN PRETORIA-WEST, AND MARTHINUS CLAASSEN GIFTED HIS, SO CALLED, SAFE SEAT OF STANDERTON TO GENERAL SMUTS, WHO THE COULD THEN REMAIN IN PARLIAMENT.
