CC0001

Did You Know?

The Oranjerivier Concentration Camp was a British-run internment camp established during the Second Anglo-Boer War (1899–1902) near Hopetown in the Northern Cape. It was one of over 40 such camps created to house Boer civilians—primarily women, children, and elderly men—displaced by the British scorched-earth policy. The camp was located on the Doornbult farm, which today is part of the Doornbult Erfenisterrein heritage site. Conditions in the camp were harsh, with inadequate food, shelter, and medical care, leading to high mortality rates, particularly among children. Official records indicate that 153 people died in the Oranjerivier camp, though the exact number may be higher due to incomplete documentation. The camp was closed after the war ended in 1902, and the site now serves as a memorial to the suffering endured during the conflict.

AI-assisted · may contain inaccuracies