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Did You Know?

The Bethulie concentration camp was established during the Second Anglo-Boer War (1899–1902) in the town of Bethulie, Free State. It was one of over 40 camps set up by the British forces to intern Boer civilians, primarily women, children, and elderly men, whose farms had been destroyed under the British scorched-earth policy. The camp operated from 1900 to 1902 and became notorious for its high mortality rate due to overcrowding, inadequate sanitation, and outbreaks of diseases such as measles, typhoid, and dysentery. Official records indicate that approximately 1,700 people, mostly children, died in the Bethulie camp, making it one of the deadliest camps in the Orange River Colony. The site now features a memorial and cemetery, which are part of South Africa's heritage landscape, commemorating the suffering of Boer civilians during the war.

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