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AREA F O C U S
Schweizer-Reneke
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WELL-KNOWN PEOPLE FROM
SCHWEIZER
Celebrities from the area include
former Springbok rugby players
Wynand Claassens (captain) and
Jannes Labuschagne, and we
noticed that the Free State rugby
jersey of Lappies Labuschagne
is also on display at Schweizer-
Reneke Primary School.
Politicians such as Ahmed
Kathrada and Essop Pahad also
left their footprints in this area.
On the art front, famous painter
Irma Stern drank from the water
of the area, as well as the famous
writer, Elisabeth Eybers. Locals
informed us that Stern’s uncle
owned one of the first shops in
the area and Eybers’ father was
the minister at the NG Church.
More recently Johan Champion,
MEC of Education, crowned
Tate Makgoe as the top Free
State matriculant of 2016 - he
also grew up here. Not bad for
a town with only slightly more
than 30 000 inhabitants. There
are still people with surnames
such as Einkamerer and Mussman
in town, whose ancestors played
prominent roles here.
BUILDINGS AND STATUES
The NG Church was built from
sandstone and is one of the most
beautiful buildings in town. It
is the main congregation. Other
congregations are NG North, as
well as congregations in Amalia,
The Senwes Equipment branch in Buiten Street and the obelisk in commemoration of
those who died are landmarks in town.
Migdol and Glaudina. Faith is
an important issue in Afrikaner
towns and this one is no excep
tion, with all the beautiful
churches such as the Anglican
Church and the steeples of the
Reformed Church, NG North
and a number of others. The city
hall was built in 1921, and the
obelisk to commemorate those
who died in the Massouw war in
1885, as well as the small pyra
mid which commemorates the
Rapportryers’ trip to the opening
of the Voortrekker Monument in
1949, can be found in the centre
of town. The town’s centenary
celebrations were attended by
Swiss visitors as well, and a dis
tinctive board was erected at the
town hall, indicating the distance
(8 406 km) to the city Bern from
Schweizer.
OTHER INTERESTING ATTRACTIONS
Other attractions are the corner
stone of the primary school build
ing laid on 1 April 1908, which
was unveiled by his Reverance
The Earl of Selborne. There is
also a massive old thorn tree
opposite the old age home, Silver
Jare, where executions were car
ried out years ago.
Agriculture is one of the main
streams of business and the loco
motive in town is figurative of
the role played by rail transport in
the development of the town. A
number of well-known collectors
of agricultural implements live
in the district, such as Lodewyk
Fourie, a collector and restorer of
old tractors and cars, and Pietsap
van Rensburg, a collector and
restorer of John Deere scale mod
els. We have personally visited
Pietsap. See article in the next edi
tion of the Senwes Scenario.
Oh yes, should you see any
beautiful walls and flowerbeds in
town, it would most probably be
the work of Hettie van Zyl and
Marietjie Fouche.
There is quite a lot to be
seen within the borders of
Schweizer-Reneke. Elisabeth
Eybers says it best in the school
song of Schweizer-Reneke
Primary School: “Waar die blou-
groen doringbome groei langs die
Hartsrivier se some... swewend langs
beskanste hange teen Masou se heu-
welburg...”
Workshop personnel Jaco Vosloo
(working foreman), Johannes Marumo
(generel worker), Christal de Lange
(jobcard clerk), Basie Headman
(general worker) and Waldo Venter
(branch manager).
Store personnel! General workers
Afrika Modise, Stoffel Koloane, Koos
Jacobs and Samuel Mooketsi.
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OCT/NOV 2017 • SENWES Scenario