RHODES; GRAHAMSTOWN AND DEBORA DE BEER

At the University of Rhodes in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa is a corner stone with both English and Afrikaans inscriptions to indicate the exact spot from where one of the groups of the Great Trek of Vryburgers (read Voortrekkers) started of into the rest of the country (1838). In this case, it was the Piet Retief group of Trekkers. He was married to Debora De Beer and we also read about some other De Beers (supposedly Debora's family) in the Blood River clash on 16 December (after Piet Retief was murdered by Dingaan) with the Zulus. The Trekkers gave praise to the Lord and commemorate this day up to this very month as a day of remembrance. After the new South African political dispensation was established in 1994, this day became an official holiday of reconcile for all South Africans. Interestingly, a new political party on the horison, named the Congress of the People (COPE) is about to be found in Bloemfontein on 16 December 2008.

Back at Grahamstown in the 1900's, after Cecil Rhodes of De Beers Diamonds death, the trustees decided to award some money to start the Rhodes University at the old Drosdy where Piet Retief started his trek. Very interestingly the 1820 British Settlers theatre complex is also situated in Grahamstown.

Contrary to the above, the little town in the northern part of the Eastern Cape, also known as Rhodes, is a very small village with nearly no infrastructure at all but for an old hotel for holiday makers in the winter. Mostly for some sporting events in the snow. Lesotho excluded, Rhodes is the only place where there is some snow in sunny South Africa.