Ivor Markman

By IVOR MARKMAN.

 

For bleary-eyed motorists using the N1, travelling through the Free State on the long straight roads, especially on a broiling hot day, can be extremely tiring.

 But the boredom of the trip can be relieved for a while if one cares to visit to Ventersburg's unusual and interesting Police Museum.

 The museum, entry to which is free, is less than a kilometre from the N1, well sign-posted and very easy to find.

 The Volksraad of the Free ­State Republic decided in 1893 to form a police force, to be known as the Oranje Vrystaat Polisie, led by the first commissioner, J A E Markus.

 Nine non-com­missioned officers and 81 men served under him.

The exact date when the Ventersburg police cell was ­built is unknown, but documents dating back to 1893 have been found. The date 1895 is inscribed on some of the original fence poles.

 With the outbreak of the South African War, 1899 -1902, the police forces of the Orange Free State and the Transvaal Republic were mobilised for active service with the Boer forces.

The Cape Mounted Police, Cape Mounted Riflemen and the Natal Mounted Police fought for the British. ­

During the war the Royal Medical Corps used the old cells and stables at Ventersburg as a hospital.

Sometime after 1902 a charge office was built and the complex was turned into a police station.

In April 1913 all the police forces were combined under the Police Act, No 14 of 1912, and became known as the SA Police, now the SA Police Service.

Young men aspiring to become constables had to be British subjects, at least 19, no shorter than 5ft 6in, and physically and mentally fit.

While undergoing training they were given free accommodation and paid £120 a year.

Promotions to commissioned ranks were made exclusively from the lower ranks.

Retirement was compulsory when policemen reached 55.

The old jail, a beautiful example of a rural police station, opened as a museum in October, 1983, and was declared a national monument in 1987.

Approaching the jail is like stepping into a time-warp.

Beautifully maintained under the watchful eye of the curator Petro Engelbrecht and her team of assistants, visitors can view the old horse stables, the cells, the charge office and a pretty fascinating rondavel which used to serve as single quarters for the solitary constable.

One of the museum's prized possessions is the door of the Pretoria prison cell in which the famous rebel, Jopie Fourie, was incarcerated.

"Originally the cell windows had bars but no glass. It was very cold. There's glass now so it's very warm in winter and cool in summer;' said Engelbrecht.

"The concrete roof is so strong it's impossible to escape while the floors still have the original Oregon pine wood.

The foundations are very deep, making it extremely difficult for prisoners to burrow out.

"The furniture used in the station commander's office and the charge office is original but in the single quarters there are some new items from the Police Museum in Pretoria.

"As the museum has grown we have collected new things to make it more interesting,” she said.

The iron bedstead is neatly made up and a policeman's uniform is on a hanger, as though the policeman has nipped out for a few minutes.

After matriculating, Engelbrecht's father advised her to join the South African Police's art department.

"You won't get work, you'll only paint for bread,” he said to discourage her from becoming an artist.

"So I went to the Police College in Pretoria instead.

“I was stationed at Pretoria Central but didn't like the work as it was very basic, attending to accidents, murders and rape cases.

"In 1995 I applied for a post at the Pretoria Police Museum,” she said.

"They told me they wanted to open a police museum in Ventersburg and needed somebody to run it for them.

"Ventersburg was chosen (as a museum) because it was the only completely original police station left in South Africa,” she said.

After the police station moved in 1956, the municipality used the buildings for storage.

In its day, the police station was visited by many famous people including General de Wet of South African War fame.

During the 1914 Rebellion, after South Africa joined the First World War on the side of the British, the National Party was formed.

Extremists, including De Wet, did not want to fight on the side of Britain, their previous enemies, against the Germans, their previous allies.

De Wet was given the task of raising the Vierkleur over the Free State.

Somehow he found out that incriminating papers were held in the Ventersburg police station’s safe.

One night, while on his way to Virginia, he broke into the charge office and dynamited the safe.

He removed the evidence and burnt it.

Another curiosity on display at the museum is the door of the cell in which Jopie Fourie was held.

Fourie was an office in the Union Defence Force and joined the rebellion without resigning his commission from the army.

After a furious battle near Nooitgedacht on December 15, 1914, he was captured, court-martialled and executed five days later.

The museum provides visitors with information on matters such as rape, drug and child abuse as well as crime prevention strategies and is open to the public every weekday and over weekends, by appointment.

 

Call 082 374 2426 or (057) 651 5421 extension 223.