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Did You Know?

Norvalspont, located in the Northern Cape on the north bank of the Orange River, was a significant railway junction during the Second Anglo-Boer War (1899–1902). The British established a concentration camp there in early 1901 to house Boer women and children who had been removed from the surrounding districts, particularly after the destruction of farms under the British scorched-earth policy. The camp was one of over 40 such camps in South Africa, and conditions were harsh, with outbreaks of measles, pneumonia, and enteric fever leading to high mortality, especially among children. The camp at Norvalspont also served as a transit point for prisoners of war, as the nearby railway line connected to the port of Port Elizabeth, from where captured Boer men were shipped to overseas camps in places like Ceylon, Bermuda, and India. The cemetery at Norvalspont contains the graves of those who died in the camp, including women and children, and is a tangible reminder of the human cost of the war. The camp was closed in late 1902 after the signing of the Treaty of Vereeniging. The site is not a formal national heritage site but is recognized as a place of historical memory, with the graves maintained by local authorities and descendants. The total number of burials at Norvalspont is recorded in the official lists compiled by the British authorities, though exact figures vary; the camp's death toll is generally cited as over 200, with the majority being children under the age of 16. The cemetery is located near the old railway settlement, and the graves are marked with simple headstones, many of which have been restored over the years. This site forms part of the broader network of Boer War concentration camp cemeteries across South Africa, which are commemorated annually on dates such as the last Sunday of May, when memorial services are held to honor the dead.

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