Norvalspont (E 13)

Name: Norvalspont

When Generals Lemmer, Grobler and Olivier retreated from the Cape Colony and the Colesberg district with their men, they damaged the railway bridges across the Orange River. When Bloemfontein fell to the English, the British were dependent on the bridges for supplies and feed for their horses. Therefore, at the end of March 1900, the English started repairing the bridges across the Orange River, among them the bridge at Norvalspont and Bethulie. The wagon-bridge at Bethulie was too weak to carry full-laden trains, thus the only other crossing-point was a pont-bridge built by the army, at Norvalspont. Soldiers were stationed in the koppies nearby to guard the bridges.

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The tents in the camp were placed in straight lines, with streets and roads marked with stones painted white. As in all the other camps, clock-tents were used similar to those used for soldier accommodation. According to custom, 15 people had to be housed per tent, as was the rule for troops. There were fourteen big marquee tents that housed between eleven and fourteen persons, which included one or two families. A few buildings were erected from raw bricks made in the camp. Here at Norvalspont we find that at first only five people to a tent were permitted, but later it was necessary to pack as many people as possible in a tent, sometimes as many as fifteen.

Ds. vd Merwe performed daily sermons on the hill, where a large rock did service as a pulpit. The church-goers sat on rocks on the slopes of the hill.

In June 1901 there were 500 black people in a black concentration camp under management of the Superintendent of the white camp. In February 1901 there were 400 prisoners of war, sent from Green Point after taking the oath. Many prisoners on parole escaped from the different camps, and rejoined the civil forces.

Death-figures were only recorded from January 1901, and by July 1901, four hundred and twelve people died in the Norvelspont camp. Since June 1901, there were more than three thousand people in the camp, in February 1902 there were three thousand four hundred and seventy-nine residents.

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