2 January 1896, Dr Jameson surrenders his raiding force at Doornkop, 1896.
2 January 1965, Peter Vorster (pictured) sets a new course record of 66 at the Kimberley golf course.
2 January 1983, Three men killed and four wounded in a shoot-out that starts at Market square and ends at the railway station. The perpetrator is mortally wounded.
DID YOU KNOW
A 22 year old railway policeman, one Jan Jacob van der Westhuizen, early that warm morning of Sunday 2 January 1983 on the Kimberley Market Square, started shooting at certain people. Fire was returned and the action continued from Market Square to and onto the railway station platform where it all finally ended with van der Westhuizen slumping mortally wounded on the steps of the pedestrian crossing. Three men had been killed and another four wounded. The death tally would increase to four when the perpetrator died without regaining consciousness in the hospital on 6 January.
The incident is believed to be Kimberley’s worst individual killings excluding those of a political or industrial nature. (Here the Mayibuye Uprising in 1952 and the 29 April 1884 Industrial strike action at the Kimberley Mine come to mind).
Herewith a list of disasters and tragedies to have befallen our city and citizens.
Excluded are WW 1 and WW 2 battles outside of South Africa’s boundaries.
SINGLE TRAGEDIES IN KIMBERLEY
De Beers Mine Disaster 11 July 1888 202
Saulspoort Dam Crash 1 May 2003 51
Kimberley Mine explosion 9 June 1899 30
Mud Rush De Beers Mine 21 February 1894 25
2nd Carter’s Ridge battle 28 November 1899 25
1st Carter’s Ridge battle 25 November 1899 18
De Beers Mine accident 13 October 1886 13
10 AA Gun runaway 12 October 2007 9
SADF vehicle crash 5 August 1986 6
Mud Rush Kimberley Mine 23 January 1913 6
Mud Rush De Beers Mine 1 October 1899 6
OVER TIME TRAGEDIES
Spanish Flu Epidemic Oct/Nov 1918 4483
Siege of Kimberley Oct 1899- Feb 1900 1648
KILLINGS/MURDERS
Mayibuye Uprising 8 November 1952 13
Miner’s Strike 29 April 1884 7
Market Square shootout 2 January 1983 4
From Kimberley Calls and Recalls on Facebook By Steve Lunderstedt
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