Deneys Reitz: an extraordinary man
PLETTENBERG BAY - Deneys Reitz, who as a 17-year-old joined a Boer Commando to fight the might of the British Empire in 1899, has been described as an adventurer that could have kicked dust into the faces of the likes of Livingstone and Stanley. He was the son of FW Reitz, who drafted the ultimatum that led to the start of the Anglo Boer War.
About 150 members of the Van Plettenberg Historical Society recently gathered at Ouland Royale, where Andre Reitz has established a restaurant and venue, where they were spellbound by Emslie’s presentation and review of Deneys Reitz's simple and expressive style of writing.
Reitz's exploits during this time are contained in his three books,
Commando, No Outspan and
Trekking On. Compiled by advocate Trevor Emslie, the trilogy has been combined in Adrift in the Open Veld and it is a remarkable piece of Africana.
These books give an insight into South Africa's history during the Boer War, the First and Second world wars – and the politics and machinations at that time.
Emslie, like many others, believes that better known African explorers of earlier times, such as Livingstone and Stanley, would have paled against Reitz's adventures as explorer (particularly as Minister of
Lands and Water in the 1930s to 40s).
Reitz was given a Mauser Rifle at the age of 17 by Transvaal President Paul Kruger, to fight the British. The reason Kruger gave him the Mauser was, as Kruger said, "I had started fighting when I was younger than him (Reitz)." Kruger asked that with his weapon Reitz should account for three "Rooinekke" and Emslie says he believes Reitz accounted for more than 30.
Throughout his life he travelled, explored and endured hardship, most significantly after the Anglo Boer War when he preferred exile in Madagascar to serving under the British Empire.
His writings, both while "On Commando" with the Boer forces serving under General Jan Smuts and his two other books, reveal the understated and simplistic way of life that Reitz led as young guerilla, exile, politician, war veteran in German West and East Africa, and the First World War (where he joined as a private and ended up commanding a Scottish Regiment in the trenches of Belgium).
He then served politically under Smuts again as deputy prime minister – ending his career as South African High Commissioner in London until his death in 1944.
British respect
Reitz first met Winston Churchill (who was a Boer prisoner in SA while he was a war correspondent for the Times at age 21) and recognised his stature as a future prime
minister of Britain, fighting Hitler during the Second World War. Reitz also rubbed shoulders with royalty during his time in Britain and was told by King George that the King kept copies of two of his books for bedtime reading.
King George wanted to bestow a Royal honour on Reitz at the time – but Reitz had to decline the honour because the government in SA had legislated that none of its citizens could receive such an accolade.
Deneys Reitz died in 1944, at the age of sixty-two years, when he was the South African High Commissioner in London. The Prime Minister, General Smuts, paid tribute
to him as follows:
"The passing of Reitz comes as a shattering blow to me. His loss is a national one and will be mourned all over this country which he knew and loved as no other. In him passes one of the greatest South Africans of our generation and he leaves a record of achievement of which South Africa will remain justly proud. But, above all, I remember him as a dear friend and a comrade, the faithful companion through vicissitudes such as few have passed through. He was true, straight, upright, every inch of him, and he leaves a personal memory which I shall treasure all my days."