News of the day

December 13, 1899

“Terrible Tuesday” – the great disaster

Sad, and even sombre, before the War Office entrance, stood the pensive monument of Sidney Herbert, brooding, with bent, uncovered head, upon the surrender of

2 000 British to the Boers at Ladysmith. From the time of the first published reports of Sir George White’s melancholy telegram, visitors were incessant. Now and again a newsvendor’s voice forced upon unwilling ears “British disaster! Two thousand men surrender to the Boers”. An old lady is wandering about opposite the War Office, ill at ease. She wants to know the fate of a certain “Willie”, a lieutenant in the Royal Irish Fusiliers. “I nursed him when he was five months old,” says the old lady, with an Irish accent in her tearful voice, “and he was a great favourite with me. I am a soldier’s widow myself, and I know what a distressing thing war is. Isn’t it dreadful? Poor Willie!”

December 12, 1899 Magersfontein fight – very severe fighting

The column, to which has been added the Black Watch, Seaforths, and Gordons, together with the Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders, and Light Infantry, comprising the Highland Brigade, the Howitzer Battery, a balloon section, and the 4.7 naval gun from the Doris, moved from Modder River camp at 3pm on Sunday afternoon, in drizzling rain. As darkness fell all arms bivouacked. About midnight the advance of the infantry commenced. The two leading companies were commencing to extend when a murderous rifle fire was poured into the brigade at from 200 to 300 yards range, doing terrible execution. At sunrise the enemy was occupying a strongly entrenched natural defence at the foot of the kopje. As many of the wounded as possible were collected and brought in during the long day’s fighting, but large numbers have been brought in today. The sensational features of the day were the slaughter of the Highland Brigade. Not the least extraordinary feature of this extraordinary battle was the entire invisibility of the enemy.

December 11, 1936

King Edward’s voluntary undertaking

When King Edward leaves England he will be stepping forever from the territories over which he rules. He has given a voluntary undertaking that he will make his home in a foreign land, and that he will not return to any part of the British Empire. The Berlin correspondent of the “Times” states that Germany is probably the only country in Europe in which the Press has not been permitted to report the events of the past week.

December 10, 1936

Leaving For Aston Villa – Fish to play as a pro

Ken Fish, the Railway, Western Province, and South African centreforward, has decided to join the ranks of the professionals in England. After an offer from the Bolton Wanderers’ Club last week, an offer came to Fish this morning from Aston Villa. The cable read: “Agree to offer engagement to Fish until May next at maximum allowed 5 per week, plus bonuses, and will pay travelling expenses. Cable reply if Fish agreeable. Sail first ship.” To this Fish replied: “Accept offer. Can sail next Friday, December 18.” Although Fish has his detractors as a “footballer”, the fact remains that he is one of the greatest goal-scoring centreforwards South Africa has produced. In four seasons’ League, Currie Cup and representative matches,

Fish has scored no fewer than 163 goals.

December 16, 1949 Voortrekker Memorial Consecrated

Amid solemnities on a scale so vast and impressive that they will be remembered forever by the vast multitudes who witnessed them, the memorial to the Voortrekkers on Monument Hill was consecrated today. It is estimated that more than 100 000 people took part in the ceremonies, which were the climax of the fourday festival.

The supreme moment came at a signal from the Prime Minister (Dr DF Malan) in the amphitheatre, after a three-minute pause in which the whole nation joined. The portals of the shrine swung open as the first stroke of noon chimed from the Union Buildings, and a golden circle of light shone on the words “Ons vir Jou, SuidAfrika”, engraved on the sarcophagus.

December 14, 1984 Consternation at police blunder to intercept mail

A police blunder in sending to her own postbox a

“top secret” application to intercept all mail of the BBC’s Windhoek correspondent, Ms Gwen Lister, caused consternation today. The Commissioner of the SWA Police, LieutenantGeneral Dolf Gouws, sighed in exasperation, but refused to comment. The acting Postmaster-General, Mr Heimat van Rensburg, said he was “terribly surprised”. “It seems there has been a big mistake somewhere. I shall have to investigate the matter.” The application, marked “Uiters Geheim” (Top Secret), was apparently signed by South Africa’s head of CID, LieutenantGeneral C F Zietsman, in Pretoria and addressed to the Postmaster-General in Windhoek. It asks permission to intercept all Ms Lister’s mail from December 3 this year until June 2 1985.

December 9, 1982

Exile tells of terror and death in Maseru

A South African exile today told of terror, devastation and death in Lesotho’s capital, Maseru, as South African forces attacked ANC targets. The exile, who did not want to be identified, said that as helicopters roared overhead and gunfire and explosions ripped the night apart, vehicles crossed back and forth through the border post on the city’s outskirts. The exile said 41 people had been killed in the attack. Among the dead was Mr Zola Nini, a former Robben Island prisoner released recently after six years in detention. The Chief of the Defence Force, General Constand Viljoen, who confirmed five women and two children had died in the crossfire, said the strike force had had strict instructions to avoid women and children and Lesotho citizens not involved with the ANC. The SADF “regretted that the innocent had also had to suffer”. He said the targets had served as “planning control headquarters” and as a springboard for ANC terrorist action against South Africa, Transkei and Ciskei.

December 11, 2005

Transplant woman’s ‘miracle’ moment

The woman given the world’s first face transplant has told of the heartstopping moment she gazed into a mirror after the operation. Isabelle Dinoire, who had received a new nose, lips and chin, said: “When I looked at my new face, I knew straight away that it was me. It was simply amazing to see a nose and mouth on my face.” Talking from her hospital bed on Friday night, less than a fortnight after the operation, the 38-year-old French motherof-two praised surgeons for doing “an excellent job” in grafting a donor’s face on to her own – which had been terribly disfigured when she was mauled by her dog. Today the only sign of her mutilation – after groundbreaking micro-surgery that took 15 hours – is a red scar. Some, however, expressed concerns about the ethics of pushing the frontiers of science to dabble with human identity.