I decided to see the condition of the old NG Church of Somerset West, built in 1819. I was pleasantly surprised to find the church used by an unknown (to me) denomination. As it was vacant for a long period of time as far as I'm aware. Inside the building is still in fairly good condition and has the most amazing ceiling. Some of the original wooden structures still look intact. However the historical graves in the church yard are in a very poor condition and most of them have been destroyed by vandals same as Sir Lowry's Pass Cemetery.
This monument stands in the middle of the field opposite the the NG Church in Somerset West. The "ou pastorie" is in the background. From what I can tell this monument was built in 1938 in celebration of the 100 year centenary of the great trek. This celebration led to a growth in Afrikaner nationalism and ideals of a republic. It was also at this time that many Afrikaner heroes were created, mainly from the days of the Great Trek but also from the 1914 Rebellion.Sadly the monument is now used by homeless people to defecate in as can be seen lying around the base. The Ox Wagon has also been vandalised as well as other scars of vandalism.
It is so sad to see that these precious historical monuments of Somerset West been destroyed. We need to try get the people of Somerset West together to try protect them and restore them.
I am doing a History project on the church and surrounding area. The ossewa-monument now has a little encampment around it to keep it from being vandalised. The church is owned by a private company who depend on donations to fund the restoration of the church.
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