Battle of Sam Khubis remembered

MEMBERS of the Rehoboth Baster community yesterday remembered the battle of Sam Khubis at Rehoboth with an ecumenical worship service before departing to Sam Khubis, some 50 kilometres south-west of Rehoboth.

The historic battle took place on 8 May 1915, when German colonial forces attacked the Baster people, who had fled to their last stronghold of Sam Khubis.

Cyril Pienaar, a council member of the Rehoboth Baster Gemeente, told Nampa yesterday that the day is a historic one in the lives of the Baster community.

“Early that morning, the Germans attacked our people at Sam Khubis, where a large part of the community had found protection. The fighting lasted until the evening. The Basters feared that the bigger artillery of the German army would mean a total defeat and possible extinction, but the Germans withdrew from the fight the next day,” he said.

Pienaar added that the commemoration is especially important for the youth as they need to know what happened to their ancestors.

“The commemoration is significant for our younger ones as they will be the future leaders of the Baster community and [they need to] know about the massacre against their people. The responsibility is on them to carry on with the remembrance to pass on the knowledge to future generations,” he said.

After the worship service and lighting of the festival torch, about 30 men on horseback, accompanied by people dressed in the traditional Baster attire, took to the road and travelled to Sam Khubis via the B1 national road.

Today the festivities will continue with a re-enactment of the attack, followed by a worship service and wreath-laying ceremony, along with a moment of silence and gun salute for the slain heroes. – Nampa