Annalie Theron (De Klerk)

My Facebook Page: annalie.theron

Ek en my 3 broers en 3 susters het groot geword op n skaap, bees en wildsplaas (Manubi) in die suide van Namibia, naby Koes tussen die Kalaharieduine.

Ek het my laerskoolloopbaan op Koes voltooi en is na Keetmanshoop vir my hoerskooljare. Daarna het ek my Onderwys Diploma op Wellington, as n kindertuin onderwyser voltooi.

Ek het my eerste onderwyspos in 1980 op Touwsrivier aanvaar. In 1981 (die jaar van die vloed) is ek na Laingsburg waar ek aangebly het tot 1982. (Die storie van die vloed volg later.) Twee maande na die vloed is ek met Wilhelm Theron, n skaapboer van die plaas Dwars in die Weg, gelee tussen Laingsburg en Sutherland, getroud.

Ons het tweeling dogters en n seun. Vanaf 1983 tot 1987 het ek skool gehou op Ou Mure, n plaaskool, 16 kilometer van ons plaas. Ek het daagliks met n bakkie vol van ons werkers, en die bure se kinders skool toe gery. (Die skool het n paar jaar gelede gesluit.) Voor my kinders skool toe is, was ek betrokke by die voorskoolse groep vir drie jaar. Na ons kinders skool toe is, het ek klere gemaak, konfyt gekook, spyseniering gedoen en was ek betrokke by skoolaktiwiteite, soos die meeste ouers. In 1999 het ek Josephskraal Gasteplaas begin en in 2001 Swartbergstraat Gastehuis.

Daarna volg Herambi in 2005. Nou is ek voltyds besig met die gastehuise. Die ander bedrywighede doen ek nog, maar op n kleiner skaal. Ek speel graag gholf wanneer ek tyd daarvoor kan afknyp – gelukkig is die gastehuis oorkant die gholfbaan.

My six siblings and I grew up on a sheep, cattle and game farm (Manubi) in the south of Namibia, near Koes between the beautiful dunes of the Kalahari. I completed my primary school years in Koes and my high school years in Keetmanshoop. After matric I obtained my Teaching Diploma at the College in Wellington as a kindergarten teacher. My first teaching position was in Touwsriver in 1980. In 1981 (year of the flood) I accepted a position in Laingsburg until 1982. Two months after the flood I married Wilhelm Theron, a sheep farmer on the farm Dwars in die Weg, situated between Laingsburg and Sutherland.

We have twin daughters and a son. I taught at a farm school, Ou Mure, 16 kilometers from our farm since 1983 until 1987. Each day I drove to school with a bakkie full of children picking them up along the way. A few years ago the school has been closed down. Before my children went to primary school, I made clothes, jam, did catering and was also involved at the school activities. In 1999 I started the Josephskraal Guest Farm, in 2001 the Swartberg Street Guest House and Herambi in 2005. Nowadays I run the guest houses as a full time job. All my other activities have been scaled down. I enjoy playing golf when the time allows it – luckily the golf course is just opposite the Guest House.

My ondervinding van die Laingsburgvloed

Ek en my man, Wilhelm, het die naweek van die vloed by sy broer, Pieter, op sy plaas, Volstruisfontein, gekuier. Die plaas is 50 kilometer buite Laingsburg, noord van Matjiesfontein. As gevolg van al die reen (275mm) het die damwal ineengestort en die plaashuis het amper weggespoel. Omdat ons so ver buite die dorp was, het ons gedink dat ons die enigste persone is met n krisis. Min het ons geweet dat dieselfde besig was om in die dorp te gebeur. Later die aand terwyl ons radio geluister het, het ons besef wat werklik aangaan. Ons het geen kontak met ander gehad nie aangesien die telefoonverbindings af was. Die nuus het ons geskok, veral my man, aangesien hy grootgeword het in Laingsburg. Ons voertuie het in die modder vasgesit en ons kon Laingsburg eers drie dae later bereik.

Die skok was oorweldigend. Daar was bykans niks van die dorp oor nie. Die losieshuis waar ons gebly het, is deur die vloed verwoes. Al ons besittings was weg. Ek het net my Elna naaimasjien en n paar ander besittings gevind. Na 28 jaar gebruik ek steeds dieselfde naaimasjien. Ek het ook n skildery, wat tans in Josephskraal se sitkamer hang, in n boom gekry. My huis en skool is vernietig. Ons kon vir die eerste maand nie skoolhou nie en ons het die tweede maand sonder toerusting begin. Ons het op die vloer gesit. Ons moes vir die eerste 14 dae ons verbeelding gebruik om die kinders besig te hou. Dit het ongeveer drie maande geneem vir alles om terug te keer na normaal. Ek het in n karavaan gebly en later het ek en my man in n vooraf vervaardigde huis gebly voor ons na die plaas getrek het.

Jy kan meer van die Laingsburg vloed lees onder die Attraction afdeling van ons webblad. Vir ons was die vloed die begin en die einde van n tydsperiode – voor die vloed en na die vloed – voor Christus en na Christus.

My experience of the Laingsburg flood

The weekend of the flood we have visited my husband Wilhelm’s brother, Pieter, on the farm Volstruisfontein, 50 km outside Laingsburg north of Matjiesfontein. With all the rain (275 mm) the dam wall of the farm dam broke and the farm house nearly got washed away. Because we were on the farm 50 km outside Laingsburg we thought we alone were in a crisis – little did we know what was happening in the town of Laingsburg. Later that evening when we were listening to the radio we realized what was really happening. All telephone connections were dead so we had no contact with anybody else. We were shocked about what we heard over the news especially my husband as he as grew up in Laingsburg. All our vehicles got stuck in the mud and we could only get to Laingsburg three days later.

The shock was overwhelming. There was nearly nothing left of the town. The boarding house where we were living was demolished by the flood. All our possessions were gone. I only found my Elna sewing machine and a few other things. After 28 years I am still using the same sewing machine. One of the other things I found down the street in a tree was a painting which is hanging in the lounge of Josephskraal. My home and school were destroyed. The first month we could not teach, there was nothing. The second month we started without any equipment. We sat on the floor. For the first 14 days you had to have a vivid imagination to keep the children busy. It took approximately three months for everything to get back to “normal”. I stayed in a caravan. Thereafter my husband and I stayed in a pre-fabricated house before moving to the farm.

You can read more about the Laingsburg flood under the Attraction section of our website. For us the flood was the beginning and the end of a time period – before the flood and after the flood – before Christ and after Christ.

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