Camps for blacks had their origin in providing a place of refuge for people moved from the Boer lands. In terms of organisation, they were similar to the Boer camps.
The black camps differed from the Boers in that they contained large number of males. This was a cause for concern and meant the camps were located by railway lines where the men could provide a ready supply of local labour. Work was paid.
The camps grew in size:
|
Date |
Black camps |
|
|
Mar 01 |
|
|
|
Apr 01 |
|
|
|
May 01 |
|
|
|
Jun 01 |
32,360 |
|
|
Jul 01 |
37,472 |
|
|
Aug 01 |
53,154 |
|
|
Sep 01 |
65,589 |
|
|
Oct 01 |
75,950 |
|
|
Nov 01 |
|
|
|
Dec 01 |
|
|
|
Jan 02 |
97,986 |
|
|
Feb 02 |
101,344 |
|
|
May 02 |
115,700 |
Total occupancy peaked at almost 116,000 by the end of the war. Deaths in the camps totalled 14,154 or 12%.
Of the 64 camps, 24 were in the Orange River Colony, 4 in the Cape Colony and the remainder, 36, in the Transvaal. Some of the camps were for permanent habitation and others were of a temporary nature intended for the blacks in transit.
The large number of comps meant the blacks could be located close to their homes and there was little relocated, This became more difficult to maintain during the guerilla phase when grain and cattle raiding was more prominent, it became necessary to relocate some of the camps.
List of Native Concentration Camps under the Department of Refugees:
|
Camp |
Number in camp |
Deaths |
Notes |
|
|
Bloemfontein* |
Not known |
228 approx |
|
|
|
Brandfort* |
4,000 |
51 known |
|
|
|
Edenburg* |
Not known |
252 |
|
|
|
Heilbron |
3,000 approx |
Not known |
|
|
|
Kroonstad |
3,200 approx |
High death rate |
|
|
|
Orange River |
Not known |
Not known |
|
|
|
Thaba Nchu |
Not known |
Not known |
|
|
|
Vredefort* |
Not known |
34 known, possibly 400 |
|
On 1 September 1901, the Department of Native Refugees assumed control for the Native Concentration Camps which had been controlled by the Department of Refugees.
List of Native Concentration Camps under the Department of Native Refugees:
Allemans' Siding
American Siding
Brussels
Doom River
Dry Harts
Eensgevonden
Geneva
Harrismith
Heilbron
Holfontein
Honingspruit
Houtenbeck
Koppies
Kromellenboog
Rietspruit
Roodeval
Serfontein
Smaldeel
Taaibosch
Ventersburg Road
Vet River
Virginia
Vredefort Road
Thaba Nchu
Winburg
Wolvehoek
By June 1901, 11,570 blacks were in camps in the Transvaal. List of Native Concentration Camps under the Department of Native Refugees:
|
Camp |
Number in camp |
Deaths |
Notes |
|
|
Middelburg |
Not known |
Not known |
Established Jul 01 |
|
|
Nigel |
Not known |
8 known |
|
|
|
Greylingstad |
Not known |
176 known |
|
|
|
Florida Kop |
Not known |
100 known |
|
|
|
Vereeniging |
Not known |
137 known |
|
There was a single concentration camp in Natal. This was located at Witzieshoek and was home to approximately 6,000 people.
