Joubert

Born on the 20th January 1834 in the Cape, South Africa, he was a short burly man (about 5 ft 7 inches) with a bushy beard, the son of a missionary farmer who had trekked north to Natal in 1837.

Once the Transvaal had been annexed Paul Kruger, as President and Piet Joubert, as Vice President tried to negotiate independence from the British government. Failure to reach an agreement resulted in the First Anglo Boer War. Joubert became Commandant General leading his forces to victory at Laings Nek and at Majuba Hill where he defeated the British. Affectionately know as “Slim Piet”, he was a man of peace and would rather give concessions than sacrifice his men. After his success at the battle of Ladysmith he refused Botha’s request to rout the retreating British troops with, “when God holds out a finger don’t take the whole hand”. He made only one attempt to capture Ladysmith, at Platrand, being content rather to keep it under siege. On his deathbed it was his wish that Louis Botha succeed him, which he did.

He died on 26th March 1900 officially as a direct result of an injury sustained at the battle of Willow Grange when he was thrown to the ground and his horse rolled on him.

However two or three days before Piet Joubert died De Wet, Del La Rey and Louis Botha summoned him to a meeting at Kroonstad where they accused him of being too soft on the British. They cited the battle of Ladysmith where De Wet had requested chasing after the British and Joubert had denied him, saying “when God gives a finger do not take the hand”. The Generals found him guilty and put a Mauser bullet and a glass of green liquid on the table in front of the old man. Joubert chose the liquid commenting “I could never face the bullet”. ” (VOLKSVERRAADE by Advocate P.J. Pretorius ISBN 0 9584080 84.

NOTE: There was a similar story circulating about Louis Botha committing suicide which Johan Woolfaardt of the Boemfontein museum refutes because it cannot be substantiate.