Roelof Petrus Johannes Campher, b1c8d1e1f1

Death Notice : https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSQ6-G3BH-Y?i=1484...

DEPOT KAB
SOURCE MOOC
TYPE LEER
VOLUME_NO 6/9/154
SYSTEM 01
REFERENCE 2359
PART 1
DESCRIPTION CAMPHER, ROELOF PETRUS JOHANNES. DEATH NOTICE.
STARTING 18760000
ENDING 18760000

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The Story of Dina

Another anecdote of slave life concerns a slave woman by the name of Dina, who was owned by Roelof Petrus Johannes Campher, a cattle farmer in the district of George, Cape Colony. In October 1837, Dina was working in her master’s cattle kraal, loading cattle dung onto the wagon. The cattle dung would be taken to the farm garden to be used as a fertiliser. When the wagon was full, she stopped loading the wagon and instead piled up the dung for the next load.

Her master asked her why she was doing this but he was not pleased with her explanation. Roelof then beat her twice with an ox strap. Dina tried to run to Mrs Campher to ask her to stop Roelof from beating her. However, Roelof removed her clothes from the back, tied her to a ladder and continued to beat her with an ox strap. He gave her twenty-one lashes, and before beating her, Roelof said to Dina that he did not care about the law. After the beating Dina was forced to go back to work.

The story of Dina shows that severe beatings like these were very common even though the laws were written to avoid them. The story of Dina can be told because she reported it to the council of justice. Cases like these occurred regularly, but were not reported, as many slaves were still used to being whipped by their masters. Dina did not complain that she was being beaten. Instead, she complained that she was beaten without doing anything wrong. This shows that the reforms were not fully implemented in the Cape Colony.

http://www.sahistory.org.za/south-africa-1652-1806/history-slavery-...