Coenraad de Buys
Graaff-Reinet was founded in 1786 and is the 4th oldest town in South Africa (after Cape Town, Stellenbosch and Swellendam). It was named, both by and after the VOC governor of the time, Jacob Cornelius van den Graeff and his wife whose family name was Reynet.
Being a frontier town for more than a century, it played an important role in events of the time. Round about 1700, the cattle herding Inaqua people roamed the Camdeboo plains, and were reputed to be the wealthiest of all Khoi groups in Southern Africa. As we rode out of town, I thought of the rebellious Coenraad de Buys who lived in these parts.
He was around 7' tall and in every way larger than life. He rebelled against the Dutch and English authorities, he was a cattle raider and the instigator or wars against African tribes - as a hunter, he was supposedly the first white person to cross the Vaal River. But on occasion, he also fought on the side of various African groups and was at some stage the lover of two African queens.
The price on his head only increased his reputation. What a guy! Some of his half-caste descendants - the Buysvolk - still live in the Western Soutpansberg district.