- Source: Witkruis Monument
The Witkruis Monument or Plaasmoorde Monument is a monument complex along the N1 route between Potgietersrus and Pietersburg, South Africa, conspicuously located on the slope of Ysterberg, on private property of the Harmse family. Since June 16, 2004, symbolic white-painted metal crosses have been planted on the area of about 5 hectares for each death during a South African farm attack. 925 of the approximately 3,000 white metal crosses on the slope are arranged in a striking central cross shape to emphasize the Christian nature of the monument. About 20 red crosses at the top of the monument represent local casualties. In 2020 and 2022, further monuments were placed at the foot of the cross field.
Awareness raising
In 2004, farmers erected white crosses along the N1 to raise awareness of farm murders. SANRAL and the road authority however objected to this so that the crosses had to be moved further up the ridge. 300 members of the community met on 16 June 2004 and the first crosses were planted on the farm of the then owner, Mr. Stephan van der Walt. Dr. Neels Roelofse, criminologist at the University of Limpopo, and his wife Rina, were the initial organizers. There were initially 1,200 identical crosses, each weighing 7 kg. In 2010 there was a surge in interest in the monument, upon which the local vow festival company made arrangements with the new landowner regarding visits, restorations, additions and a tribute day.
The number of crosses grew to 2,506 by 2020, 2,575 in 2022, and to just under 3,000 in 2023. One of them commemorates the well-known Eugène Terre'Blanche, and two cross planters have since also died in farm attacks, namely Josef Payne (71) from Standerton and Nicky Janse van Rensburg (35) from Roedtan. The youngest victim commemorated here is Wilmien Potgieter (2) from Lindley. In 2020, a granite cross with a granite tablet was erected at the foot of the cross field. In 2022, a bronze statue by sculptor Jaco van Niekerk was also added. It depicts a ready farmer (dubbed "Gert") and his pregnant wife – an allegory of the struggle for existence at the southern tip of Africa.
Management and proceedings
The annually growing monument is a community project and is kept up to date and maintained annually with private donations. Lita Cross Fourie, who lost her parents and acquaintances in farm attacks, was at the head of proceedings from 2009 until her death in 2023, and kept the necessary statistics. Since the SAPS does not purposefully keep statistics about farm attacks and murders, the necessary statistics were supplemented from different websites, in addition to comprehensive statistics prepared by the Tabita organization, and information obtained from the book "Treurgrond" by Dirk Hermann, Chris van Zyl and Ilze Nieuwoudt which covers the period from 1990 to 2012.
Since the 2020 rally, arrangements have been made to access the site from the N1, bypassing the former detour. The 2020 rally was attended by over a thousand people, and 64 new crosses were planted. During 2023's evening program on the 15th of September, the crosses were illuminated, followed by a convoy march along the N1 on the morning of the 16th. This was followed by the handover of 47 new crosses and the firing of a replica of the Grietjie cannon.
