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Rachel Isabella Steyn 1905 - 1955

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Rachel Isabella Steyn 1905 - 1955 RACHEL ISABELLA STEYN 1905 - 1955 deur ELIZABETH JOHANNA JACOBA TRUTER (geb. LANS) voorgele luidens die vereistes vir die graad DOCTOR LITTERARUM ET PHILOSOPHIAE in die vak GESKIEDENIS aan die UNIVERSITEIT VAN SUID-AFRIKA PROMOTOR: PROF S F MALAN JUNIE 1994 i Voorwoord Die behoefte om te skryf oor mev. Rachel Isabella Steyn, die laaste presidentsvrou van die Vrystaatse republiek, spruit nie net uit die begeerte om 1 n besondere lewe te laat herleef in die sin dat "the dead live again every time we remember them" nie.l Dit het nie veel eerder ontstaan uit die drang om 1 n lang bestaande ideaal te verwesenlik, naamlik om uit mev. Steyn se geskiedenis te probeer leer wat dit is wat gemaak het dat sy, ten spyte van die voortdurende afwisseling in haar lewe van die uiterstes van vreugde en smart, en ondanks die alledaagse lewenseise van fisiese inspanning, emosionele betrokkenheid, intellektuele uitdagings, gesinspannings, siektes - kortom, volledige betrokkenheid by die wispelturige gang van sake - nogtans kon uitstyg as mens en tot die hoogste titel wat mense aan In vrou uit hul geledere kon gee, die van "Volksmoeder." Hierdie taak is ondemeem, wel wetende dat daar reeds werke bestaan wat geheel of gedeeltelik handel oor mev. Steyn se lewe. 2 Nellie Kruger het byvoorbeeld in die laat veertigerjare in opdrag van die OVV oor mev. Steyn as presidentsvrou geskryf met die self erkende doel "dat die boek ons volk sal besiel en vir hulle die regte beeld sal voorhou van In mooi en toegewyde lewe. "3 Sy het mev. Steyn, toe nog in I ewe, ook vooraf verseker dat sy haar bes sou doen om 1 n beeld te skep wat haar en haar kinders tevrede sou stel. 4 Hierdie poging was uiteraard nie bedoel om wetenskaplik objektief te wees nie. Karl Schoeman het ook met behulp van geselekteerde stukke uit die korrespondensie tussen lede van die Steyn-famile "'n oorsigtelike lewensbeskrywing" van pres. en mev. Steyn opgestel - dus ook geen biografie as sodanig van enige van die betrokke individue nie.S 1 n Biografie van pres. Steyn deur sy skoonseun, dr. N.J. van der Merwe, is toegespits op die president en nie op mev. Steyn nie. 6 1 n Verdere lewensbeskrywing van die president deur Johannes Meintjes berus weer op sekondere bronne wat meestal ongeidentifiseer bly. 7 Daar was selfs 'n byna voltooide biografie van mev. Steyn wat op Onze Rust geskryf is deur mev. Nerina Ferreira, 'n kleinkind van mev. Steyn, en waarin talryke familie-andektodes en ervarings in die alledaagse spreektaal van die mense van Onze Rust opgeneem was. In 'n misplaaste ywer om die versigtig gekultiveerde Van Reenen, R., (Ed.), Emily Hobhouse Boer War letters, p. 9. 2 Rachel Isabella Steyn; presidentsvrou (Kaapstad, 1949). 3 Ineg PV181 2/8/1/1/28 N. Kruger (Johannesburg)- RIS 7 Mei 1948. 4 Ineg PV181 2181111126 N. Kruger (Bloemfontein)- RIS 3 Julie 1946. 5 In liefde en trou, die !ewe van pres. en mev. M.T. Steyn (Kaapstad, 1921). 6 Marthinus Theunis Steyn, 'n lewensbeskrywing. 2 dele (Kaapstad, 1921). 7 President Steyn (Kaapstad, 1969). ii volksmoederbeeld van destyds te beskerm, bet enkele van mev. Steyn se dogters in die afwesigheid van mev. Ferreira die manuskrip vernietig tot groot ontsteltenis van onder andere mev. Steyn self. 'n Kleinseun, regter M.T. Steyn, noem dit "een van die godskreiende misstappe wat deur enige familie van tyd tot tyd begaan is". 8 Vir die onderhawige poging om 'n volledige en objektiewe lewensbeskrywing van mev. Steyn aan te durf wat berus op oorspronklike en grotendeels tot dusver ongebruikte bronne, boef dus geen verskoning aangebied te word nie. Aanvanklike vrese dat daar 'n tekort aan primere bronne oor mev. Steyn se lewe sou wees, bet spoedig verdwyn: danksy mev. Steyn se onblusbare skryfdrang en baar aandrang daarop dat elke brief, aandenking, gesagsimbool, koerantuitknipsel ens. versigtig bewaar moes word, is daar 'n rykdom aan argivale bronne beskikbaar. Sy bet selfs daarin geslaag om bierdie drang oor te dra aan haar kinders: daarvan getuig die talryke versamelings in verskillende argiefbewaarplekke in Suid-Afrika. Die Vrystaatse Argiefbewaarplek (VAB) wat die Steynversameling buisves, is vanselfsprekend die belangrikste: bier is die magdom van persoonlike korrespondensie vir veral die periode 1905 tot 1955 wat ook mej. Emily Hobbouse se talryke briewe aan mev. Steyn insluit. Die groot getal briewe van mev. Steyn aan Emily Hobbouse is in 1926 uit Brittanje terug gestuur na Onze Rust, en is uiteindelik in die Instituut vir Eietydse Navorsing (Ineg) aan die UOVS onder die Tibbie Visser-versameling opgespoor. Hierdie versameling was veral 'n gesogte bron van inligting aangesien mej. Gladys Steyn se berinneringe in die stukke by die V AB weens oormatige gebruik al effens afgesaag begin word bet. Ook by Ineg is die argief van die OVV met die uitsondering van enkele stukke wat nog by die OVV se boofkantoor in St. Georgestraat is. Ook dit is weens mev. Steyn se lewenslange verbintenis met die OVV 'n waardevolle bron van tot dusver onontginde inligting. Die Nasionale Vrouemonumentkommissie (NVMK) bet goedgunstelik enkele briewe uit die Oorlogsmuseum in Bloemfontein beskikbaar gestel, en op Onze Rust bet mev. Yvonne Steyn insae verleen in korrespondensie van mej. Gladys Steyn wat boofsaaklik te doen bet met baar besoeke aan Europa in 1913 en weer in die twintigerjare. Die argief van die Meisieskool Oranje waarby mev. Steyn sedert die 8 Brief appelregter M.T. Steyn (AppelhofBioemfontein)- skryfster 31 Augustus 1992. iii stigting betrokke was, kon nagegaan word in die NG Kerkargief (NGKA), Bloemfontein. Die Transvaalse Argiefbewaarplek (TAB) in Pretoria bevat hoofsaaklik mev. Steyn se korrespondensie met generaals Smuts en Hertzog, asook korrespondensie tussen Emily Hobhouse en genl. Smuts. Die R.M. Steynversameling wat lig werp op die gebeure by Onze Rust sedert 1916 tot laat in die twintigerjare word bewaar in die Suid-Afrikaanse Biblioteek in Kaapstad. Die korrespondensie van mev. Steyn met M.T. Steyn Gr.) tydens die Tweede Wereldoorlog uit Italie berus in dieselfde versameling. In die Kaapse Argiefbewaarplek (KAB) IS die J.S. du Toitversameling waarop 'n toegangsbeperking geplaas is. Dit is egter deur die vriendelike bemoeienis van mev. Nerina Ferreira toeganklik gestel en bevat onder andere die persoonlike korrespondensie sedert veral die veertigerjare tussen mev. Steyn en haar dogter, Emmie. Uit hierdie bron is dit egter veral die korrespondensie van mev. Emmie du Toit en haar dogter, mev. Ferreira, wat van mev. Du Toit se wooing, "Vreugde", in Oranjezicht, Kaapstad, gevoer is (en verpak is in 'n aantal houers) wat belangrike inligting opgelewer het. Dit het besondere lig gewerp op die periode van 1945 tot by mev. Steyn se afsterwe. Die plan is dat hierdie versameling mi mev. Du Toit (wat reeds 96 jaar oud is) se oorlye sal gaan na die KAB. Die Volksblad en The Friend het veellig gewerp op mev. Steyn se openbare lewe, elk vanuit 'n bepaalde gesigspunt. Hierdie koerante is 'n waardevolle bron waaruit die heersende atmosfeer van die oomblik telkens gepeil kan word, asook die geskilpunte agter bepaalde gebeurtenisse, die verwagtinge wat daar gekoester is en die emosies wat oenskynlik onskuldige feite onderle. Hierdie proefskrif handel oor mev. Steyn se lewe van die tydperk na die Steyns se terugkeer na Suid-Afrika in 1905 .tot by haar oorlye in 1955. Haar lewenservarings voor 1905 is reeds behandel in 'n ongepubliseerde MA-verhandeling. Om 'n volledige beeld van mev. Steyn se lewe te kry, is raadpleging van albei werke nodig. Die "zekere graad van zielsverwantschap" wat J. Romein van die biografis vereis, het nie 'n "heiligskrif", soos At van Wyk dit stel, tot gevolg gehad nie. 9 Dit kon nie want mev. Steyn was 'n persoon met die gewone deugde en gebreke van die mens. Emily Hobhouse het dit genoem "history undressed and therefore most human and 9 Romein, J., De biografie, een inleiding, p. 191; VanWyk, A., "'n Kroniek, maar die Ieser wonder soms wie praat," Beeld 31 Januarie 1993. iv interesting". 10 Ds. J.D. Kesten verlang van die geskiedskrywer om te "verteld wat ' er gebeurd is, zonder versiering, zonder vergroting". Dit was die ideaal waarna gestreef is.ll Mev. Steyn het 'n volle lewe gelei. Benewens die alledaagse dinge waarmee mense normaal gemoeid was, was sy betrokke by talryke aktiwiteite soos fondsinsamelings, politieke strominge, die stigting van kulturele en maatskaplike organisasies, die voortsetting van pres. Steyn se ideale en so meer. As die geskiedskrywer se vereiste van 'n chronologiese opeenvolging van feite gevolg moes word, sou 'n totaal verwarrende produk waarin verskillende sake onsamehangend en deurmekaar behandel word, die gevolg wees. Die stof word gevolglik in afsonderlike temas ingedeel, en elkeen daarvan word vir sover dit moontlik is chronologies afgehandel. Die hanteringswyse sou dus getipeer kon word as tematies-chronologies. Omdat mev. Steyn se lewe afgespeel is in die wordingsjare van Afrikaans as erkende skryftaal word in die teks gebruik gemaak van woordelikse aanhalings uit briewe en geskrifte: dit toon 'n aansienlike mate die evolusionere ontwikkeling van die taal. In die teks word geldwaardes uitgedruk in ponde, sjielings en pennies (£.s.d.), die betaalmiddel van daardie jare. Toe die rand-sent-stelsel daardie geldstelsel in 1961 vervang bet, was twee rand gelykwaardig aan een pond, maar weens die steeds veranderende wisselkoerse is dit totaal onmoontlik om bedrae wat op verskillende tye in ponde weergegee is, om te reken in realistiese randwaardes. Dit is ten slotte my voorreg om allereers prof. S.F. Malan, my promotor, te bedank vir sy geloof in my vermoe en vir sy toegewyde leiding en aanmoediging. Sonder die steun van my eggenoot, Johan, en ons vier seuns, Andre, Rene, Bernard en Quintus - bulle wat die beste in my verteenwoordig - sou die projek nie wasdom bereik het nie.
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