The preparations for the filming of the two-part documentary in the Soutpansberg area on the Anglo-Boer War saga involving Breaker Morant and the Bushveldt Carbineers are in full swing.

In addition to local historian and author Charles Leach, who is like a walking encyclopaedia on the Morant incidents in the Anglo-Boer War, Petria de Vaal-Marais from Makhado (Louis Trichardt) has also come on board. Petria, a qualified archivist, has skills and expertise in cultural history and research. She will assist the team of Sabido Productions to ensure that all props used in the filming of the scenes are true to the time period.

Petria did her honours dissertation on Fort Hendrina, which is currently located in Erasmus Street. At this fort,  filming of a BVC camp with calico tents and soldiers milling around will take place. In this scene, BVC Lt Peter Handcock, who was eventually court marshalled and executed with Morant for murders on prisoners of war and civilians, shot the ‘joiner’ Trooper van Buuren on suspicion of being a spy. 

Local props in the sense of Anglo-Boer War articles are still required for the documentary, as well as local extras.

An exciting prop that has already been secured is a cart belonging to Danie Louw, which will be used for the re-enactment of the murder of Rev Heese on the old transport road that runs through the Vliegenpan farm, the original scene of his murder.

The localities of most of the re-enactment scenes have been finalised. Vliegenpan, the farm of Gerrit and Sophia Hendriks, will provide the setting for at least four of the scenes, though they did not all occur there originally. The re-enactment of the killing of six sickly Boers by the BVC as they were heading to a hospital in Valdezia in ox wagons will also be filmed at Vliegenpan. In another scene, the Van Staden father and two sons, the youngest sick with fever, are brutally murdered after being ordered to dig their own grave. This originally happened at Sweetwaters, currently the farm of Poog Henning. Eight surrendering Boers and Dutch teachers were murdered on the road between Elim and Fort Edward.  All these scenes will be filmed at Vliegenpan, since the agriculture at the actual places had changed to macadamia orchards, pine plantations or overgrown veldt. 

The re-enactment of the BVC night attack on the Viljoen homestead in Duivelskloof will be filmed at a suitable homestead near Makhado (Louis Trichardt) since the original homestead was burnt down. Two members of Sabido Productions, part of the e.tv group, have already visited a large house that is appropriate for this scene. Marcia Mannings, who is in charge of the film crew, and Merishen Wessels (props and extras) scouted the area on 15 and 16 March. It was their first visit to the area where the documentary will be filmed and they accessed the localities of the re-enactment scenes.

Anybody who would like to be considered for the role of an extra, or who might have any Anglo-Boer War articles such as furniture, bandoliers, candle sticks, wash stands and others, should please contact Merishen at 083 394 0104.