Sarel Alberts en die Rebellie van 1914-1915 - rebel teen wil en dank

Abstract

English

Sarel Alberts and the Rebellion of 1914-1915 - the reluctant rebel Commandant Sarel Alberts may be considered one of the "lesser leaders" of the 1914 Rebellion. Although not a leader of the calibre of a De Wet, Beyers or Maritz, he nevertheless exerted a significant influence in the Krugersdorp district, an area which produced a large number of rebels. Unlike leaders such as Kemp and Maritz, Alberts was initially against an armed revolt. He can indeed be seen as representative of that group of Afrikaners whose experience of the Rebellion was very painful. Torn by divided loyalties, towards the end of 1914 such men acted in an aimless, undirected and half-hearted manner. And yet these were the very same men who had fought so gallantly and determinately during the Second Anglo-Boer War. This apparent contradiction may partially be explained by the fact that they had been deceived by Botha and Smuts. The two Generals wanted to involve South Africa in the war against Germany but at the same time did not want to lose the support of their Afrikaner followers. Faced with this dilemma, they were less than candid with their followers. Alberts's inner struggle resulted largely from this attempt to come to grips with the contradictions in their policy and in his attempts he received no guidance from them. Like so many other rebels, Alberts was not seeking a civil war. At the same time his conscience would not allow him to fight for England outside South African territory.

Afrikaans

Kommandant Sarel Alberts kan beskou word as een van die "mindere leiers" van die 1914-Rebellie. Hoewel nie 'n leier van die formaat van bv. De Wet, Beyers en Maritz nie, het hy tog 'n aansienlike invloed in die distrik Krugersdorp, wat 'n groot getal rebelle opgelewer het, uitgeoefen. Anders as leiers soos Kemp en Maritz was Alberts aanvanklik teen 'n gewapende opstand gekant. Trouens, Alberts kan beskou word as verteenwoordiger van 'n groep Afrikaners wat die Rebellie as uiters pynlik ervaar het - mense verskeur deur verdeelde lojaliteite wat teen die einde van 1914 rigtingloos, doelloos en halfhartig opgetree het - dieselfde mense wat tydens die Tweede Anglo-Boereoorlog dapper en doelgerig geveg het. Dié skynbaar teenstrydige optrede kan deels verklaar word omdat hulle die slagoffer van misleiding deur Botha en Smuts was. Die twee Generaals wou by die oorlog teen Duitsland betrokke raak maar terselfdertyd wou hulle nie die steun van hul Afrikanervolglinge verloor nie en derhalwe was hulle nie altyd openhartig met hul volgelinge nie. Alberts se sielewroeging was grotendeels die gevolg van Botha en Smuts se onduidelike beleid en in die innerlike konflik het hy geen leiding van die Generaals ontvang nie. Soos soveel ander rebelle wou Alberts broedertwis vermy; maar terselfdertyd het sy gewete hom nie toegelaat om buite die landsgrense vir Engeland te veg nie.