Abstract

WILDENBOER, Liezl. Schoemansdal: law and justice on the frontier. Fundamina (Pretoria) [online]. 2013, vol.19, n.2, pp.441-462. ISSN 2411-7870.

Schoemansdal in the Zoutpansberg district was a frontier town of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek. Various causes contributed to its demise in the late 1860s, of which the special High Court sitting in June/July 1867 was certainly a major factor. To understand the events that unfolded at the High Court sitting, one has to have some knowledge of the background of the town, its surroundings and history, and the various personalities that played a role in the eventual trials. The events illustrate the gap that existed between the ideal state and the practical problems of a frontier town, and the resulting loss of rule of law.

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