Untold stories of South African boatmen who drowned during World War I

(MENAFN) On January 23, 1915, two boatmen, Dolly Jenniker and Zulu Madhliwa, tragically drowned in the flooded Orange River in South Africa. They had been ferrying supplies to Union of South Africa forces involved in the invasion of German South West Africa (now Namibia) as part of the Allied campaign against Germany during World War I. Following the declaration of war on Germany, both sides' colonies were automatically included in the conflict: South Africa was part of the British Commonwealth, while Germany had colonies in German South West Africa and German East Africa (now Tanzania).

The river was swollen, and their heavily laden vessel was overwhelmed by the rapids, now famous among white-water rafters. Jenniker's wife, Molly, who awaited him in Port Elizabeth, never saw him again. Meanwhile, Madhliwa’s father, Ngobongwana, only learned of his son's death when he received the £3 of unpaid wages Madhliwa had left behind.

For over a century, little has been known about Dolly Jenniker, Zulu Madhliwa, or the other 1,700 South Africans of colour who lost their lives in World War I on African soil. Beyond the basic facts of their deaths, their stories have remained largely untold, overshadowed by the broader historical narrative of the war.

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