Case Decision - 200232

The South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) regrets to inform you that your application to permanently export the objects EHM-001 EHM-002, EHM-003, EHM-004 has been refused. These four objects are medals that belonged Jacobus Herculaas de la Rey, better known as Koos de la Rey.
After careful consideration SAHRA has decided that [in accordance with Section 32 (24) and Section 3(3) of the National Heritage Resources Act (NHRA. Act 25 of 1999)], the medals:
(a) Is of outstanding significance by reason of its close association with South African history or culture, its aesthetic qualities, or its value in the study of the arts or sciences.
Jacobus Herculaas de la Rey, known as Koos de la Rey, was born on Doornfontein Farm in the Winburg District of the Orange Free State, 22 October 1847.
The Second Boer War, also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War represented a changing tide in South Africa. The war was fought between the Boer Republics and the British. Factors that led to the War, was the British hoping to further expand its imperialist agenda across southern Africa, the discovery of gold and diamonds and the influx of British immigrants that were referred to as Uitlanders (foreigners) by the Afrikaners. And the Jameson Raid, which was a failed attempt by the British to overthrow the Transvaal government in 1895 but left the embers of tension between the Boers and the British.
The Second Boer War represented a momentous shift in the way wars were fought. The use of technologies such as railways, telegraphs, guerilla warfare and barbed wire showed a different approach to war as well as providing a precursor to the brutality that would be experienced in the proceeding World Wars. The use of concentration camps by the British and subsequent targeting of Afrikaner women and children and black Africans makes this an example of genocide right at the beginning of the twentieth century that cannot be forgotten. An integral part to exposing the conditions of the concentration camps to the British public was Emily Hobhouse.
The Second Boer War is significant for laying the groundworks for the Union of South Africa. The Second Boer War lasted over two years from October 1899 until the Peace of Vereeniging was signed on 31 May 1902, officially ending the War. This represented a moment of commonality between the two parties in ensuring control over the geographic space that came to define South Africa.  
Throughout these different processes of, the Second Boer War, the Union of South Africa and symbol of Afrikaners in South Africa, is Koos de la Rey. Koos de la Rey, was a Boer general during the Second Boer War, and considered one of the most skilled and successful commanders on the Boer side. He was seen as a symbol of resistance to the British rule. When the Second Boer War broke out in 1899, De La Rey was appointed a general in the Boer army. He fought in many of the major battles of the war, including Magersfontein, Colenso and Spion Kop. Koos de la Rey is a symbol of Afrikaner and South African history that reflects the Afrikaner expression of identity as well as a look at an individual that played a role in the creation of the Union of South Africa, as he was present at the negotiations that led to the Peace of Vereeniging.
(b) is of such a degree of national importance that its loss to South Africa would significantly diminish the national heritage.
The medals are Medalje voor de Anglo-Boere Oorlog, Dekoratie voor Trouwe Dienst, Lint voor Verwonding and the Union of South Africa Commemoration Medal. The Medalje voor de Anglo-Boere Oorlog is a South African military campaign medal. It was instituted on 21 December 1920 as a retrospective award for Boer veteran officers and men who fought in the 1899–1902 Second Boer War. Dekoratie voor Trouwe Dienst is a South African military decoration. It was instituted in 1920 as a retrospective award for Boer officers of the 1899–1902 Second Boer War. Lint voor Verwonding is a South African military campaign award. It was instituted on 21 December 1920 as a retrospective award for Boer veteran officers and men of the 1899–1902 Second Boer War who had been wounded in action. The Union of South Africa Commemoration Medal was instituted in 1910 to mark the opening of the first Union Parliament by the Duke of Connaught and Strathearn in 1910.  As such, it was the first of the independence medals instituted in the Commonwealth.
Beyond being a symbolic gesture of Koos de la Rey’s contribution to the Anglo-Boer War and the Union of South Africa, these medals can be viewed as tangible assets through which the legacy and memory of Koos de la Rey may be preserved. They also represent the histories and experiences of Afrikaners in South Africa and their struggle for independence from the British.
For the reasons stated above, SAHRA regrets to inform you that the permanent export of the four medals stated in this letter has been refused. However, SAHRA intends to continue and engage with interested and affected parties in the possibility of a loan agreement. Once an agreement has been reached by all parties, a temporary export may be considered.Please note you may exercise any right available to you in terms of the NHRA, including the right to appeal against this decision. Such an appeal must be made in writing within 14 days of receipt hereof.Should you have any further queries, please contact the designated official using the case number quotedabove in the case header.