15-17 MAY & 29-31 MAY 1902 - BOER PEACE DELIBERATIONS: VEREENIGING

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After numerous Boer/British meetings and correspondence concerning peace negotiations during April 1902, it was finally agreed that the various Boer commandoes would elect 30 delegates each to represent the South African Republic and the Orange Free State.

 

It was decided that these delegates would meet at Vereeniging on Thursday 15 May 1902. After lengthy deliberations, the 60 delegates appointed a 5-man Commission (Botha, De Wet, De la Rey, Smuts and Hertzog) to further confer with Kitchener and Milner.

 

This Conference took place in Pretoria from 19 - 28 May when “Articles to terminate the present hostilities” were agreed on.

 

These were put to the Vereeniging Delegates for final discussion on 29 May and put to the vote at 2pm on 31 May 1902. The motion to accept the British Peace Conditions was adopted by 54 votes to 6.