Page 233 - The Diary of A. H. W. Behrens

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1916
When conveyancing started I received a telegram from the administrator of Transvaal that I should come to Pretoria because he had important things to discuss with me. I went there. Then he told me that the government needed the farms
of Bethanie for the Dam Scheme and wanted to buy them and relocate the whole of Bethanie to Moretele near Ramakok
[?] and what I had to say about this. I decisively rejected
this as impossible and not right and even to the credit of the government. I was asked whether I had another plan. I asked for some time to think about this and drove home. I then developed an exchange plan according to which the government would
get 16 000 acres of the farms Losperfontein, Wolwekraal
and Kreeport and Geluk right up to Bethanie and should in exchange buy 16 000 acres to the west of Bethanie and hand these to the Bakwena. I put this down in writing with all details and boundaries and then also gave a verbal report in addition to the written report. Administrator Rissik was pleasved with my plan, he called the Bakwena Chief Johannes with his advisor to Pretoria and presented my plan to them without saying that it came from me and they were satisfied. Neither Rissik nor the Bakwena changed anything on my plan and it was accepted as I had developed it.