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From: "Becky Horne" <>
Subject: [ZA] East Cape Newspapers, 29 March 1986 - Keeping old traditions alive
Date: Sat, 5 Apr 2003 15:53:10 +0200


Hi there

Newspaper cuttings from the Eastern Cape.
Herald, 29 March 1986

Ivan's oxen: Keeping old traditions alive by Jill JOUBERT

Oxen may be dumb but they are certainly not stupid according to Mr. Ivan TIMM, of Bathurst, and his driver of 23 years, Mr. Steyl BADI. They are tractable, trainable, quick to learn, and have, like elephants, conveniently long memories - convenient for the trainer, that is. Their span of Africanders will be in the arena again next month at the Bathurst show where they will join the grand parade on opening day, April 4, to add a touch of nostalgia and romance recalling the days of covered wagons and the Great Trek.

There are now only about six spans of working oxen left in the Bathurst district, says Mr. TIMM. Oxen have been his hobby since he was a child. The present team is his 12th. He has had red Africanders, yellow Africanders and black spans, products of an Africander/Friesland cross. Handling the bullocks is largely left to Mr. Badi.

Mr. TIMM was crippled by polio as a youngster and settled for work in the telephone exchange in Bathurst from 1937 until he was boarded because of increasing lameness in 1982. He has always lived in the village, running his oxen on the commonage. "Last year was a bad one," he said. "Until the drought broke the cattle were in pretty poor condition." But from October the veld recovered miraculously. "They are in fine fettle now," he said as he looked affectionately at the great sleek beasts soon to be sold for yet another span.

Mr. TIMM said the working life of an ox was only about six years. The present span was approaching their time for retirement when he will replace them with another team of young bullocks. He said, "My cousin Bertie TIMM will find them for me. He gets about and knows what I want. He always picks me winners." Mr. Bertie TIMM is a farmer and speculator. Mr. Ivan TIMM said it took Mr. BADI about three months to train the animals. First of all they are individually named, always Afrikaans names "because it's tradition, harking back presumably to the days of the trekkers," he added.

Within those three months, each one learns to know his place and will automatically move to the front or behind when he is inspanned. They are dipped regularly. This too, proceeds smoothly. Mr. BADI calls them by name and they respond by walking through the dip-tank with none of the prodding or driving which may occur in less orderly herds.

Occasionally the men have encountered rogues, beasts which are totally untrainable. "You can tell them straight away. Then it's back to the stock fair," Mr. TIMM said. "Paint your wagon" has been the theme at 31 King's Road, Bathurst, home of Mr. & Mrs. TIMM, in recent weeks where a veteran vehicle well more than 59 years old is being repaired and touched up for the show. The wagon once belonged to the late Mr. George CLAYTON, who in turn brought it back in 1934 to carry petrol from east London to Bathurst. Mr. TIMM said, "There was no coastal road in those days. Mr. CLAYTON used to cart 25 drums at a time for 10s a drum. The trip used to take two weeks. Mr. TIMM bought the wagon in 1969 from an African, he added.

Now it is being redecorated in bright blue and red and restored to its former glory with the aid of a friend, Mr. Roy McCUAIG, whose links with the TIMMS and Bathurst go back generations. "Roy's grandfather taught my father and his brothers at school here." Mr. TIMM said. The oxen and wagon are still put to use. It was recently that Mr. & Mrs. TIMM took a wagonload of children down to Penny's Hoek, midway on the Bathurst-Southwell link road, and treated them to a braai complete with potjiekos. "But their most memorable experience was the wagon trek held in conjunction with the 150th anniversary of the landing of the 1820 Settlers in 1970.

As part of the celebrations it was decided to retrace the route taken by the original Settlers from Algoa Bay, where they had landed, to their locations in the Albany district. "People said we were mad at the time." Mr. TIMM said, recalling the 16-day trip as far east as Cuylerville. Four wagons were inspanned. Mr. TIMM had a blackspan at the time, contrasting with the red span of the late Mr. CLAYTON. Mr. Don LONG's yellow Africanders and a forth red and white oxen.

They massed at the Boet Erasmus stadium in Port Elizabeth. Mr. TIMM however, was asked to bring his span down to King's beach as part of the Port Elizabeth commemorative pageant. This took two hours, so he asked for special dispensation to go through main street to meet the other at Port Elizabeth Showgrounds. This was granted and I was escorted through the city centre by mounted traffic police," Mr. TIMM said. The whole family took part and thoroughly enjoyed their unusual journey on the historic tracks along which their forefathers had laboured.


Best wishes
Becky
Port Elizabeth, South Africa

Researching: HENWICK; HILL; HORN(E); MEREDITH; DEYZEL; LARSEN; WILLSON; LYNAR; HENNING; STERLEY; THECK; BEST; BRAUN, GREENER; GLANVILLE



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