A lawyer who spent much of his retirement in the village of Chrissiesmeer is the 2024 recipient of the annual Mpumalanga Heritage Award for his contribution to the research, documentation and conservation of the history and heritage of our region. Since his retirement some twenty years ago Ton Sanders published three well-researched books on various aspects of the history of the town of Chrissiesmeer.
The occasion at Casterbridge Lifestyle Centre outside White River was with a book fair of historical books last Saturday that now will become a regular event on the organisation's calendar. Ton was live (from Pretoria) on a telephone call and was able to share in the award ceremony. The award will be handed over to him in due course in Pretoria.
The award was presented, in absentia, by Duncan Ballantyne. A photo of Ton Sanders is on the screen in the background.
The well-known local historian, Hans Bornman, a previous recipient of this award, who recently died, was also honoured. The poet and historian, Johann Lodewyk Marais, described Bornman and his legacy of books as the memory of the Lowveld. He suggested that Bornman was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Mpumalanga for the unique work he has done in documenting the history of this region.
The late Hans Bornman
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