"Oom Benna's" is named after a previous farm owner (1950s - 1998),
Uncle Benna van Niekerk. He was a former Bolander who built the house and barn in
the fifties. We took over the land in 2005, after his grandson had inherited it
from him. The house stood empty and we decided to start a guesthouse and in such
a way, the legend lives on.
Uncle Benna was a legend in the region and especially enjoyed trading in fruit and vegetables which he picked up by truck, later with his bakkie - wherever it could be found. He also peddled anything else that he could lay his hands on, such as vehicles, tractors and even donkeys and horses. He regularly drove to sales and auctions to see if he could obtain a bargain. It is said that he had once went to a bar (looking for business) when one of the guests began to taunt him. In an instant, Uncle Benna had his foot on the man’s chest as he lay flat on his back on the ground. Uncle Benna looked him straight at in the eye and in his Boland accent told him: "I say I say ..." (his signature saying) "... I’ll break the last little bone in your body," after which he turned and walked out. Another anecdote of Uncle Benna, is of the time he sold oranges. He insisted the oranges were very tasty and sweet, but the prospective buyer kept asking if he could taste them. When Uncle Benna eventually give way and let him taste, the man pulled his face because of how sour the orange was. Uncle Benna said only casually, "I say I say ... I like them a little sour." One day, after we had a chat about windmills, someone pointed out that we could not survive without them in the region, and if one part of a windmill breaks, it must be fixed as soon as possible, because the sheep need water. Uncle Benna then said in his typical dry manner: "Yes, but ... he's a bastard when he’s blown over!" The original notice board, which had to be displayed on the one’s vehicle if one wanted to trade (according to the legislation) can be viewed at the facilities. The scale on which the grapes, etc. were weighed, can also be viewed in the house. For Uncle Benna it was never too early or too late. If he had an idea, he immediately took action. Many times against Aunt Miemie’s (his wife) will. Often late at night she had to find someone to take Uncle Benna to an auction or just to buy vegetables in Upington the next morning, because he already was around 80 years old at the time. If someone asked him when he would retire, he always replied by saying he wanted to be carried out of his house, head first. It happened this way, as he had a stroke and later died in hospital in 1998. |