HISTORY

A.P van der Merwe described Schoemanskloof in the early nineteen fifties as follows:

"Fifteen miles east of Machadodorp the national road at Sondagskraal elegantly curls and swirls its way down the kloof for approximately 15 miles till it reaches the Crocodileriver at the bottom and then follows the river further east. The Kloof of the Schoemans is actually a small valley which is not even a mile wide at its widest down at the bottom. Several mountain streams catch the eye. High green and bushy mountains with small shiny waterfalls, watch over the peaceful and tranquil beauty. Wheat fields dressed in their winter greens, entice the traveller to go even further away from the desolateness of the Highveld. Schoemanskloof - a piece of real country life next to a modern highway."

Almost 50 years later and this Mpumulanga valley is still in the same routine - peaceful farming in harmony with indigenous landscapes and the Small Drakensberg mountains, a constant brooding feature, in the background.

It was in the early fifties of the 19th century that a few kindred of the Schoeman families came to stay in Sterkspruit and surroundings. Because there was so many Schoemans in the valley, most of them had nicknames e.g. Deaf Fanie, Fanie Colony (he came from the Cape) Small Piet - just to name a few.

Petrus Albertus Schoeman (1796 to 1886), the eldest of the new occupants and his wife Catharina Bekker (1800 to 1880) are buried in Sondagskraal. The graves of Stephanus J. Schoeman (1818 to 1886) and his wife Sara Snyman (1824 to 1869). can be found at Mooiplaas. Schoemanskloof got it's name from the fact that there was so many of them (Schoemans) living in the valley.

The people living in the northern part of the valley used the road via Weltevreden. The old pioneers made a road which went to the east of the crest of Langasem and then descended into the valley at a point due north of the high hill at the foot of which the homestead of Piet Davel now stands. Another road came into use on 1874; this was called the “Duitsers-kop” road and ran to the east of the Sondagskraalspruit (it now runs from the lower end of the hill which was subsequently called “Louw se hoogte”). The British built a blockhouse on this ridge during the Anglo Boer War. From Patatanek the road wound down along the right bank of the spruit. (the original name of the low pass was “Klipnek” but as it became the regular custom to roast sweet potatoes at this outspan, the name was justifiable changed to the present one).