Jan Smuts Museum - Riebeek West

Jan Smuts Museum - Riebeek West

The farm, Ongegund, is well known in South Africa as the location of the house known as Smut Cottage. The cottage is situated on Bovenplaas, the high-lying part of the original farm Ongegund and was the birthplace of General Jan Christiaan Smuts on the 24th of May 1870. General Jan Smuts left his mark on South African and international politics as a political leader and thinker for almost half a century. He served as a Boer General during the Boer War, a British General during the First World War and was appointed Field Marshal by King George VI during the Second World War. He served as Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa from 1919 until 1924 and from 1939 until 1948 and made significant contributions towards the creation of the League of Nations and the United Nations and also helped redefine the relationships that lead to the formation of the British Commonwealth.. In 1955 the Board for National Monuments put up a bronze plaque at the birthplace, but it was only in 1975 that it was proclaimed a national monument.

The cottage, which is now on the property of PPC Cement in Riebeek West, is open to the public from Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 17:00, and an exhibition of photographs of his life is on display. The gardens are a pleasant setting for a picnic under the trees, but should be left until weekends when there is no activity at the cement factory.

For more information please contact:
Tel: +27-22-4618000
Mobile: +27-83-3482587