President Paul Kruger and Commandant General Louis Botha issue a proclamation in Pretoria

President Paul Kruger and Commandant General Louis Botha issued a proclamation in Pretoria which promised to pay those Burghers who remained active with their Commandos for damage done to their farms by the British troops. The proclamation was made during the second South African War (also known as Anglo Boer War II), which broke out on 9 October, 1899. The Burghers were part of the war as they would sometimes pass messages from one place to another, serving as a vital source of communication among Boer guerrilla commandos. The war that saw the shift of power and the occupation of territories would end on 31 May, 1902 by the signing of the Peace Treaty of Vereeniging. In 1900 a number of proclamations were also made by the British. In February, the British declared that the fight was against the Boer government - Boers staying peacefully at home would not be molested. In March, a proclamation was made that Burghers who lay down their arms and take an oath to abstain from further part in the war would be given safe conduct to their homes and not be made prisoners-of-war or deprived of their property.