Twisfontein, Saturday, 16 August 1873 — Tempers erupted once again this morning as neighbouring farmers W. Baard of Heuningklip and C. Loubser of Witteklip confronted one another over the ownership and use of the spring that has become the most bitter source of contention on the West Coast.
Voices carry across the veld this morning as another heated confrontation erupts at the spring that has become the talk of every farm from Saldanha to Hopefield.
“You’ll not take another bucket from this spring!” shouts W. Baard, his finger fixed firmly in the direction of his neighbour.
From the opposite bank, C. Loubser wastes no time in answering.
“Your spring?” he fires back. “The water rises where the Lord placed it—not where you say it belongs.”
Within moments, labourers leave their work to watch. Wagons slow to a halt along the dusty track. No one wants to miss the latest exchange between the two men whose quarrel has become the district’s favourite—and most dangerous—topic.
“You’ve stolen enough already!” Baard bellows.
“I’ve stolen nothing!” Loubser answers. “I’ll not see my livestock die because you think you own the earth beneath God’s rain.”
The crowd begins to divide.
“Baard is right!” calls one farmer from behind the fence. “Without boundaries, no man’s property is safe.”
Before the words have settled, another voice rises from the opposite side.
“Loubser speaks the truth! Water cannot belong to one man while another goes thirsty.”
The arguments spread through the gathering like fire through dry grass.
“You’ll settle this in court!”
“So be it!”
“We’ll see whose lawyer speaks louder!”
“You’ve brought shame on the district!”
The spring, once simply a place where families filled barrels and watered stock, now echoes with accusation after accusation. Children stand silently beside their parents. Labourers exchange uneasy glances. Even those who came only to fetch water leave carrying news instead.
By midday, every farmhouse seems to have chosen a side.
At the trading post, voices grow louder than the clatter of wagons.
“Baard is protecting what’s his.”
“No—Loubser is standing up against greed.”
“If Baard wins, every spring will belong to whoever has the deepest pockets.”
“If Loubser wins, every boundary in the district becomes meaningless.”
Neighbours who once shared meals now pass each other without a greeting. Friends avoid discussing the matter, knowing it leads only to another quarrel.
As the legal battle looms, the spring earns a new name among the locals: Prosesfontein—the Fountain of Lawsuits.
Whether justice will favour Baard or Loubser, no one can yet say.
One thing, however, is already certain.
The greatest casualty is not the water.
It is the peace of an entire community.
