Where is the red lorry?
Tanja Bause
A red three-ton Dodge lorry disappeared without a trace from the Swakop River. The lorry belonged to the late Thomas Hansen, who died in 1975 and was buried on Farm Salem. In March the lorry was still in its place in the river; in June, Chris Hansen, Thomas' son, received a call from his cousin who informed him that the lorry had disappeared and along with it, a large part of the family history. "The Hansen and Brockerhoff families farmed there. The Hansen family on Farm Salem and the Brockerhoffs on Farm Vlakbank - a bit apart," said Chris. "My father and his brother used the lorry to fetch water, transport large items and farm. In the early eighties, the area was declared the Namib-Naukluft Park, a nature conservation area, and the people had to move. Salem and Vlakbank were located in the area and when the people moved, they left the lorry in the Swakop River under a tree." Besides the lorry, graves were left behind on both the farms and a house which is currently occupied by employees of the Ministry of the Environment, Forestry and Tourism. "My mother's sister built the house for their mother and she only lived there for about six months - maybe a year - when she passed away and they had to move." The lorry in which Chris drove as a six-year-old farm boy was left behind in the Swakop River - near the Riet pump station. "We always took the grandchildren and great-grandchildren to Salem and showed them the graves. Then we made our way to the lorry before driving on to show them the area and all the sights. The lorry was more towards Riet's side - about 16 kilometers from Salem. At Riet there is a pumping station from which Langer Heinrich gets their water. It is part of our family's history." According to Chris, the lorry still had its engine and gearbox in it. Only the windows were broken and the wooden box needed work. “I went to look and there is no sign of the lorry. The holes from where the wheels were are there and that's it. Someone dug out the lorry and loaded it onto a trailer and drove away. “I think there are only two possibilities; someone wants to fix up the lorry and display it or just simply exhibit it. Of course I'm now afraid that they might destroy it because I'm looking for the lorry and they know they removed the lorry illegally." "I received numerous inquiries about the lorry and people who wanted to buy it. About six months before the lorry disappeared, someone contacted my cousin and made an offer. I immediately told them no; a bit of money cannot replace my family's history." According to Chris, the lorry could only be towed out with the Langer Heinrich turn-off. "You take the turn off and then turn left. Langer Heinrich graded the road and made it beautiful all the way to Riet. In the old days we used to drive for about an hour to cover 30 kilometers as the road was rocky and bad, but now the road is good." Now he just wants the lorry back so it can be put in the cemetery and history can be preserved. "Except for the graves, that's all we have. Then I want to fence off the whole cemetery with the lorry in it and write down the history and put it up there for everyone who passes by to see. Then they can learn more about the people buried there. This is not only for my descendants, but also for any Namibian who is interested." –
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