R20k reward: Gqeberha church’s 200-year-old copper bell stolen

The Democratic Alliance has offered a R20 000 reward for the return of a 200-year-old copper bell belonging to the Bethelsdorp Congregational Church in Gqeberha.

The historic artefact was stolen earlier this week from the town’s Market Square, with fears it may have been sold to a scrapyard.

Known as the Mission or Slave Bell, the community chime was used to summon residents for important public announcements.

HISTORIC BETHELSDORP CHURCH COPPER BELL STOLEN

According to SAPS, the copper bell, which was hung in a wooden frame in the Market Square outside the Bethelsdorp Congregational Church, was stolen earlier this week.

Nelson Mandela Bay police spokesperson Captain Sandra Janse Van Rensburg said the church was locked after service last Sunday, but the bell was discovered missing when the keyholder returned late on Tuesday afternoon.

“A theft case has been opened, and the investigation is ongoing,” she said.

Police fear it may already have been sold to a scrapyard for its copper value.

The copper bell was installed in Bethelsdorp in 1815 and was known as the Mission Bell or Slave Bell. It was used to summon people in the settlement to the Market Square for important announcements and gatherings. 

According to some historical accounts, it also summoned farmworkers to public trials and punishments, 

In the years that passed, the Bethelsdorp Congregational Church continued to ring it for church services and activities. It was also used for funerals and to notify the community when someone had died. 

DA OFFERS R20K REWARD

In a Facebook post, DA Nelson Mandela Bay mayoral candidate Retief Odendaal said the political party was offering a R20 000 reward for information leading to the copper bell’s return to Bethelsdorp Congregational Church.

“This is about more than the recovery of an historic bell; it is about protecting and preserving our shared heritage.

Odendaal used the incident to pledge more police presence, with a focus on illegal scrapyards, should he come into office. 

He added, “We simply cannot allow our heritage to be treated with such disdain or to be tossed aside by criminals. A DA government will protect these important heritage assets so that they can be preserved, celebrated, and transformed into safe havens for tourists, creating jobs and helping to get Nelson Mandela Bay working for all”.