DC22/NAMM/0032

The Church of the Vow, which is also at times referred to as Church of the Covenant is located in Pietermaritzburg. The significance of the Church is articulated within the name as the Church was, “built in the fulfilment of a vow taken by the Voortrekkers before the Battle of Blood River (also referred to as Ncome in Zulu and Bloedrivier in Afrikaans) on 16 December 1838.” Before the battle of Blood river/ Ncome the Voortrekker men led by Andries Pretoriuos and Sarel Ciliers decided to make a vow to God that they will build a church to his honor should they win the battle. The Church has a very interesting beyond that of its inception: “The building changed hands quite a few times during the second half of the 19th century and served various purposes including being a school, a pharmacy and mineral-water factory.” The state of the Church became more stable at the beginning of the 20th century: “In 1910 it was saved from demolition, was then renovated and became a museum in 1912.” The Church serves as a monument to Afrikaners.
References 
Henning, E. E., ‘The Cultural Significance of the Church of the Vow in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal,’(M.A. thesis, University of Pretoria, 2014).