DC22/NAMM/0033

Gerrit Maritz, known commonly as Gert Maritz is a historical figure within Afrikaner and Voortrekker heritage, as well in Pietermaritzburg: “Pietermaritzburg is an amalgamation of the names of Voortrekker leaders; Piet Retief and Gert Maritz, who laid out the town and declared it the capital of the Republic of Natal in 1883.” The statue of Gerrit Maritz was done by Jo Roos, “a sculptor and art lecturer at the Pretoria Teacher’s Training College, was unveiled on 16 December 1970.” The statue was unveiled next to the statue of Piet Retief in front of the Church of the Vow, which now forms part of the Voortrekker Complex at uMsunduzi Museum, which was created in 1912 to commemorate the Voortrekkers. References 
Rankin, E., and Schneider, R. M. From Memory to Marble: The Historical Frieze of the Voortrekker Monument Part II: The Scenes (Germany: De Gruyter, 2020).
‘Msunduzi Museum,’ Available from: https://www.msunduzimuseum.org.za/ accessed 2 June 2021.
Ndaba, D. N., and Landman, K.,  Revitalising the public open spaces in the CDB of Pietermaritzburg to Immortalize a Great Place 2014, International Convention Centre, Durban, South Africa, 2014.