People were in durance vile because they would not join the town guard or defence force.
So overcrowded the prison became that many persons contracted disease during their incarceration.
For these sad occurrences the Cape Government was not initially to blame; more than once they had remonstrated with the local military authorities, but reports concerning their conduct were not allowed to reach the ears of Lord Roberts or of Lord Kitchener.

Very often a Hottentot informed against respectable citizens to the intelligence officer, and by virtue of that they were imprisoned as long as the military authorities deemed fit.

When released, a man would sometimes find that his house had been sacked and his most valuable property carried away.

Persons were deported at an hour's notice without reasons being given, and thereafter scouts took possession of their farms and plundered and destroyed everything.

Four wagon-loads of men, women and children were deported from their homes at Beaufort West.