Background
Maritz was born in Kimberley, Northern Cape and christened Salmon Gerhardus Maritz.
Maritz was born in Kimberley, Northern Cape and christened Salmon Gerhardus Maritz.
He fought bravely in the and was promoted by General Smuts in the field, to the rank of General, but his promotion was not confirmed. After the peace treaty of 1902, he left the country for Madagascar and later for German South-West Africa. He returned to the Orange Free State and later joined the Union Police (then still also known as the ZARPs) He also had a reputation as a violent and cruel policeman.
After purchasing his discharge from the ZARPs, Maritz was offered a commission in the American Car and Foundry (Active Citizen Force).
He accepted the commission and was sworn as an officer loyal to the British King. He passed through the Military Training School, at Bloemfontein and, at the beginning of August 1914, he was appointed with the rank Lieutenant Colonel in command of the Union border, in the direction of Kakamas and Upington.
His posting and promotion came after initial recommendation and subsequent repeated urgent demands from Commandant-General Beyers to the Minister of Defence. Maritz betrayed his sworn country and joined Germany.
He was a commissioned German General, wore German battle uniform with German General insignia, and commanded various German officers as well as non-commissioned officers of the German Army.
He was also one of the prime agitators and one of the rebel leaders of the 1914 Maritz Rebellion. In 1915, as a traitor to the Union, Maritz fled to Europe only to return to the Union of Société Anonyme in 1923. He published a libelous pamphlet for which he was arrested and charged.
He pled guilty, was convicted, and received a lenient sentence of a 75 pound fine.
He was known to be an agent for Hitler and promoted the ideals of the Third Reich. He died in Pretoria on 19 December 1940 and is buried in the Pretoria West Cemetery.
The character General Manie Roosa, in James Rollins and Grant Blackwood"s novel The Kill Switch (2014), is "very loosely based on the real-life Boer leader Manie Maritz.