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RERENCE WARS & REBELLIONS VOORTREKKER - ZULU CONFLICT 1837 -1838 THE
REBELLION OF LANGALIBALELE TRANSVAAL WAR OF INDEPENDENCE 1880-1881 THE
ZULU CIVIL WAR |
The introduction of British rule in the Cape Colony in 1806 led to dissatisfaction among the fiercely independent Afrikaners, resulting in an exodus of Voortrekkers to the hinterland, where they aspired to govern themselves and maintain their cultural identity and language. Deeply
religious members of the protestant order, they considered themselves
akin to the children of Israel seeking their promised land. In 1838 one
of these groups under Piet Retief chose to cross the Drakensberg Mountains
and enter Natal where their leaders had already made contact with the
group of English adventurers and hunters that had established themselves
in Port Natal (Durban). |
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| The English informed Retief that before he could settle in Natal he would first have to get the consent of the King of the Zulu, Dingane. So Retief and some 80 odd of his men paid Dingane a visit. Dingane already suspicious of the white men, particularly after news of the way in which another party had driven off an attack by the Ndebele, an off shoot of the Zulu, was perplexed as to what to do, so he set them a task to recover cattle stolen from him by another powerful chief Sikonyela, hoping that Sikonyela would put paid to them, but Retief and his men completed the task with relative ease. This left Dingane with the problem and during the course of the negotiations Dingane set his warriors on this hapless group and Retief and his men were put to death. The Zulu King then unleashed his impis on the various groups of trekkers who by now had moved down into Natal in anticipation of obtaining land. Over the period 12th to 19th February 1838 several hundred trekker families were killed before the remainder were able to regroup and drive the Zulus off. The trekkers then formed a commando to seek retribution and to try and recover some of the stolen cattle but they were ambushed in the iTaleni Valley and forced to flee leaving young 14 year old Dirkie Uys to die fighting by his father’s side. |  |
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It was not until the end of the year that the Trekkers were able to mount another commando. This one organised and lead by Andries Pretorius comprised some 464 armed men with 64 wagons and their servants. Before entering Zululand these men made a covenant, the Vow, with their God that should he protect them and deliver their enemy unto them they would build a church in his name and for ever hold that day as sacred. On Sunday 16th December 1838 the Zulu army chose to attack the Trekkers fortified laager on the banks of the Ncome River. And so took place the most pivotal battle in South African History with the 12000 strong Zulu army hurling itself against the laager only to be driven off, completely shattered, by the gunfire. Dingane’s Rule was over and during the course of the following year, with the assistance of the Trekkers, Mpande, half brother to Dingane and Chaka, was made King. |
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