IQadasi uRitief lifika KwaZulu
Kodwa lo mgwaqo awakha wawungekho esimeni ngoba wawunemigodigodi futhi wakhukhuleka ngezimvula zokuqala. Lokhu kwenziwa ukuthi URetief wayethatha ezinye izimali zokwakha umgwaqo wayozifaka ekuhwebeni ngembewu. Wakwenza lokhu ekholelwa ukuthi inani layo lalizokhuphuka ngoba wayezokwenza itulo mbumbulu ukuthi idingwe kakhulu kunakuqala kulo lonke, kodwa nakuloku wehluleka.
Wasebuyela eGrahamstown, ethandazela omunye umgilingwane. Wasezithola ehola iqenjana lezalakutshelwa zamaBhunu ezazingeneme, zabhala isikhalo sazo ephephandabeni iGraham’s Town Journal mhla zingama-22 kuMasingana ngowe-1837. Basibiza iThe Emigrants Manifesto (Isibophezelo sabokufika) esasisola amaNgisi ngezinto ezaziphicaphicene sikhuluma nangokuntuleka kobulungiswa, inkululeko, ukungaphephi emapulazini, nokuphangwa kwemfuyo yabo ngamaXhosa. Kodwa okwakubacasulile kakhulu nguHulumeni wamaNgisi kwakungukuvalwa kokuba nezigqila. Kwakulikhuni ukucabanga ukuphila impilo ngaphandle kwezigqila. Kwathi amaNgisi angabashaya indiva, uRetief owabe eneminyaka eyeyingama-60 waba namandla okuvuka azithathe, ebalekela impilo yokuhluleka wahola ingxenye yeGreat Trek. URetief nomkakhe uMagdalena owayekade ehlupheka, amaNgisi ambalwa, amaJalimane namaBhunu kanye nezigqila zama-Afrika, izinceku ezazizobala nemfuyo bazihudula kancane kancane beya enyakatho . Babegibele amakalishi ayeyi-1000 behamba bezicelela kuMdali ukuba abasikelele. Babhekana nezingqinamba zase-Afrika ezifana nezishingishane, imifula engenisayo nezifo zasothungulu. Kwaba emva kwezinyanga eziningi lapho belamela izicongo zoKhahlamba. Bamdumisa, behla emakalishini abo, bancoma umkhathizwe wamaZulu balivuma ‘izwe lesethembiso’, baphumula.
NgoMandulo we-1837, benyuka uKhahlamba basebeqala ukwehla kodumo, baphonseka kwaZulu.
Behla ezikhaleni zemvelo abazinika amagama anjengoBezeidenhout
Pass noDe Beers Pass. Ababegula, ababebadala nababebuthaka behliswa ngezinhlaka, abesifazane nezingane behla ngokucophelela bengazi ukuthi kwakunani ngaphansi kwamahlozi, nezihlumela. Kwezwakala ubunsinsinsi bezinqola njengoba zifuqwa zidonswa, abesilisa babamanzi nte, bethukana. Ibanga elalingelide kakhulu, lathatha isonto lonke ukuthi zifike ezansi. Bakha umuzi wezinqola oyindilinga ukuzivikela (ilaager) bawubiza ngeDoornkop. Bazinza ezweni ‘labo’ lesethembiso, bangasibona isidingo sokuyokhonza.
Dukuduku kwaqala kwatheleka amaBhunu amaningi kangangoba ngesinye isikhathi kwasekufika angaphezu kwekhulu ngosuku, nawo awazihlupha ngokuyokhonza. Kungakapheli isikhathi eside aqaphela amaBhunu ukuthi amaZulu ayebaqaphile, okwangabaphatha kahle. Lawo ayefike kuqala ancenga amasha ukuthi ayokhonza eKomkhulu. Aqala ngokugoloza kodwa agcina eyile eKomkhulu kodwa uDingane wawalindisa izinyanga ezintathu, waze wawabona ngomhla ziyi-5 kuLwezi ngowe-1837. Engazi ukuthi babezokwamukelwa kanjani eKomkhulu, uRetief waphakamisa ukuthi kuhambe amadoda ayengama-200 ukwethusa uDingane kodwa bamchitha.
Kwagcina kuye amadoda ayisithupha kubalwa uCane noHalstead owayengumhumushi wabo. Bamfica evutha uDingane ehlezi no-Owen owayenotwetwe, ebambele ibhayibheli eduzane. UDingane wabasola ngokweba izinkomo zaseBukhosini ezazingama-300 kanye nokubulala umzukulu weNkosi uJobe Sithole owaye ngumalusi. Wema ngentaba uRetief, wasola uSigonyela owayeyiNkosi yaBatlokwa (uhlanga olungebona abeNguni) ezalwa yiNdlovukazi uManthantisi. UDingane wasethi ukubonisa ubumsulwa babo, kwakufanele balethe uSigonyela kanye nezinkomo ezebiwe, kungenjalo babezobulawa kanye nemindeni yabo. Wavuma ngaphansi kwengcindezi enkulu uRetief. Kwathi angaphola, emuva kwezinsuku ezimbili uDingane wabenzela omkhulu umcimbi wamema namamishinali ayemasha uMfu uChampion noMfu u-Owen. Kwasinwa, kwagiywa kwaba njeya, waze wazibongela uRetief ngokufuduka kwabo.