AmaQadasi eholwa uRetief ayenga uSigonyela
Izihambi zikaDingane zathathwa ngubukhulu nobuhle besigodlo sakhe. URetief wasichaza kanje encwadini yakhe yemihla: “Sabe siyindilinga singamagxathi ayengamashumi amabili ubukhulu, sesekelwe ngezinsika ezazingama-22 ezabe zimbozwe ngobuhlalu, phansi kucwebezela njengesibuko.”
UMfundisi u-Owen yena wabhala kanje encwadini yakhe yemihla: “…ilawu leSilo lalilihle ngempela okwakwenza ukuba abakhi bamaZulu baziqhenye ngekhono labo. Lalilikhulu kakhulu uphahla luphezulu impela futhi lihlanzekile, iphansi ligandaywe ngengwadle (marble) likhazimula, iziko lakhiwe kahle futhi kwakufulelwe ngezintungo ezithothaniswe kahle, zasekelwa izinsika ezazingama-20 ezazimbozwe ngobuhlalu…”
Mhla zili-12 kuLwezi ngowe-1837, uRetief wagubha usuku lwakhe lokuzalwa eseneminyaka eyayingama-67. Wamema uMfu uChampion noDkt uWilson noMfu uHenry Venables omishini yabo yayigudla umfudlana iMbaya othelela eMhlathuze. Emva kwezinsukwana oRetief bayozingela uSigonyela kodwa baze bamthola ngemuva kwamasonto amane. Bamtshela ukuthi babezohweba ngamazinyo endlovu.
Wabakholwa, wasephuza nabangani bakhe abasha, bamyenga wavuma ukufaka uzankosi. URetief waphanga zonke izibhamu zikaSigonyela, ukudla nezinkomo ezazingama-700, bamthumba engazi ukuthi kwenzekani edakwe utshwala. Kwadlula izinsuku eziningi bephikisana ngokuthi ngubani owayezokuyokhonza kahle kuDingane. Aphinde futhi loyo muntu ethule uSigonyela nezinkomo zaKoMkhulu. Kodwa bavumelana bonke ukuthi ngeke bamnike uDingane izibhamu zikaSigonyela ngoba zazingahlangananga naloku okwakufanele bakubuyisele emuva. Bagcina bebambe umhlangano ngomhla zili-16 kuMasingana ngowe-1838, ethendeni likaRetief wokuthatha isinqumo samanqamu ngale ndaba. Igwala elalinya amanzi uGert Maritz wathi mabangayi kokhonza futhi uDingane anganikwa izibhamu, ukudla nezinkomo lezo, bese benza uSigonyela isigqila sabo.
Akekho owavumelana naye. Baphinde baphikisana isikhathi eside futhi kodwa bagcina bevumelene ukuthi angeke bamhambise uSigonyela kuDingane ngoba wabathembisa udukathole womhlaba. Bavumelana nanokuthi babezodla izinkomo eziningi zakhe uDingane. Kwagcina sekuzinikela amadoda cishe ayengama-70 ayenesibindi sokuyobhekana noDingane, phakathi kwabo kwakukhona nendodana kaRetief, nayo yayibizwa ngoPiet (Piet Jnr), indodana kaMagdalena, u-Abraham Greyling, uBarend Liebenburg, uPiet Meyer, uJan Robertssen, uHercules Malan kanye nabebala ababengama-40. Baya esigodlweni ngomhla zingama-25 kuMasingana ngowe-1838. Ngaphambi kokuba bahambe, u-Erasmus Smit wahola umthandazo wezibusiso entathakusa ethendeni likaRetief. Baklabalasa behuba amahubo asekuseni elesine nelesithupha. Kwakushubile lapho babekanise khona, badubula emoyeni sebephuma.