Izinkinga zeQadasi lakwaRetief
Abafundi bokuqala baka-Owen kwabe kungebona abantwana kuphela, kodwa noDingane imbala waba yiSilo samabandla onke sokuqala esakwazi ukubhala nokufunda. Okwenza ukuthi akwazi ukuzibhalela izincwadi ezaziya eDalagubhe, eSibubulungu naseKapa ngokwakhe. Kodwa waze waya koyisemkhulu engazange ayingene eyokusindiswa.
Izimpi zokuvikela izwe emaBhunwini nasemaNgisini eningizimu nakwaZulu ngeminyaka ye-1800 zazidlondlobala. Owayehamba phambili kulo mkhankaso kwakuyiNkosi yamaXhosa uNdlambe. Kanti phakathi kwabamhlophe ababelwa nabengabadi kwakunguPiet Retief owayeyiqhawe lamaBhunu. Wayefaniswa nomuntu owayeqotho futhi owafeza lukhulu. Kodwa eqinisweni wayenolimu olubushelelezi, eyisichwensi esasiphila impilo engasile, futhi efisa ukuceba ngokuphazima kweso ngaphandle kokukusebenzela. Lesi sinyemfu seBhunu sahlala ekhaya nabazali besondla saze saba neminyaka eyayingama-30 ubudala.
Kwathi noma sesihambile ekhaya, sayophila impilo yesehluleki. Saboleka imali kubantu eyayizi-30 000 Rixi Dollar, okwabe kuyimali eyayisetshenziswa ngaleso sikhathi, ukuyothenga ipulazi lewayini iKromme Rhee. Kodwa akaliphatha ngendlela lamlahlekela, kodwa wakwazi ukunxenxa abantu baseGrahamstown ukuba bamboleke enye imali akwazi ukuthenga elinye ipulazi lewayini e-Elsenburg elamenza hlwempu. Kodwa akazange aphelelwe amandla wathenga elinye ipulazi lewayini eWaarburg nalo lamehlula, elokugcina alithenga kwaba iPatryssen Vallei eladliwa. URetief waseshintsha waba ngumhwebi wakho konke okukhona, wazenza umthengisi wezakhiwo, umakhi, umkhiqizi kakotini, umshushumbisi wezigqila kanye nombhaki wezinkwa konke kanye kanye.
Izimpi phakathi kwabomdabu nondlebe zikhanyilanga zazandile okwaphoqa ukuthi bonke abesilisa abamhlophe babuthwe ngodli balwe izimpi zokuphanga umhlaba.
Yingakho inhlekisa eyayinguRetief yahola amasotsha ayeyili-150 yize wayengelona isotsha. Ngenkathi esempini wathandaza ubusuku nemini engafuni nje ukufa engakafezi elinye lamaqhinga ayewacabanga.
Wayezitshela ukuthi uma engake azitholele owesifazane nje, ikakhulu injinga eyayiyokwazi ukumkhipha obishini lokungabi namali. Nempela, wazitholela ezaziyisishiyagalolunye, izigqila ezine, ipulazi iMooimeisesfontein lapho ayefuye khona amakhulukhulu ezinkomo nezimvu. Impilo emngceleni yezimpi yayingamvumi umuntu wesimame, wamgana kanjaloke uRetief ngowe-1814, babenezingane ezaziyisithupha. Kwathi kuphela unyaka we-1821, uRetief wayengumnini wezigqila ezazicishe zibe ngama-40 zabantu kodwa kwathi esenkingeni yezimali, wazithengisa ukukhokha izikweletu.
Kodwa esinye sezigqila zakhe esasakheke kahle uJeck waseMozambique wasithengisa kabili, okwakuyicala. Wasithengisela uC Wentzel ngomhla zili-10 kuNhlangulana ngowe-1822 owasikhokhela amaRixi Dollar ayeyizi-3 000. Wasesithengisela uNkosikazi Thalman mhla zili-12 kuNtulikazi ngowe-1822. Lokhu kwadala enkulu inkinga ngoba kwakungasaziwa ukuthi lesi sigqila senkosi kwakungesikabani kahle hle.
Izinkinga zikaRetief zaya ngokwanda eminyakeni emibili elandelayo waze wavela enkantolo amahlandla ayengama-24 ngenxa yokungabhadali izikweletu zakhe. Waze wathengisa inkunzi yehhashi lakhe ayelithanda uTempest kanye neziqephu zomhlaba wakhe ezazingama-50 eGrahamstown.
Kwathi kufika unyaka we-1829 ipulazi, imfuyo nezigqila zomkakhe zasezidliwe.
Wasecabanga ukuthi mhlawumbe uMdali wezulu nomhlaba wayengahle amzwele, wakha isonto lamaBhunu (iDutch Reformed Churrch) epulazini lapho ayehlala khona.
Kwangathi umzwile ngoba nakhu uMkhandlu Wedolobha iStellenbosch wamnika umsebenzi wokwakha umgwaqo omkhulu owawunqamula phakathi edolobheni.
Kodwa lo mgwaqo awakha wawungekho esimeni ngoba wawunemigodigodi futhi wakhukhuleka ngezimvula zokuqala.