A little bit of history

I would like to thank Farmer’s Weekly for producing such an awesome magazine. I am not a farmer; the closest I came to agriculture was a large smallholding in the Hogsback mountains in the 1980s. However, I look forward to your publication every week. If anyone is doing their utmost to develop the new South Africa, it is the farming community, and in spite of the ongoing attacks on it, are doing their utmost to achieve a better South Africa. Well done to all the country’s farmers!

I love the variety of articles and information offered by your publication, and I especially love the historic articles that illustrate what amazing people South Africans are.

The story of the murder of Hamilton Hope, which was the catalyst to the Mpondomise Rebellion of 1880 to 1881, may be of some interest to your readers. It is a little known fact as to how it started and there are only two books that deal with it. One of these is a compilation of newspaper articles and firsthand accounts that were put together by my late uncle, Guy Hedding. It may be found in the archives of the King Williams Town Museum. According to these accounts, Magistrate Hamilton Hope, his military assistant Captain Henman of the Cape Mounted Rifles, Mr Warrene his clerk and the missionary Davis’s son were the “special guests” of the Mpondomise tribe, who were performing the mguya, a war dance, while Hamilton and his colleagues sat and watched. The Mpondomise Chief Mhlontlo had asked Hope to address his warriors, who were going to join with the British forces to fight the Basutho raiders who were busy killing and plundering along the border of the Cape colony. Hope had invited Mhlontlo to dine with him the previous night. As they parted after supper, they had shaken hands and the chief had said: “Go on and I will follow and where you die I will die.”

Hope had been warned of Mhlontlo’s treachery, having been told that he was plunging into a trap laid for him by Mhlontlo at Sulenkama. He told his officers he was willing to proceed alone in view of the danger, but they refused.

While watching the dance, a sudden piercing whistle followed by a loud shout rang through the air. The warriors ceased to dance and as the dust settled, an

ominous silence filled the air. Some thirty feet away, the chief pointed at Hope and shouted: “You, Pondomise! There are your chiefs!” Hearing those prearranged words, the warriors lunged forward, impaling

Hope and his officers on spears. The warriors then proceeded to plunder the outlying mission stations.

Government response was swift, and troops were sent in to quell the rebellion.

Ken Heath, via email