2.1 Start of the great trek

Social sciences: history

Grade 7

The great trek moves boundaries

Module 5

Start of the great trek

The first large group of Voortrekkers left the Eastern Frontier at the end of 1835 under the leadership of Louis Tregardt and Lang Hans van Rensburg, two elephant hunters. They moved across the Orange River to the Transorangia mainly on rafts made from tree stumps, on their way to the Soutpansberg and the Limpopo River Valley. It was an excellent hunting area, but, unfortunately, also home to the tsetse fly and malaria mosquito.

Van Rensburg moved into the Limpopo River Valley in order to open a route for ivory trade with Delagoa Bay, but clashed with the local Tsonga and his whole group was killed.

The Tregardt group could not find them and left for Delagoa Bay. Only a few Trekkers survived the journey because of malaria. Tregardt kept a complete diary about this. From there, they went to Port Natal aboard a ship.

Early in 1836, Andries Hendrik Potgieter’s and Sarel Cilliers’ parties arrived at Thaba Nchu. Potgieter traded land from the Taung under the leadership of Makwana. Potgieter received land in exhange for cattle and protection against the Ndebele. They also met Maroka, chief of the Rolong. They also had friendly relations with the neighbouring Tlokao under Sekonyela and Piet David’s Griquas. The Voortrekkers made friends with the Basotho. They traded in livestock, ammunition and rifles.

Activity 1:

To reconstruct the stay of the voortrekkers in the trans-orangia

[lo 2.3]

1. Read the conversation below which could possibly have taken place between Potgieter and Makwana. Then answer the questions.

• Why did the Voortrekkers leave the Eastern Frontier?
• What, do you think, did the Voortrekkers and the Taung think of each other?
• What did the Trekkers want to do with land?

Meanwhile, Potgieter went to Tregardt at the Soutpansberg to negotiate accommodation and a harbour in the north. Their groups stayed near Thaba Nchu. Small groups of these people often crossed the Vaal River to hunt.

Mzilikazi was very worried about the large groups of people who could threaten his Ndebele Empire. The Rolong, Tlokoa and Griquas often carried out raids and the Zulu often attacked him.

Mzilikazi’s chief induna, Kaliphi, then attacked the Voortrekkers and carried off some of their livestock. The Liebenberg party was almost completely destroyed, but the other groups helped to ward off the attack.

Potgieter heard about this on his return in August 1836. In October, the Ndebele attacked the square shaped Voortrekker laager at Vegkop. The main battle did not last longer than 30 minutes and approximately 40 Trekkers repulsed the 6 000 Ndebele. About 430 Ndebele and two Voortrekkers were killed. The Ndebele also raided 100 horses, 400 cattle, 5 600 sheep and the draught oxen. Food became very scarce, because it was not safe to hunt. Maroka offered the Trekkers food and draught oxen.

b) Imagine you are a Zulu spy during the Battle of Vegkop. Find answers to the questions below and then write a short report on the battle.