iMpimbi yeLibhunu ye Vredefort

© David Fleminger

Ingucuko Nekungavumelani Njalonjalo

Kuvana phakatsi kwemabhunu nemaBritish bekuyingucuko nekungavumelani njalonjalo. Ngemuva kweluhambo loludze lolumatima, Lama British angabata ngekutsatsela etulu inkhululeko yemabhunu eveni, kepha basheshe batisola ngesincumo nakuvela kahle kutsi Iningizimu Afrika ingatfwala umnotfo wetintfo letivela emhlabatsini. Emadayimane atfolwa eKimberley nga 1860 kwatsi Imphi yekucala yeMabhunu yeAnglo yavela nga 1880 (nekudubula kwekucala lokwentiwa ePotchefstroom) kwaphela emnyakeni munye lolandzelako ngekuncoba kwemabhunu. Ekupheleni kwemnyaka wa 1800, nomakunjalo, lesimo phindze asibanga malula. Kulandzela kutfolwa kwegolide eWitwatersrand, lama British acala kunaka inkhululeko yetive letimbili temabhunu (The Zuid Afrikaanse Republiek kanye ne Orange Free State) kutsi afakwe Esikhundleni se Ningizimu Afrika. Lamabhunu bekangenalutfo ase afunga kulwela inkhululeko yawo. Lokumelana kwachubeka kwaze kwacala imphi.

Imphi Yesibili yeMabhunu ye Anglo

Lemphi yesibili yeMabhunu ye Anglo (lebephindze ibitwa nge Mphi yase Ningizimu Afrika) beyiyindze, timphi letakhokhwa ngaphandle. Atitfola alwa neMbutfo wemaBritish, lamabhunu agucula lesisehlakalo asenta intsandvo yawo ngekuhlanganisa emadvodza eticheme letincane. Lawa makhomando lasetulu abehlasela lamabutfo emaBritish bese ayanyamalala aya emahlatsini. Lamabritish bekavame kucosha kepha angakhoni kumelana nalamabutfo emabhunu. Lokuhlangana konkhe loku kwajika kwabamidlalo lengapheli yetikimanyana kanye nekuhlaselwa-imphi yekucala ye guerrilla.
Ekugcineni kwakokonkhe, lama British acolela kudlala ibhola lelukhuni ngekugcizelela umtsetfo lomatima wemhlaba wekukhokha kulamba.Emapulazi ashiswa, titjalo tabulawa. Bomake kanye nebantfwana baboshwa baphindze batfwalwa baya kumakhempu, lapho khona kulamba nekutifo bekukhona. Lobekaphetse iDome ngukhomanda lomkhulu lobekanconywa welibhunu lobekacinile ngekutsi ngu Christiaan de Wet. Abelinyeva esayidini lema British kepha wakhona kugwama sikhatsi lebesitsetfwe phindze futsi. Bekangumuntfu loshelelako kangangobe watfola ligama lekudlala 'Libhunu leliyimpimbi'.

Umholi Lowatiwako

Christiaan De Wet bekangumholi lobekacinile. Wacale wawina kwatiwa Emcundzelweni wa Nicholson Nek, lapho libhunu lelincane lembutfo lebelingaphansi kwakhe lahlula sicumbi semabutfo aseBritish laphindze labamba tiboshwa letimakhulu lasiphohlongo. Muva waphakanyiswa waba sikhulu sakhomanda wemakhomando ase Free State watsatsa ngemsebenti wakhe igusto. Kwekucala, wasusa emaBritish ngekuwahlasela ngemuva. Wase ubhoma libholoho lesitimela lelengcela eMfuleni we Vaal wase uhlasela siteshi sema British, wabamba labaletsa tintfo lebetibita ihhafu yetigidzi tetinkhulungwane temapound. Lama British bekakwata.
Ngako, ngekukwatiswa lokukhulu, lama British azama kubamba lohulumende walelibhunu lobekabekwe eBethlehem. De Wet kanye nemakhomando akhe afika akuphephiseni kepha akakhonanga kugucula lama British. Wakhona kutfola Umengameli Steyn kanye nalabanye labambalwa labamcoka kutsi baphume eBethlehem ngaphambikutsi iwe, nomakunjalo, wachubekela kubagadza kutsi baphume ePotchefstroom.

Litfuba

Inkhosi Kitchener yabona litfuba lekucedza lemphi kanye, watfumela emabutfo latinkhulungwane letimashumi lasihlanu kutsi ayofuna Christiaan De Wet. Loku kwabakucala kwekufuna De Wet (kutobakhona kutsatfu). Ngekufushwa ngulama British, De Wet kanye neludvwendvwe lwakhe lwabaleka lwacondza eVredefort, libalekela lelihomu lemaBritish ngalolonkhe likona. Kuze kube ngunyalo, lama British amugegeletele emphumalanga nase ningizimu, ajuba tonkhe tindlela tekuchumana abuyela emuva eFree State. De Wet kumele engce eVaal. Umbuto wawutsi kuphi.
Inkhosi Metheun, lobekaphetse emabutfo ase British Transvaal, watjelwa kutsi agadze tonkhe tindlela tekwewela umfula phakatsi kwe Scandinavia Drift kanye ne Lindeques Drift, kepha bekukhona ema ford lalishumi nakubili emkhatsini waletindzawo letimbili kantsi nembutfo wema British wase usakatekile. De Wet watsatsa litfuba lakhe watsatsa bantfu bakhe wabengcisa umfula eSchoemansdrift ngenyanga yeNgci ngelusuku lwesitfupha nga 1900.

Indzawo Yentsaba yase Dome

Metheun washeshe weva ngekwewela wase utfumela emabutfo kutsi ayojuba lelibhunu eTransvaal. Ngalokubuhlungu, batsi nabafika kulendzawo, batfola lokubekiwe kutsi baphazamiseke netintfo letenta kuchubeka kubelukhuni. Christiaan De Wet, ngaleso sikhatsi, abebaleka ngekuya emaceleni eNtsabeni yase Dome kulendzawo, alibhekise ePotch. Waphindze watfumela iphathi lencane kutsi iyosebenta njenge dekhoyi, waphindze wayenga lama British kutsi acabange kutsi ubuyela emuva eFree State samuntfu lohamba ngase Lindeques Drift. Ngesikhatsi lamaBritish akhuluma nema butfo awo awamikisa endzaweni lengasiyo, De Wet wangena ngaseMfuleni we Mooi wase wengca ePotch.
Lama British asheshe asibona siphosiso sawo ase ashintja luphenyo, afumfutsa tinyatselo ta De Wet basahamba ngasenyakatfo bacondze eMagaliesberg. Kubalekela timphi kwenteka ngesikhatsi emabhunu enta ideshi yekuncenga ku Olifants Nek, kwengca ekugcineni lokusenshona ye Magaliesberg. Metheun wetsemba kutsi Olifants Nek abebanjwe ngemabutfo emaBritish wase utfumela emadvodza akhe kutsi ayovala leletinye tindzawo tekwengca kulesigodzi. Kepha bekete liciniso. Lendlela yayivulekile futsi De Wet wagijima ngakhona wengca tintsaba. Litfuba beselengcile. Leligundvwane selibalekile.

Translated by Phindile Malotana