Bekuhlala Kunerarano
Ubudlelwano hlangana nama-boers kunye nama-British bebuhlala bunokurarana. Ngemva kobana ama-Great Trek, ama-British avumela ukuzibusa kwama-boers republics ngokungabaza, kodwana bazisola msinyana ngesiqundo sabo lokha nasele kubonakala bona ingaphakathi leSewula Afrika lingamumatha umnotho wamaminerali. Amadayimani atholwa e-Kimberley ngeminyaka yabo 1860s begodu inturhu yokuthoma yama- Anglo-Boer yaqubuka ngonyaka ka 1880 (ukudubula kokuthoma kwabethwa e- Potchefstroom) kwaphela ngonyaka olandelako ngokobana kuthumbe ama-boers.
Etjhumini leminyaka yekupheleni kweminyaka yabo 1800s, bathoma godi ubujamo banganzinzi. Ngemva kokutholakala kwegolide e- Witwatersrand, ama-British athoma anghonghoyila ngokuzibusa kwama-boer republics (i-Zuid Afrikaanse Republiek kunya ne-Orange Free State) bonyana abuyele ahlanganiswe norhulumende wenarha yeSewula Afrika. Ama-boer akhange afuna ukuzwa litho ngalokhu begodu athembisa bona azokulwelwa bona bahlale bazibusa. Ukurhitjhanokhu kwaragela phambili bekwafika lapho inturhu ingekhe isabalekelwa khona.
Inturhu Yesibili Yama - Anglo-Boer
Inturhu yesibili yama- Anglo-Boer (ebizwa ngenturhu yeSewula Afrika) yayiyide, idume khulu. Athi ama-boer lokha nakathola bona akanazo iinsetjenziswa ezaneleko zokulwa namajoni amakhulu wama-British, atjhugulula ubumbobu akwenza into angayisebenzisa ngokubumba iinqhema ezincani zamadoda amakhomando. Amakhomando lawa bekasahlela amajoni wama-British bese aqimele msinya ehlathini. Esikhathini esinengi ama-British bekagijimisa amakhomando lawo kodwana bangarhoni ukuwabamba ngombana bekaqimela msinya amajoni wama-boer. Inturhu lee yehla msinya yaphetha sekuba kungwarana okungaphelileko kwaba yi- guerrilla war yokuthoma ephasini.
Ekuqcineni, ama-british athaha isiqundo sokobana asungule umgomo oqinileko wokobana asebenzise indlala ukuqeda ukunghanghabala. Amasimu atjhiswa, begodu iintjalo zabulawa. Abomma nabentwana babotjhwa begodu basiwa eendaweni zokuvalela iimbotjhwa lapho ebabulaliswa ngendlela begodu kuzele namalwelwe.
Umlawuli we-Dome
Indawo ye-Vredefort yathinteka khulu. Ngo-1901, ikosi u-Kitchener yabika ngokukhulu ukuzithemba bona akusekho ukudla okuseleko endaweni ye- Parys-Reitzburg begodu neenkampa ezimbalwa zasungulwa endaweni (kufaka hlangana yinye egade isetjenziselwa ukuvalela iimbotjhwa zabantu abanzima). Ngokuzenzakalela, ama-boers akateleleka bona ahlale etafuleni akhulumisane bekutlolwe nendlela etja yokwabelana iSewula Afrika. Umbango besele uthathe isikhathi kusukele ngonyaka ka 1899 kufikela ngonyaka ka 1902.
Ukwenzela indaba yethu, intaba yendaweni ye- Vredefort Dome yatjengisa bona ilungele ukudlala umdlalo wama-boer wekhondlo nokatsu egade bawudlala nama-British. Iinkhisi ezimaqalanga neempomporima ezihlangahlanganisako zaba ziindawo ezihle zokubhaqa ezazisetjenziswa makhomando, kunye nokuqakatheka komlambo we-Vaal odlula phakathi kwendawo lee.
Umlawuli we-Dome wayeli-boer eliqinileko eliyikhomando ibizo lakhe kungu- Christiaan de Wet. Bekahlala afana nenyeva ehlangothini lama-British kodwana arhona ukubalekela ukungabanjwa ngasosoke isikhathi. Bekamuntu ohlala aphunyurha ngasosoke isikhathi bebamuthiya negama lokudlala elithi-‘The Boer Pimpernel’.
Umdosiphambili Odumileko
U- Christiaan De Wet wayengumdosiphambili obukhali kodwana adumile. Wathumba idumo kokuthoma embangweni ewawuhlangana no- Nicholson’s Nek, lapho amajoni amancani wama-boer egade angaphasi kwekhomandi yakhe ahlula amajoni wama-British bekabamba iimbotjhwa ezingu-800.
Muva wakhutjhulelwa esikhundleni sokuba ngukhomanda omkhulu (commander in chief) wabokhomanda be- Free State begodu wathatha umsebenzi wakhe ngomdlandla. Kokuthoma, wahlasela ama-British ngokuwavelela ngemuva. Bese wathuthumbisa umzila wesitimela ebhlorhweni lomlambo we-Vaal bewahlasela isikhungo, bathatha ipahla engabalelwa enanini elingalingana nesiquntu seengidi zama-pounds. Ama-British besele athoma ukusilingeka.
Manje, ukwenza umlandu omkhulu, ama-British azama ukuthatha umbuso wama-boer ewawusendaweni ye-Bethlehem. U- De Wet namakhomando wakhe agijimela ukuyokusiza kodwana akhenge barhone ukujikisela ama-British emuva. Warhona ukukhupha uPresidenti Steyn nabanye abantu abambalwa abaqakathekileko e-Bethlehem ngaphambi kobana iwe, begodu waragela phambili ngokubaphekelela e- Potchefstroom.
Ithuba
Ikosi u-Kitchener ngalesi isikhathi wabona ithuba lokuqeda inturhu, bewathumela amajoni angu 50 000 bona ayokuthola u- Christiaan De Wet. Lokhu kwaba lijima lokuthoma lokufuna u- De Wet (kwasale kwaba namathathu). Ngokugijinyiswa ma-British u-De Wet nomjeje weenkariyana zakhe bagijimela e-Vredefort bakhuthiwa lijima lamasotja wama-British qobe kujika. Ngalesi isikhathi, ama-British besele amubhodile epumalanga nesewula, avala amatjhuba woke abuyela emuva e- Free State. U-De Wet kufuze awele i-Vaal. Umbuzo kukobana kuphi.
Ikosi u- Metheun, owayelawula amajoni wama-British e-Transvaal, besele atjeliwe bona agade koke lapho ekuwelwa khona imilambo hlangana ne- Scandinavia Drift kunye ne-Lindeques, kodwana bekusese namazibuko angaba yi 12 ahlangana namabili lana begodu namajoni wama-British besele angasesemanengi. U-De Wet wathatha ithuba leli nabantu bakhe bawela umlambo e- Schoemansdrift nge 6 kuRhoboyi 1900.
Indawo Entabeni yeDome
U-Matheun wezwa ngokuwela kwama-boer ngemva kwesikhatjhana wathumela amajoni bona ayokubamba ama-boer e-Transvaal. Ngebhadi, bathi nabafika endaweni, bafunyana umpomporima neenkhisi ezenza bona kubenzima ukubalandela.
U-De Wet, ngaleso isikhathi bekangena aphuma endaweni yentaba ye-Dome, agijimela e-Potch. Wathumela amanye amajoni amancani ukuyokuphazamisa, ukwenzela bona ama-British aqabange bona ubuyela e-Free State ngokudlula e-Lindeques Drift. Lokha ama-British nasele athumele amajoni wayo endleni ekungasingiyo, u-De Wet wakhukhuba wawela i-Mooi River bewadlula e-Potch.
Ama-British abona iphutha lawo msinya athoma phasi ngokulandela, nokubaseenthendeni zika-De Wet njengombana besele bakhamba etlhagwini ukuyela e-Magaliesberg. Inturhu yokugijimisana yenzeka lokha ama-boers nasele azama ukubalekela e-Olifants Nek, okuyindlela esekupheleni kwetjingalanga ye-Magaliesberg.
U-Metheun bakaqabanga bonyana i-Olifants Nek igadwe majoni wama-British ngalokho wathumela amajoni wakhe bona oyokugada ehlangothi elinye. Kodwana bekaphosisa. Indlela yokudlula beyingakagadwa begodu u-De Wet wagijimela ngale kwentaba. Kwaphela njalo ukugijimisana. Ikhondlo laphunyurha njalo.
Translated by Busisiwe Skhosana