The Sand River Convention

We left off in October 1851 with Commandant-General Adriaan Standers imposing Transvaal Boer authority in the Madikwe valley. All the Dikgosi were required to supply free labour, while their ringleader Kgosi Mosielele of the Bakgatla baga Mmanaana, was further forced to hand over a party of Bahurutshe fugitives.

After this initial success the ever impulsive Stander’s wanted to immediately organise a larger force to attack Kgosi Sechele Dimawe-Kolobeng, but his superior Andries Pretorius held him back.

In January 1852 Pretorius’ patience was rewarded when he and two British Commissioners, William Hogge and Charles Owen, signed the infamous Sand River Convention. Under this agreement the British accepted the de facto independence of the Voortrekkers living north of the Vaal River.

Editor's Comment
Routine child vaccination imperative

The recent Vaccination Day in Motokwe, orchestrated through collaborative efforts between UNICEF, USAID, BRCS, and the Ministry of Health, underscores a commendable stride towards fortifying child health services.The painful reality as reflected by the Ministry of Health's data regarding the decline in routine immunisation coverage since the onset of the pandemic, is a cause for concern.It underscores the urgent need to address the...

Have a Story? Send Us a tip
arrow up