The Cold War

From the outset the younger Pretorius proved energetic in his efforts to realise his father’s vision of uniting the interior Boers into a “South African Republic” (“Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek” or ZAR).

In the aftermath of Sechele’s return from Cape Town, Pretorius was determined to consolidate Jan Viljoen’s tenuous ceasefire agreement into a more durable peace. In this respect, he recognised that securing the ZAR western border was prerequisite for his broader political ambitions.