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Makgabeng political identities and the arrival of the
colonial settlers, the Boers and the British
Whereas the occasional visits of the early Europeans and
Mfecane/Difaqane upheavals brought few changes in the Makgabeng area,
it was the arrival of the Boer settlers which came to heavily impact on
politics, land, religion and social customs of the communities in that area. As
already shown, the early European travellers – particularly the Buys people
– changed political identities around the Makgabeng area through various
forms of interaction, while the Mfecane/Difaqane brought further political
changes by uniting and consolidating stronger polities. Later it was the
colonial settlers, firstly the Boers and later the British, whose settlement
were not as temporary as the earlier European groups. The Boers arrived in
the Soutpansberg area in 1836 232 and were part of the mass exodus of the
Voortrekkers known as the Great Trek 233 . One of the main dreams of the
Voortrekkers who were fleeing from the British subjection was to establish
their own independent government in the interior. Their dream was realised
232 T. J. Makhura, The Bagananwa Polity…, p. 75.
233 A movement which was a rebellion against the British authority in the Cape.
140