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Bulhoek massacre
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Bulhoek massacre
In the Bulhoek massacre, a solely white (both Afrikaners and English-speakers) police force in the Union of South Africa killed 163 Xhosa civilians. The massacre occurred on 24 May 1921, in the village of Ntabelanga in the Cape Province (today part of Eastern Cape). After a dispute over land in Ntabelanga, dating back to 1920, an 800-strong police force from the Union of South Africa led by Colonel Johan Davey and General Koos van der Venter gathered at Ingxingwa Ye Nkunzini, in the Bulhoek valley, and Ingxingwa ka Stivini, Steven's Valley. At the same time 500 men known as the "Israelites", armed with spears and knobkerries, and led by Enoch Mgijima, gathered in an open field, ready to defend their families and community. After failed final negotiations between the two parties, a battle ensued. The 20-minute battle, which left an estimated 163 Israelites dead, 129 wounded and 95 taken as prisoners, became known as the Bulhoek Massacre.
In 1912, Enoch Mgijima, a lay preacher and independent evangelist, broke away from the Wesleyan Methodist Church and joined the Church of God and Saints of Christ, a small church based in the United States of America. In November 1912, he began baptising his followers in the Black Kei River near his home in Ntabelanga. Towards the end of 1912, Mgijima predicted that the world would end on Christmas, after 30 days of rain. As a result of his predictions, his followers stopped working and came to join this communal living settlement. Over the years Mgijima's visions displayed a future full of violence. He was asked to renounce his visions by the leaders of the church as they could not condone the preaching of conflict and war, but Mgijima refused and was excommunicated. In 1914, the South African Church of God and Saints of Christ split, with one of the group following Enoch Mgijima, taking on the name of the "Israelites", in keeping with the Old Testament with which their beliefs aligned.
One of the prophecies that led to his expulsion was a prophecy of World War I. He saw a vision of two goats fighting and a chacma baboon watching nearby. He interpreted it as a war of whites where blacks will not be involved in that war. This was later to be universally known as the First World War, 1914–1918. However, many black South Africans fought in the war, both in the East African Campaign (World War I) and outside Africa, as part of British and French colonial forces.
Born and raised in the Bulhoek area, Mgijima erected a building to be used for religious ceremonies by his followers on a piece of land that he owned. As his followers grew, he built a larger structure and eventually had to make alternative plans for Passover celebrations. Mgijima was granted permission to host the event at the Shiloh Mission Station in 1917. In 1918, Mgijima had to search for an alternative venue after the mission station denied him permission. This was due to the fact that one of his followers had broken a mission station rules, which decreed that only evangelists could lead church meetings.
Mr. G. E. Nightingale, the Government Inspector of African locations at Kamastone granted permission for commonage at the Kamastone sub-section. In 1919, after Mgijima didn't get permission to host the festival at the same location, he was given permission to host it at Ntabelanga, in the Bulhoek sub-section. After the Passover festival, some of Mgijima's followers remained on the piece of land and began building settlements in the area.
Mr. Nightingale became aware of the squatters in the area after visiting the area in January 1920 and asked Mgijima about it. Mgijima assured him this was a temporary arrangement and the squatters would move as soon as the Passover of 1920 was over. This did not happen as more Israelites gathered on the land. Mgijima extended the period and informed Nightingale that the Passover would take place on 18 June 1920. As time passed, more and more Israelites started squatting in the area.
A census was planned to get the squatters to move from the area. On 7 and 8 December 1920 the Senior Magistrate of Queenstown, ECA Welsh, visited Ntabelanga accompanied by 100 police officers under the command of Major Hutchons from Grahamstown. The police force set up their tents 500 metres from the Israelites. The Israelites refused to take part in the census claiming that God knew their numbers.
The white farmers of nearby Oxkraal complained when their grazing land was no longer available and the farmers complained because they said the Israelites were stopping their workers from working. By now the Israelites had exhausted their supplies and began stealing cattle from the local farmers. Clashes between the Israelites and the local farmers occurred with two Israelites being shot by John Mattushek and his servant, Mr. Klopper, who were both arrested but later released.
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Bulhoek massacre
In the Bulhoek massacre, a solely white (both Afrikaners and English-speakers) police force in the Union of South Africa killed 163 Xhosa civilians. The massacre occurred on 24 May 1921, in the village of Ntabelanga in the Cape Province (today part of Eastern Cape). After a dispute over land in Ntabelanga, dating back to 1920, an 800-strong police force from the Union of South Africa led by Colonel Johan Davey and General Koos van der Venter gathered at Ingxingwa Ye Nkunzini, in the Bulhoek valley, and Ingxingwa ka Stivini, Steven's Valley. At the same time 500 men known as the "Israelites", armed with spears and knobkerries, and led by Enoch Mgijima, gathered in an open field, ready to defend their families and community. After failed final negotiations between the two parties, a battle ensued. The 20-minute battle, which left an estimated 163 Israelites dead, 129 wounded and 95 taken as prisoners, became known as the Bulhoek Massacre.
In 1912, Enoch Mgijima, a lay preacher and independent evangelist, broke away from the Wesleyan Methodist Church and joined the Church of God and Saints of Christ, a small church based in the United States of America. In November 1912, he began baptising his followers in the Black Kei River near his home in Ntabelanga. Towards the end of 1912, Mgijima predicted that the world would end on Christmas, after 30 days of rain. As a result of his predictions, his followers stopped working and came to join this communal living settlement. Over the years Mgijima's visions displayed a future full of violence. He was asked to renounce his visions by the leaders of the church as they could not condone the preaching of conflict and war, but Mgijima refused and was excommunicated. In 1914, the South African Church of God and Saints of Christ split, with one of the group following Enoch Mgijima, taking on the name of the "Israelites", in keeping with the Old Testament with which their beliefs aligned.
One of the prophecies that led to his expulsion was a prophecy of World War I. He saw a vision of two goats fighting and a chacma baboon watching nearby. He interpreted it as a war of whites where blacks will not be involved in that war. This was later to be universally known as the First World War, 1914–1918. However, many black South Africans fought in the war, both in the East African Campaign (World War I) and outside Africa, as part of British and French colonial forces.
Born and raised in the Bulhoek area, Mgijima erected a building to be used for religious ceremonies by his followers on a piece of land that he owned. As his followers grew, he built a larger structure and eventually had to make alternative plans for Passover celebrations. Mgijima was granted permission to host the event at the Shiloh Mission Station in 1917. In 1918, Mgijima had to search for an alternative venue after the mission station denied him permission. This was due to the fact that one of his followers had broken a mission station rules, which decreed that only evangelists could lead church meetings.
Mr. G. E. Nightingale, the Government Inspector of African locations at Kamastone granted permission for commonage at the Kamastone sub-section. In 1919, after Mgijima didn't get permission to host the festival at the same location, he was given permission to host it at Ntabelanga, in the Bulhoek sub-section. After the Passover festival, some of Mgijima's followers remained on the piece of land and began building settlements in the area.
Mr. Nightingale became aware of the squatters in the area after visiting the area in January 1920 and asked Mgijima about it. Mgijima assured him this was a temporary arrangement and the squatters would move as soon as the Passover of 1920 was over. This did not happen as more Israelites gathered on the land. Mgijima extended the period and informed Nightingale that the Passover would take place on 18 June 1920. As time passed, more and more Israelites started squatting in the area.
A census was planned to get the squatters to move from the area. On 7 and 8 December 1920 the Senior Magistrate of Queenstown, ECA Welsh, visited Ntabelanga accompanied by 100 police officers under the command of Major Hutchons from Grahamstown. The police force set up their tents 500 metres from the Israelites. The Israelites refused to take part in the census claiming that God knew their numbers.
The white farmers of nearby Oxkraal complained when their grazing land was no longer available and the farmers complained because they said the Israelites were stopping their workers from working. By now the Israelites had exhausted their supplies and began stealing cattle from the local farmers. Clashes between the Israelites and the local farmers occurred with two Israelites being shot by John Mattushek and his servant, Mr. Klopper, who were both arrested but later released.
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