Perhaps the greatest irony of the whole history of the area is that the mountain, Majuba, that dominates the entire district, and has become one of the great places of reverence for the Afrikaner nation, was named by the greatest Zulu King of them all Chaka. It is said that while on his way back from a raid into the far North he and his aMabhuto stopped to rest at the foot of the mountain and on noticing the Doves flying about he named it Amajuba, place of the Doves.

Little did Chaka realise the part that this mountain was to play in both South African and world history or maybe he, like others later, may have called it Hill of Destiny.

Strictly speaking as the district of Amajuba lies to the north and west of the Umzinyathi River it was never really a part of Zululand. But its proximity to Zululand meant that even if the Zulus did not choose to occupy it, they nevertheless considered it as part of their sphere of influence. This meant that it was too dangerous for any other African nation to take up residence. Then came the white men. The vacuum was irresistible; the land was beautiful and just waiting to be occupied. The first to occupy it were the Boers and later the British. Too many interested parties for one piece of land!

THE TRANSVAAL WAR OF INDEPENDENCE 1880-1881
The first of the battles to be fought in the Amajuba District were those connected with the struggle by the Burghers of the Transvaal to regain their independence from the British.

The British annexed the Transvaal in 1877. A move that did not please the Boer residents of the Transvaal but as their treasury was bankrupt there was little they could do about it. Over the next few years, with nothing coming from negotiations with Britain, this discontent broke out into open revolt with a British army column moving from Lydenburg to Pretoria being stopped by a Boer Commando at Bronkhorst Spruit and badly shot up.

General Sir George Pomeroy-Colley, Her Majesty's High Commissioner for South-Eastern Africa, Governor of Natal, and Commander-in-Chief of all British troops in the Transvaal and Natal, realised he would have to take immediate action to relieve the British garrisons invested in the Transvaal and to put down the revolt. So he hastily gathered together a force of some 2500 men from whatever regiments and colonial units were available in Natal and set off for Newcastle and the Transvaal.

He reached Fort Amiel, Newcastle on the 20th January and by the 26th, after a fearful slog through mud and rain, he reached Mount Prospect, a low hillside on the slopes of Inkwelo facing Laing's Nek where the Burghers, of Commandant General Piet Joubert were frantically digging in.

THE BATTLE OF LAING'S NEK
28TH JANUARY 1881
Although overshadowed by the dramatic events that were to happen at Majuba, Laing's Nek is without doubt the most significant battle in the war. General Joubert and his second in command Nicholas Smit set out their defenses so cleverly that not only did they deny the British access to the Transvaal but forced them to leave the field having suffered heavy casualties.
This is a battle worth studying, many of the Boer fortifications are still visible on the hill and it is worth taking a guide who can show you the details of the battle. At the far end of the Hill is the monument to the men of the 58th Regiment and nearby are the mass graves of the fallen.

THE BATTLE OF SCHUINSHOOGTE (INGOGO)
8TH FEBRUARY 1881
General Colley's force was so weakened from the Battle of Laing's Nek that he was forced to wait for reinforcements. The Boers in the meantime lost no time in harassing his supply lines. So on the morning of the 8th February he set out for Newcastle with a “show of force” to discourage the Boers. At Schuinshoogte he sighted a party of Boers and opened fire on them with his two cannons expecting them to flee, but instead they turned about and attacked his position. A desperate battle ensued lasting all afternoon, only closing in the evening when a tremendous thunderstorm blanketed the field. Under cover of darkness and in the pouring rain Colley was able to extricate his force and retreat back to Mount Prospect leaving his dead and wounded on the field.

This site is easily accessible and there are two small cemeteries containing the British dead and a monument to the British. Again you would be well advised to utilize the services of a guide who can show you the various positions occupied.

THE BATTLE OF MAJUBA – 27TH FEBRUARY 1881
By mid February reinforcements had arrived in the British camp and General Colley was once again ready to try and break through the Boer Lines. This time his eyes fell on the mountain that dominated the Nek, Majuba. Learning that it was not piqueted at night he decided to occupy it and at ten o'clock on Saturday 26th he set out in the pitch dark and after a difficult climb took possession of the top of the mountain with some four hundred men.

Dawn found them looking down on the Boer camp. At first the Boers were dismayed but soon gathered their wits and started to advance on the summit. Colley maintained that his position was impregnable but by two o'clock that day not only did he lie dead on the battlefield but his force had had been chased off having suffered some two hundred and fifty casualties against the Boer six. One of the British Army's most humiliating defeats and a quite remarkable action.

During the first few months of the Anglo-Boer War of 1899 – 1902 the cry of “Majuba, Majuba, remember Majuba” was a rallying cry for both British and Boer forces for different reasons. Today the Afrikaner community holds the mountain in great reverence.

Today at Majuba there is a Commemorative site with a small museum and a very attractive picnic and camping ground. Access to the top of the mountain is via a steep path but the climb is well worth the effort even if you are not interested in battlefields. The view from the top of the mountain in all directions is incredible and the exhilaration of reaching the top is fantastic. Although the entry form to the site contains a map giving details of the battle it is still worth engaging a guide who can fill in the details and the fascinating stories that surround this battle.

MOUNT PROSPECT
General Colley and many of his men are buried in a lonely cemetery on the site of his campsite. The site is unfortunately on private land and difficult to access, but it's position is clearly visible from the road and from various other points of significance. Access to the site can be obtained by contacting the land owner Dr Paul Wait 082 651 7723

O'NEILL'S COTTAGE AND HILLDROP HOUSE
O'Neill's Cottage where the peace negotiations took place as well as Ryder Haggard's house at Hilldrop are both national monuments and are open to visitors, though at Hilldrop House it is necessary to make an appointment with the owners. Contact Andre and Lelanie Joubert 082 856 7696

THE ANGLO-BOER WAR 1899-1902
The town of Newcastle and the surrounding district was given up without a fight by the British as the Boers advanced. But by May 1900 the British were back and the Boers also vacated the town without a fight.

BOTHA'S PASS
The only significant battle to be fought in the area was the Battle of Botha's Pass some 30km west of the town. This was not much of an action as Commandant Chris Botha and his two thousand five hundred Burghers could do little but fall back in the face of General Buller's twenty four thousand odd British troops backed by heavy artillery.

Other than a few difficult to access trenches along the Boer side of the valley there is nothing to indicate that anything took place. As for the positions of the Rifle Brigade who took up a position opposite Laing's Nek there are a few random graves scattered around the countryside and one can still find the remains of some redoubts and the gun emplacements on Inkwelo. There are some remains of fortifications along the old railway line but they are difficult to find and on private land .

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