Post by Treasure Danjuma (@Whitefinger)

Continued...

I signed because I thought I was merely doing what my father before me had done — merely renewing a treaty, signed by my father, which had been lost.”

“You have answered well. Now, tell me, is it not true that this treaty you signed with Grobler went much further than my agreement with Potgieter and not only called for perpetual peace between the Amandebele and the Boers but also acknowledged you as an ally and bound you to help the Boers with troops when asked; to extradite offenders;

to accept a resident consul and most important of all, to allow anyone with a pass from the King of the Boers to hunt or trade in your country?”

“If the treaty I signed contained all these things my father has said, then all I can say is that I never understood it to contain them.

How could I have agreed to give away my country like that? Had I not refused one of the brothers an impi to fight Khama?

How could I have agreed to help the Boers with troops and then immediately refuse to honour my word when asked for troops to fight Khama?

Had I not refused to allow the other brother to reside in my country? How could I have agreed to accept a resident consul and then refuse permission to the envoy of the person whose consul I had agreed to accept?”

“Well spoken. There is truth in your eyes.”
And with murmurs of “Well spoken,” “He speaks true,” and “Never trust a white man!” from the audience, the royal council adjourned.

(From On Trial for My Country, by Stanlake Samkange)
Thank you for reading

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