![WietsJBuys's tweet photo. THE BATTLE OF BLOODRIVER: 16 December 1838
From the historical epic: 1838: Blood, Freedom, and the Boer Identity / 1838: Bloed, Vryheid en die Boeridentiteit
Buys, W. J. (2025). 1838: Blood, freedom, and the Boer identity. Wiets J. Buys. p.269-275
[Sunday, 16 December 1838]
The darkness stretched endlessly before them as the Boers, even before the first hint of dawn on December 16th, heard the Zulu army approaching to attack. Outside the laager, the darkness seemed alive, shifting and rustling.
The Zulu forces advanced from the east, across the plain beyond the Ncome River.
Inside the laager, the Boers held their positions in tense silence, rifles ready, eyes straining to pierce the night.
The first glimmer of daybreak spreading across the horizon revealed the Zulu army. The White Shield regiments positioned themselves on the far side of the river, while the Black and Red Shields crossed the Ncome at the fords, encircling the laager.
A collective gasp rippled through the Boer ranks.
Thousands. Tens of thousands. Their dark bodies gleamed with war medicine, their shields moving like a tide across the landscape. Their spears caught the light of the rising sun, creating a thousand glittering reflections.
One Boer, awestruck by the formidable spectacle unfolding before him, whispered, "What a sight!"
No one laughed. Every man in the laager knew what was coming.
Hans de Lange, his rifle held firmly, and three other muskets neatly laid beside him, knelt low beside a wagon. His breath was shallow, his heart hammered in his chest, his eyes fixed on the horizon.
Then came the sound: a soft, deep, rumbling murmur. The murmur grew to a growl, the growl to a chant, and the chant to a deafening thunder of war cries.
The Red and Black Shields, under Nzobo kaSobadli, known as Dambuza, launched their first massed assaults on the laager from the northwest and the north, regiment after regiment.
Yet, the Boers did not fire. Not yet.
The warriors closed the distance. Five hundred meters. Their assegais flashed in the sunlight.
Three hundred meters. Their war cries intensified, deafening, bloodcurdling.
Two hundred meters. The ground trembled beneath their pounding feet.
One hundred meters. Some Boers gritted their teeth, others closed their eyes for a moment.
Fifty meters.
"Fire!" Pretorius's voice roared like thunder.
The laager erupted in a blinding storm of fire and smoke. The first line of Zulus collapsed as the volley tore through them. But their attack did not stop.
A second volley thundered. More warriors fell, but the momentum of the assault carried them forward.
A third volley. Some Zulus reached within ten meters of the wagons. The Boers could see their eyes, wild and bloodthirsty.
Then the cannons roared.
Grietjie, the Boers' faithful small cannon, spewed a devastating storm of fire and iron. The shot ripped gaps in the Zulu ranks, bodies flew into the air, and the ground became soaked with blood. Yet the warriors, undaunted, surged forward.
The second assault crashed against the laager like a thunderstorm. The Red and Black Shields pushed forward with desperate force, trying to breach the wagon wall. Some Zulu warriors, their bodies smeared with blood, climbed over their fallen comrades to reach the Boer defenses.
Pieter Jacobs struck down a warrior who had grabbed the edge of a wagon. Another Boer swung the butt of his rifle into the face of an attacker trying to pull himself up.
The battle raged for two hours. The Boers repelled three major assaults, but the Zulus' relentless tactics began to take their toll. Ammunition was being consumed at an alarming rate.
Through the choking smoke and gunpowder haze, Pretorius saw in the distance that Ndlela Ntuli was holding back his White Shield regiments. The Zulu plan was now clear: exhaust the Boers, break their resilience, and then send in the final wave to crush them.
"We can't continue like this," Pretorius thought aloud.
Pretorius realized he would have to change the course of the battle, because if it continued in this manner, the Boers would run out of ammunition.
The time for defense was over.
"Hans, get your men ready! We're riding out!" Pretorius's voice cracked like a whip across the laager.
Hans needed no further command. He snapped into action, his shouts rallying the men. In a blur of motion, they were mounted, every man tense with anticipation.
"Open the gate!" Pretorius bellowed. Without hesitation, he spurred his horse forward, leading a thundering commando directly into the fray, straight for the heart of the White Shields.
The attack stunned the Zulu commanders.
When the veteran White Shield regiments were drawn into the battle prematurely, the Zulu generals' battle plan collapsed.
Then, from the western bank of the river, another commando under Bart Pretorius attacked the Zulus' exposed flank.
The deadly fire from the Boers caused confusion among the dense masses of Zulu soldiers.
Suddenly, the mighty Zulu army faltered. The unwavering formations dissolved into chaos, and warriors turned and fled in disarray.
Those who desperately tried to escape across the river were cut down by the dozens.
Many Zulus who fled into the donga crowded together so tightly that they could barely move or climb out, and there the Boers' close-range rifle fire inflicted heavy losses.
The Boers pursued the fleeing Zulus in mounted groups, decisively turning the tide of the battle in their favor.
Three thousand Zulu warriors lay dead around the laager, in the donga, and along the river. The Ncome River, once calm, now flowed red with blood - Blood River...
Andries Pretorius, still on horseback, surveyed the devastated battlefield. Gunpowder smoke drifted across the land. The sun shone brightly. The Vow had been fulfilled.
Hans drew his horse alongside Pretorius.
“They never wanted to stop attacking," he said hoarsely, his voice raw from the commands he had shouted throughout the battle.
Pretorius nodded grimly. "They were fearless. But not invincible."
"They believed they would win," Pretorius said as he dismounted. "Just like us."
He walked towards Cilliers, who was gathering the exhausted Boers. The time had come to give thanks, to honor the Almighty.
Under the open sky, amidst the remnants of the battle, the Boers knelt.
Sarel Cilliers stood before them, his voice clear and steady. "We vowed to the Almighty that if He delivered us, we would commemorate this day forever."
"A day of thanksgiving. A Sabbath of remembrance."
All the men agreed unanimously. They held their hats respectfully in their hands, their eyes fixed on the blood-stained ground.
Cilliers raised his hands. "And so we give thanks."
"Not for the lives that were lost, but for the lives that were spared. For the freedom we have received today through God's grace."
He bowed his head in prayer, and the Boers prayed gratefully with him.
The wind carried their prayers across the battlefield, past the fallen Zulu warriors, over the blood-reddened Ncome River, and up to the vast African sky.
The Battle of Blood River was over.
The Vow, a testament to faith and sacrifice, would live on forever in the hearts of generations.
NOTE:
Get the documented factual history of the THE BATTLE OF BLOODRIVER - from the lead-up and the battle itself to the aftermath from:
The Creation of the Boer Identity / Die Skepping van die Boeridentiteit
Buys, W. J. (2024). The Creation of the Boer identity: The Truth about the Boer Heritage. Wiets J. Buys. p.226-236](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/G8P1GtBa4AMBvp1.jpg)
![WietsJBuys's tweet photo. THE BATTLE OF BLOODRIVER: 16 December 1838
From the historical epic: 1838: Blood, Freedom, and the Boer Identity / 1838: Bloed, Vryheid en die Boeridentiteit
Buys, W. J. (2025). 1838: Blood, freedom, and the Boer identity. Wiets J. Buys. p.269-275
[Sunday, 16 December 1838]
The darkness stretched endlessly before them as the Boers, even before the first hint of dawn on December 16th, heard the Zulu army approaching to attack. Outside the laager, the darkness seemed alive, shifting and rustling.
The Zulu forces advanced from the east, across the plain beyond the Ncome River.
Inside the laager, the Boers held their positions in tense silence, rifles ready, eyes straining to pierce the night.
The first glimmer of daybreak spreading across the horizon revealed the Zulu army. The White Shield regiments positioned themselves on the far side of the river, while the Black and Red Shields crossed the Ncome at the fords, encircling the laager.
A collective gasp rippled through the Boer ranks.
Thousands. Tens of thousands. Their dark bodies gleamed with war medicine, their shields moving like a tide across the landscape. Their spears caught the light of the rising sun, creating a thousand glittering reflections.
One Boer, awestruck by the formidable spectacle unfolding before him, whispered, "What a sight!"
No one laughed. Every man in the laager knew what was coming.
Hans de Lange, his rifle held firmly, and three other muskets neatly laid beside him, knelt low beside a wagon. His breath was shallow, his heart hammered in his chest, his eyes fixed on the horizon.
Then came the sound: a soft, deep, rumbling murmur. The murmur grew to a growl, the growl to a chant, and the chant to a deafening thunder of war cries.
The Red and Black Shields, under Nzobo kaSobadli, known as Dambuza, launched their first massed assaults on the laager from the northwest and the north, regiment after regiment.
Yet, the Boers did not fire. Not yet.
The warriors closed the distance. Five hundred meters. Their assegais flashed in the sunlight.
Three hundred meters. Their war cries intensified, deafening, bloodcurdling.
Two hundred meters. The ground trembled beneath their pounding feet.
One hundred meters. Some Boers gritted their teeth, others closed their eyes for a moment.
Fifty meters.
"Fire!" Pretorius's voice roared like thunder.
The laager erupted in a blinding storm of fire and smoke. The first line of Zulus collapsed as the volley tore through them. But their attack did not stop.
A second volley thundered. More warriors fell, but the momentum of the assault carried them forward.
A third volley. Some Zulus reached within ten meters of the wagons. The Boers could see their eyes, wild and bloodthirsty.
Then the cannons roared.
Grietjie, the Boers' faithful small cannon, spewed a devastating storm of fire and iron. The shot ripped gaps in the Zulu ranks, bodies flew into the air, and the ground became soaked with blood. Yet the warriors, undaunted, surged forward.
The second assault crashed against the laager like a thunderstorm. The Red and Black Shields pushed forward with desperate force, trying to breach the wagon wall. Some Zulu warriors, their bodies smeared with blood, climbed over their fallen comrades to reach the Boer defenses.
Pieter Jacobs struck down a warrior who had grabbed the edge of a wagon. Another Boer swung the butt of his rifle into the face of an attacker trying to pull himself up.
The battle raged for two hours. The Boers repelled three major assaults, but the Zulus' relentless tactics began to take their toll. Ammunition was being consumed at an alarming rate.
Through the choking smoke and gunpowder haze, Pretorius saw in the distance that Ndlela Ntuli was holding back his White Shield regiments. The Zulu plan was now clear: exhaust the Boers, break their resilience, and then send in the final wave to crush them.
"We can't continue like this," Pretorius thought aloud.
Pretorius realized he would have to change the course of the battle, because if it continued in this manner, the Boers would run out of ammunition.
The time for defense was over.
"Hans, get your men ready! We're riding out!" Pretorius's voice cracked like a whip across the laager.
Hans needed no further command. He snapped into action, his shouts rallying the men. In a blur of motion, they were mounted, every man tense with anticipation.
"Open the gate!" Pretorius bellowed. Without hesitation, he spurred his horse forward, leading a thundering commando directly into the fray, straight for the heart of the White Shields.
The attack stunned the Zulu commanders.
When the veteran White Shield regiments were drawn into the battle prematurely, the Zulu generals' battle plan collapsed.
Then, from the western bank of the river, another commando under Bart Pretorius attacked the Zulus' exposed flank.
The deadly fire from the Boers caused confusion among the dense masses of Zulu soldiers.
Suddenly, the mighty Zulu army faltered. The unwavering formations dissolved into chaos, and warriors turned and fled in disarray.
Those who desperately tried to escape across the river were cut down by the dozens.
Many Zulus who fled into the donga crowded together so tightly that they could barely move or climb out, and there the Boers' close-range rifle fire inflicted heavy losses.
The Boers pursued the fleeing Zulus in mounted groups, decisively turning the tide of the battle in their favor.
Three thousand Zulu warriors lay dead around the laager, in the donga, and along the river. The Ncome River, once calm, now flowed red with blood - Blood River...
Andries Pretorius, still on horseback, surveyed the devastated battlefield. Gunpowder smoke drifted across the land. The sun shone brightly. The Vow had been fulfilled.
Hans drew his horse alongside Pretorius.
“They never wanted to stop attacking," he said hoarsely, his voice raw from the commands he had shouted throughout the battle.
Pretorius nodded grimly. "They were fearless. But not invincible."
"They believed they would win," Pretorius said as he dismounted. "Just like us."
He walked towards Cilliers, who was gathering the exhausted Boers. The time had come to give thanks, to honor the Almighty.
Under the open sky, amidst the remnants of the battle, the Boers knelt.
Sarel Cilliers stood before them, his voice clear and steady. "We vowed to the Almighty that if He delivered us, we would commemorate this day forever."
"A day of thanksgiving. A Sabbath of remembrance."
All the men agreed unanimously. They held their hats respectfully in their hands, their eyes fixed on the blood-stained ground.
Cilliers raised his hands. "And so we give thanks."
"Not for the lives that were lost, but for the lives that were spared. For the freedom we have received today through God's grace."
He bowed his head in prayer, and the Boers prayed gratefully with him.
The wind carried their prayers across the battlefield, past the fallen Zulu warriors, over the blood-reddened Ncome River, and up to the vast African sky.
The Battle of Blood River was over.
The Vow, a testament to faith and sacrifice, would live on forever in the hearts of generations.
NOTE:
Get the documented factual history of the THE BATTLE OF BLOODRIVER - from the lead-up and the battle itself to the aftermath from:
The Creation of the Boer Identity / Die Skepping van die Boeridentiteit
Buys, W. J. (2024). The Creation of the Boer identity: The Truth about the Boer Heritage. Wiets J. Buys. p.226-236](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/G8P1EekaAAAuAdk.jpg)
![WietsJBuys's tweet photo. THE BATTLE OF BLOODRIVER: 16 December 1838
From the historical epic: 1838: Blood, Freedom, and the Boer Identity / 1838: Bloed, Vryheid en die Boeridentiteit
Buys, W. J. (2025). 1838: Blood, freedom, and the Boer identity. Wiets J. Buys. p.269-275
[Sunday, 16 December 1838]
The darkness stretched endlessly before them as the Boers, even before the first hint of dawn on December 16th, heard the Zulu army approaching to attack. Outside the laager, the darkness seemed alive, shifting and rustling.
The Zulu forces advanced from the east, across the plain beyond the Ncome River.
Inside the laager, the Boers held their positions in tense silence, rifles ready, eyes straining to pierce the night.
The first glimmer of daybreak spreading across the horizon revealed the Zulu army. The White Shield regiments positioned themselves on the far side of the river, while the Black and Red Shields crossed the Ncome at the fords, encircling the laager.
A collective gasp rippled through the Boer ranks.
Thousands. Tens of thousands. Their dark bodies gleamed with war medicine, their shields moving like a tide across the landscape. Their spears caught the light of the rising sun, creating a thousand glittering reflections.
One Boer, awestruck by the formidable spectacle unfolding before him, whispered, "What a sight!"
No one laughed. Every man in the laager knew what was coming.
Hans de Lange, his rifle held firmly, and three other muskets neatly laid beside him, knelt low beside a wagon. His breath was shallow, his heart hammered in his chest, his eyes fixed on the horizon.
Then came the sound: a soft, deep, rumbling murmur. The murmur grew to a growl, the growl to a chant, and the chant to a deafening thunder of war cries.
The Red and Black Shields, under Nzobo kaSobadli, known as Dambuza, launched their first massed assaults on the laager from the northwest and the north, regiment after regiment.
Yet, the Boers did not fire. Not yet.
The warriors closed the distance. Five hundred meters. Their assegais flashed in the sunlight.
Three hundred meters. Their war cries intensified, deafening, bloodcurdling.
Two hundred meters. The ground trembled beneath their pounding feet.
One hundred meters. Some Boers gritted their teeth, others closed their eyes for a moment.
Fifty meters.
"Fire!" Pretorius's voice roared like thunder.
The laager erupted in a blinding storm of fire and smoke. The first line of Zulus collapsed as the volley tore through them. But their attack did not stop.
A second volley thundered. More warriors fell, but the momentum of the assault carried them forward.
A third volley. Some Zulus reached within ten meters of the wagons. The Boers could see their eyes, wild and bloodthirsty.
Then the cannons roared.
Grietjie, the Boers' faithful small cannon, spewed a devastating storm of fire and iron. The shot ripped gaps in the Zulu ranks, bodies flew into the air, and the ground became soaked with blood. Yet the warriors, undaunted, surged forward.
The second assault crashed against the laager like a thunderstorm. The Red and Black Shields pushed forward with desperate force, trying to breach the wagon wall. Some Zulu warriors, their bodies smeared with blood, climbed over their fallen comrades to reach the Boer defenses.
Pieter Jacobs struck down a warrior who had grabbed the edge of a wagon. Another Boer swung the butt of his rifle into the face of an attacker trying to pull himself up.
The battle raged for two hours. The Boers repelled three major assaults, but the Zulus' relentless tactics began to take their toll. Ammunition was being consumed at an alarming rate.
Through the choking smoke and gunpowder haze, Pretorius saw in the distance that Ndlela Ntuli was holding back his White Shield regiments. The Zulu plan was now clear: exhaust the Boers, break their resilience, and then send in the final wave to crush them.
"We can't continue like this," Pretorius thought aloud.
Pretorius realized he would have to change the course of the battle, because if it continued in this manner, the Boers would run out of ammunition.
The time for defense was over.
"Hans, get your men ready! We're riding out!" Pretorius's voice cracked like a whip across the laager.
Hans needed no further command. He snapped into action, his shouts rallying the men. In a blur of motion, they were mounted, every man tense with anticipation.
"Open the gate!" Pretorius bellowed. Without hesitation, he spurred his horse forward, leading a thundering commando directly into the fray, straight for the heart of the White Shields.
The attack stunned the Zulu commanders.
When the veteran White Shield regiments were drawn into the battle prematurely, the Zulu generals' battle plan collapsed.
Then, from the western bank of the river, another commando under Bart Pretorius attacked the Zulus' exposed flank.
The deadly fire from the Boers caused confusion among the dense masses of Zulu soldiers.
Suddenly, the mighty Zulu army faltered. The unwavering formations dissolved into chaos, and warriors turned and fled in disarray.
Those who desperately tried to escape across the river were cut down by the dozens.
Many Zulus who fled into the donga crowded together so tightly that they could barely move or climb out, and there the Boers' close-range rifle fire inflicted heavy losses.
The Boers pursued the fleeing Zulus in mounted groups, decisively turning the tide of the battle in their favor.
Three thousand Zulu warriors lay dead around the laager, in the donga, and along the river. The Ncome River, once calm, now flowed red with blood - Blood River...
Andries Pretorius, still on horseback, surveyed the devastated battlefield. Gunpowder smoke drifted across the land. The sun shone brightly. The Vow had been fulfilled.
Hans drew his horse alongside Pretorius.
“They never wanted to stop attacking," he said hoarsely, his voice raw from the commands he had shouted throughout the battle.
Pretorius nodded grimly. "They were fearless. But not invincible."
"They believed they would win," Pretorius said as he dismounted. "Just like us."
He walked towards Cilliers, who was gathering the exhausted Boers. The time had come to give thanks, to honor the Almighty.
Under the open sky, amidst the remnants of the battle, the Boers knelt.
Sarel Cilliers stood before them, his voice clear and steady. "We vowed to the Almighty that if He delivered us, we would commemorate this day forever."
"A day of thanksgiving. A Sabbath of remembrance."
All the men agreed unanimously. They held their hats respectfully in their hands, their eyes fixed on the blood-stained ground.
Cilliers raised his hands. "And so we give thanks."
"Not for the lives that were lost, but for the lives that were spared. For the freedom we have received today through God's grace."
He bowed his head in prayer, and the Boers prayed gratefully with him.
The wind carried their prayers across the battlefield, past the fallen Zulu warriors, over the blood-reddened Ncome River, and up to the vast African sky.
The Battle of Blood River was over.
The Vow, a testament to faith and sacrifice, would live on forever in the hearts of generations.
NOTE:
Get the documented factual history of the THE BATTLE OF BLOODRIVER - from the lead-up and the battle itself to the aftermath from:
The Creation of the Boer Identity / Die Skepping van die Boeridentiteit
Buys, W. J. (2024). The Creation of the Boer identity: The Truth about the Boer Heritage. Wiets J. Buys. p.226-236](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/G8P03IAa4AIEOuH.jpg)
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Non smoker. Love animals, the sea, nature. Like quiet alone times, high moral values. Live in South Africa.
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Me and my bunny, my horse, nature and sea..my life my happiness. Sound of Silence.
We can't quite believe it, but less than 2% of international travellers to South Africa visit The Free State. 🤯
Stunning landscapes, majestic mountains, great hospitality and the perfect place to get a real taste of small-town South Africa. ⛰️🇿🇦
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Baby Bums grow in charming little colonies on quartz patches in the Little Karoo.
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Author | Songwriter | Psychologist | Ambassador - https://t.co/1HcSWPlxek
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Go Discover Portugal events & meetings International travel planning service, Portugal 00351 918354714 #traveltips #travel #eventprofs
Dear @POTUS on behalf of millions of white South Africans I would like to assure you that @CyrilRamaphosa and the @MYANC does not in any way represent the white people of South Africa.
We may not have a leader however our morals and values do not align with the South African government that has declared themselves the enemy of @America
We maybe persecuted, raped, murdered, tortured for being white Christians but we stand with @realDonaldTrump and @elonmusk and we will never give up our land and nation we created. Thank you for standing against the evil in South Africa and its radical race laws. Myself, @afriforum and many others will not stand down even though our government threatens us with more violence for speaking the truth. God Bless America and may Gods wrath be on those who persecute His people.
Ready for some game-filled R&R? 🦒 From buffalo to giraffe, sundowners to archery, @ThaliThaliGame has it all. Don’t miss out – secure your Jan 2026 stay today!
📍 Thali Thali Game Lodge, Langebaan
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South Africa's economy is collapsing under 145+ RACE LAWS.
We drive out our doctors, engineers and entrepreneurs for having the WRONG SKIN COLOUR.
Then deny rural communities fast Starlink internet because the man bringing it is a WHITE MAN.
Free South Africa from RACE LAWS!
🚨Heroes Amoung Us: Elon Musk - The Visionary 🚨
South Africans, pay attention. A guy from our own backyard, born in Pretoria, who lived through the tail end of apartheid and Mandela's promise of real equality, is now the loudest voice exposing how that promise got twisted into something ugly.
Elon Musk isn't tiptoeing. With over 230 million followers, he drops truth bombs that the world can't ignore:
ℹ️"Starlink is not allowed to have an Internet provider license in South Africa for the sole reason that I am not Black. This is not ok."
@elonmusk (8 Jan 2026 233K likes, 17M+ views already)
ℹ️"South Africa now has more anti-White laws than Apartheid had anti-Black laws. This is deeply wrong: the goal should be no race-based laws!"
@elonmusk (Dec 2025)
ℹ️"There are 140 laws on the books in South Africa that are explicitly racist against anyone who is not black. This is a terrible disgrace to the legacy of the great Nelson Mandela. End racism in South Africa now!"
@elonmusk (May 2025)
ℹ️"The facts are there for anyone to observe. South Africa now has more anti-White laws than there were anti-Black laws under Apartheid! I am extremely opposed to anti-Black laws, but equally opposed to the laws against White people or other races too. There should be a fair and even playing field."
@elonmusk (Jan 2026)
He keeps hammering the Expropriation Act, ignored farm murders, "Kill the Boer" songs with no fallout, and those 140+ race laws that hit Whites, Coloureds, Indians, and others harder in reverse than apartheid ever targeted Blacks.
The hate comes hard: "little boy" digs, grifter accusations, claims he's just dividing us (shoutout to @iamSivN and the celebrity denial crew). But Elon doesn't flinch. He knows South Africa firsthand. He watched the rainbow nation slide toward quotas that kill merit and hand power by skin color.
This isn't a random billionaire farming engagement. This is a South African refusing to watch his home become another failed state like Zimbabwe. He's put farm killings on global radar, backed AfriForum's fight, dragged Trump into the conversation, and forced the ANC's excuses into the light.
In a place where truth gets you branded racist, Elon says screw that. No race-based laws. Merit first. Equality for every citizen.
If you're in Cape Town or anywhere feeling the squeeze, the gaslighting, the silence from our leaders, and the slow wipeout of our future, stand with the one guy actually making noise that matters.
Follow @elonmusk. Share his posts. When the world wakes up, real change follows.
#HeroesAmongUs #EndRacismInSA #NoRaceLaws #MeritOverQuotas #SouthAfricaTruth
THE BATTLE OF BLOODRIVER: 16 December 1838
From the historical epic: 1838: Blood, Freedom, and the Boer Identity / 1838: Bloed, Vryheid en die Boeridentiteit
Buys, W. J. (2025). 1838: Blood, freedom, and the Boer identity. Wiets J. Buys. p.269-275
[Sunday, 16 December 1838]
The darkness stretched endlessly before them as the Boers, even before the first hint of dawn on December 16th, heard the Zulu army approaching to attack. Outside the laager, the darkness seemed alive, shifting and rustling.
The Zulu forces advanced from the east, across the plain beyond the Ncome River.
Inside the laager, the Boers held their positions in tense silence, rifles ready, eyes straining to pierce the night.
The first glimmer of daybreak spreading across the horizon revealed the Zulu army. The White Shield regiments positioned themselves on the far side of the river, while the Black and Red Shields crossed the Ncome at the fords, encircling the laager.
A collective gasp rippled through the Boer ranks.
Thousands. Tens of thousands. Their dark bodies gleamed with war medicine, their shields moving like a tide across the landscape. Their spears caught the light of the rising sun, creating a thousand glittering reflections.
One Boer, awestruck by the formidable spectacle unfolding before him, whispered, "What a sight!"
No one laughed. Every man in the laager knew what was coming.
Hans de Lange, his rifle held firmly, and three other muskets neatly laid beside him, knelt low beside a wagon. His breath was shallow, his heart hammered in his chest, his eyes fixed on the horizon.
Then came the sound: a soft, deep, rumbling murmur. The murmur grew to a growl, the growl to a chant, and the chant to a deafening thunder of war cries.
The Red and Black Shields, under Nzobo kaSobadli, known as Dambuza, launched their first massed assaults on the laager from the northwest and the north, regiment after regiment.
Yet, the Boers did not fire. Not yet.
The warriors closed the distance. Five hundred meters. Their assegais flashed in the sunlight.
Three hundred meters. Their war cries intensified, deafening, bloodcurdling.
Two hundred meters. The ground trembled beneath their pounding feet.
One hundred meters. Some Boers gritted their teeth, others closed their eyes for a moment.
Fifty meters.
"Fire!" Pretorius's voice roared like thunder.
The laager erupted in a blinding storm of fire and smoke. The first line of Zulus collapsed as the volley tore through them. But their attack did not stop.
A second volley thundered. More warriors fell, but the momentum of the assault carried them forward.
A third volley. Some Zulus reached within ten meters of the wagons. The Boers could see their eyes, wild and bloodthirsty.
Then the cannons roared.
Grietjie, the Boers' faithful small cannon, spewed a devastating storm of fire and iron. The shot ripped gaps in the Zulu ranks, bodies flew into the air, and the ground became soaked with blood. Yet the warriors, undaunted, surged forward.
The second assault crashed against the laager like a thunderstorm. The Red and Black Shields pushed forward with desperate force, trying to breach the wagon wall. Some Zulu warriors, their bodies smeared with blood, climbed over their fallen comrades to reach the Boer defenses.
Pieter Jacobs struck down a warrior who had grabbed the edge of a wagon. Another Boer swung the butt of his rifle into the face of an attacker trying to pull himself up.
The battle raged for two hours. The Boers repelled three major assaults, but the Zulus' relentless tactics began to take their toll. Ammunition was being consumed at an alarming rate.
Through the choking smoke and gunpowder haze, Pretorius saw in the distance that Ndlela Ntuli was holding back his White Shield regiments. The Zulu plan was now clear: exhaust the Boers, break their resilience, and then send in the final wave to crush them.
"We can't continue like this," Pretorius thought aloud.
Pretorius realized he would have to change the course of the battle, because if it continued in this manner, the Boers would run out of ammunition.
The time for defense was over.
"Hans, get your men ready! We're riding out!" Pretorius's voice cracked like a whip across the laager.
Hans needed no further command. He snapped into action, his shouts rallying the men. In a blur of motion, they were mounted, every man tense with anticipation.
"Open the gate!" Pretorius bellowed. Without hesitation, he spurred his horse forward, leading a thundering commando directly into the fray, straight for the heart of the White Shields.
The attack stunned the Zulu commanders.
When the veteran White Shield regiments were drawn into the battle prematurely, the Zulu generals' battle plan collapsed.
Then, from the western bank of the river, another commando under Bart Pretorius attacked the Zulus' exposed flank.
The deadly fire from the Boers caused confusion among the dense masses of Zulu soldiers.
Suddenly, the mighty Zulu army faltered. The unwavering formations dissolved into chaos, and warriors turned and fled in disarray.
Those who desperately tried to escape across the river were cut down by the dozens.
Many Zulus who fled into the donga crowded together so tightly that they could barely move or climb out, and there the Boers' close-range rifle fire inflicted heavy losses.
The Boers pursued the fleeing Zulus in mounted groups, decisively turning the tide of the battle in their favor.
Three thousand Zulu warriors lay dead around the laager, in the donga, and along the river. The Ncome River, once calm, now flowed red with blood - Blood River...
Andries Pretorius, still on horseback, surveyed the devastated battlefield. Gunpowder smoke drifted across the land. The sun shone brightly. The Vow had been fulfilled.
Hans drew his horse alongside Pretorius.
“They never wanted to stop attacking," he said hoarsely, his voice raw from the commands he had shouted throughout the battle.
Pretorius nodded grimly. "They were fearless. But not invincible."
"They believed they would win," Pretorius said as he dismounted. "Just like us."
He walked towards Cilliers, who was gathering the exhausted Boers. The time had come to give thanks, to honor the Almighty.
Under the open sky, amidst the remnants of the battle, the Boers knelt.
Sarel Cilliers stood before them, his voice clear and steady. "We vowed to the Almighty that if He delivered us, we would commemorate this day forever."
"A day of thanksgiving. A Sabbath of remembrance."
All the men agreed unanimously. They held their hats respectfully in their hands, their eyes fixed on the blood-stained ground.
Cilliers raised his hands. "And so we give thanks."
"Not for the lives that were lost, but for the lives that were spared. For the freedom we have received today through God's grace."
He bowed his head in prayer, and the Boers prayed gratefully with him.
The wind carried their prayers across the battlefield, past the fallen Zulu warriors, over the blood-reddened Ncome River, and up to the vast African sky.
The Battle of Blood River was over.
The Vow, a testament to faith and sacrifice, would live on forever in the hearts of generations.
NOTE:
Get the documented factual history of the THE BATTLE OF BLOODRIVER - from the lead-up and the battle itself to the aftermath from:
The Creation of the Boer Identity / Die Skepping van die Boeridentiteit
Buys, W. J. (2024). The Creation of the Boer identity: The Truth about the Boer Heritage. Wiets J. Buys. p.226-236
![WietsJBuys's tweet photo. THE BATTLE OF BLOODRIVER: 16 December 1838
From the historical epic: 1838: Blood, Freedom, and the Boer Identity / 1838: Bloed, Vryheid en die Boeridentiteit
Buys, W. J. (2025). 1838: Blood, freedom, and the Boer identity. Wiets J. Buys. p.269-275
[Sunday, 16 December 1838]
The darkness stretched endlessly before them as the Boers, even before the first hint of dawn on December 16th, heard the Zulu army approaching to attack. Outside the laager, the darkness seemed alive, shifting and rustling.
The Zulu forces advanced from the east, across the plain beyond the Ncome River.
Inside the laager, the Boers held their positions in tense silence, rifles ready, eyes straining to pierce the night.
The first glimmer of daybreak spreading across the horizon revealed the Zulu army. The White Shield regiments positioned themselves on the far side of the river, while the Black and Red Shields crossed the Ncome at the fords, encircling the laager.
A collective gasp rippled through the Boer ranks.
Thousands. Tens of thousands. Their dark bodies gleamed with war medicine, their shields moving like a tide across the landscape. Their spears caught the light of the rising sun, creating a thousand glittering reflections.
One Boer, awestruck by the formidable spectacle unfolding before him, whispered, "What a sight!"
No one laughed. Every man in the laager knew what was coming.
Hans de Lange, his rifle held firmly, and three other muskets neatly laid beside him, knelt low beside a wagon. His breath was shallow, his heart hammered in his chest, his eyes fixed on the horizon.
Then came the sound: a soft, deep, rumbling murmur. The murmur grew to a growl, the growl to a chant, and the chant to a deafening thunder of war cries.
The Red and Black Shields, under Nzobo kaSobadli, known as Dambuza, launched their first massed assaults on the laager from the northwest and the north, regiment after regiment.
Yet, the Boers did not fire. Not yet.
The warriors closed the distance. Five hundred meters. Their assegais flashed in the sunlight.
Three hundred meters. Their war cries intensified, deafening, bloodcurdling.
Two hundred meters. The ground trembled beneath their pounding feet.
One hundred meters. Some Boers gritted their teeth, others closed their eyes for a moment.
Fifty meters.
"Fire!" Pretorius's voice roared like thunder.
The laager erupted in a blinding storm of fire and smoke. The first line of Zulus collapsed as the volley tore through them. But their attack did not stop.
A second volley thundered. More warriors fell, but the momentum of the assault carried them forward.
A third volley. Some Zulus reached within ten meters of the wagons. The Boers could see their eyes, wild and bloodthirsty.
Then the cannons roared.
Grietjie, the Boers' faithful small cannon, spewed a devastating storm of fire and iron. The shot ripped gaps in the Zulu ranks, bodies flew into the air, and the ground became soaked with blood. Yet the warriors, undaunted, surged forward.
The second assault crashed against the laager like a thunderstorm. The Red and Black Shields pushed forward with desperate force, trying to breach the wagon wall. Some Zulu warriors, their bodies smeared with blood, climbed over their fallen comrades to reach the Boer defenses.
Pieter Jacobs struck down a warrior who had grabbed the edge of a wagon. Another Boer swung the butt of his rifle into the face of an attacker trying to pull himself up.
The battle raged for two hours. The Boers repelled three major assaults, but the Zulus' relentless tactics began to take their toll. Ammunition was being consumed at an alarming rate.
Through the choking smoke and gunpowder haze, Pretorius saw in the distance that Ndlela Ntuli was holding back his White Shield regiments. The Zulu plan was now clear: exhaust the Boers, break their resilience, and then send in the final wave to crush them.
"We can't continue like this," Pretorius thought aloud.
Pretorius realized he would have to change the course of the battle, because if it continued in this manner, the Boers would run out of ammunition.
The time for defense was over.
"Hans, get your men ready! We're riding out!" Pretorius's voice cracked like a whip across the laager.
Hans needed no further command. He snapped into action, his shouts rallying the men. In a blur of motion, they were mounted, every man tense with anticipation.
"Open the gate!" Pretorius bellowed. Without hesitation, he spurred his horse forward, leading a thundering commando directly into the fray, straight for the heart of the White Shields.
The attack stunned the Zulu commanders.
When the veteran White Shield regiments were drawn into the battle prematurely, the Zulu generals' battle plan collapsed.
Then, from the western bank of the river, another commando under Bart Pretorius attacked the Zulus' exposed flank.
The deadly fire from the Boers caused confusion among the dense masses of Zulu soldiers.
Suddenly, the mighty Zulu army faltered. The unwavering formations dissolved into chaos, and warriors turned and fled in disarray.
Those who desperately tried to escape across the river were cut down by the dozens.
Many Zulus who fled into the donga crowded together so tightly that they could barely move or climb out, and there the Boers' close-range rifle fire inflicted heavy losses.
The Boers pursued the fleeing Zulus in mounted groups, decisively turning the tide of the battle in their favor.
Three thousand Zulu warriors lay dead around the laager, in the donga, and along the river. The Ncome River, once calm, now flowed red with blood - Blood River...
Andries Pretorius, still on horseback, surveyed the devastated battlefield. Gunpowder smoke drifted across the land. The sun shone brightly. The Vow had been fulfilled.
Hans drew his horse alongside Pretorius.
“They never wanted to stop attacking," he said hoarsely, his voice raw from the commands he had shouted throughout the battle.
Pretorius nodded grimly. "They were fearless. But not invincible."
"They believed they would win," Pretorius said as he dismounted. "Just like us."
He walked towards Cilliers, who was gathering the exhausted Boers. The time had come to give thanks, to honor the Almighty.
Under the open sky, amidst the remnants of the battle, the Boers knelt.
Sarel Cilliers stood before them, his voice clear and steady. "We vowed to the Almighty that if He delivered us, we would commemorate this day forever."
"A day of thanksgiving. A Sabbath of remembrance."
All the men agreed unanimously. They held their hats respectfully in their hands, their eyes fixed on the blood-stained ground.
Cilliers raised his hands. "And so we give thanks."
"Not for the lives that were lost, but for the lives that were spared. For the freedom we have received today through God's grace."
He bowed his head in prayer, and the Boers prayed gratefully with him.
The wind carried their prayers across the battlefield, past the fallen Zulu warriors, over the blood-reddened Ncome River, and up to the vast African sky.
The Battle of Blood River was over.
The Vow, a testament to faith and sacrifice, would live on forever in the hearts of generations.
NOTE:
Get the documented factual history of the THE BATTLE OF BLOODRIVER - from the lead-up and the battle itself to the aftermath from:
The Creation of the Boer Identity / Die Skepping van die Boeridentiteit
Buys, W. J. (2024). The Creation of the Boer identity: The Truth about the Boer Heritage. Wiets J. Buys. p.226-236](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/G8P1NJKbsAECbwx.jpg)
While you destroy, we will build.
South Africa is collapsing because of bad policy - racial retribution over growth, skin colour over merit, state control over freedom.
The West doesn’t have to drown with the Rest.
It's time for Cape Independence.
Gelukkige Geloftedag aan Kaapse Afrikaners en Afrikanergemeenskappe regoor Suid-Afrika.
Die les van die geskiedenis is duidelik: volke hou sterk wanneer hulle hul geloof, kultuur en die reg om hulself te regeer verdedig.
On December 16, 1838, at the Battle of Blood River, 464 Voortrekkers - fortified in a wagon laager and led by Andries Pretorius - faced 16,000 Zulu warriors.
During prayer led by Sarel Cilliers, the Voortrekkers took a solemn vow: if God granted them victory and deliverance, they would build a church in His honor and observe the anniversary annually as a sacred Sabbath of thanksgiving, as will we, their childrens' children, and all future generations.
The Voortrekkers repelled repeated assaults with disciplined firearm volleys, suffering only three minor wounds and no deaths.
"Hier staan ons voor die Heilige God van Hemel en aarde om ʼn gelofte aan Hom te doen, dat, as Hy ons sal beskerm en ons vyand in ons hand sal gee, ons die dag en datum elke jaar as ʼn dankdag soos ʼn Sabbat sal deurbring; en dat ons ʼn huis tot Sy eer sal oprig waar dit Hom behaag, en dat ons ook aan ons kinders sal sê dat hulle met ons daarin moet deel tot nagedagtenis ook vir die opkomende geslagte. Want die eer van Sy naam sal verheerlik word deur die roem en die eer van oorwinning aan Hom te gee."
Amen 🙏
Not even Wikipedia can find much bad to say about "Oom Paul" (Uncle Paul).
https://t.co/7F2skU5BkK
Few sights are as iconic as a giraffe’s silhouette, standing tall against the glow of a setting sun. This breathtaking moment unfolded just before our sundowner stop - the perfect way to end the day. #sunset #giraffe #southafrica
The Paul Kruger statue has now proudly found his forever home in Orania and unveiled on what would have been his 200th earthly birthday.
Paul Kruger (full name Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger) was a prominent South African Afrikaner leader, born on October 10, 1825, near Cradock in the Cape Colony. As a farmer, soldier, and statesman, he played a key role in the Great Trek as a young boy and rose to become a dominant figure in 19th-century South African politics and military affairs. He served as the last president of the South African Republic (Transvaal) from 1883 to 1899, where he resisted British imperialism, notably during the First and Second Boer Wars, and is remembered as a builder of the Afrikaner nation. Kruger died in exile in Switzerland in 1904.
Find your happy place at Wamakersvlei Beach Farm — where fynbos meets ocean, & the only crowds are the seabirds ⛱️.
📍Dwarskersbos
📞 +27 (0)83 527 7967
📧 [email protected]
🔗 https://t.co/TQk2Qj0fvR | https://t.co/tj2eNr65Iu
#WestCoastWay #Wamakersvlei #WeskusBeskus
We, minority South Africans, have truly lost such a loud voice when only a handful heard us.
➡️ Quotes by Charlie Kirk about South Africa
"Trump should cancel the $500 million of annual foreign aid we give to South Africa until their racist and dangerous policy of murdering white farmers is forever discontinued and the criminals who stole the land are jailed and never see the light of day again."
- Date: August 25, 2018
- Source: X post by @charliekirk11
"Medical Apartheid is here. Democrats have succeeded in recreating a medical version of South Africa and the Jim Crow-era South."
- Date: August 2, 2021
- Source: X post by @charliekirk11
"Chinese dictator Xi Jinping has arrived in South Africa for the BRICS summit. BRICS stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa—a collection of emerging economies that are looking to create a mulltipolar world order and to unseat the US Dollar as the world reserve currency. [...] Joe Biden is overseeing and accelerating the loss of America's economic might and power."
- Date: August 21, 2023
- Source: X post by @charliekirk11
(full post includes video analysis)
"KIRK: But that is what South Africa did. South Africa took the awful, kind of, immoral approach to apartheid and they just flipped it upside down. They just said, ok, now we're going to extract revenge on the colonizers because now we're in charge. And South Africa is not a functioning country."
- Date: February 16, 2023
- Source: The Charlie Kirk Show
"🚨TRUMP HOLDS SOUTH AFRICA PRESIDENT ACCOUNTABLE! President Trump says to 'turn down the lights' and then proceeds to show South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, videos of South African political leaders calling for the death of white South Afrikaners. Afterwards, he showed the president video of the crosses that symbolize each white farmer MURDERED in South Africa. God bless President Trump. He’s a president who is actually the LEADER of the Free World."
- Date: May 21, 2025
- Source: X post by @charliekirk11 (includes video)
"South African Boers face systemic legal discrimination in their country. They face horrifying violence based on their skin color. A political party in their homeland openly calls for their genocide. Yet at the same time, they're enormously talented people. [...] America can integrate them with minimal difficulty and they will immediately start adding to America's wealth [...] President Trump just denied the left their celebration and made America stronger in the process. They will never forgive him for it."
- Date: May 13, 2025
- Source: X post by @charliekirk11
"NYT: 'There is no confiscation of land [in South Africa]' just 'a measure that would allow the government to take land without providing compensation.' This is the celebration parallax in one video: It's not happening, but it's good that it is."
- Date: May 22, 2025
- Source: X post by @charliekirk11 (includes video)
13. (from podcast episode "Kill the Boer: What's Really Happening in South Africa"): "South Africa isn't the 'rainbow nation' you've heard about on TV. In the wake of Trump admitting Afrikaner refugees into America, Charlie talks to South African Ernst Roets about the ongoing disintegration of his country, and how things became this bad."
- Date: May 15, 2025
- Source: The Charlie Kirk Show podcast
(from podcast "The South African Crisis"): "Charlie Kirk and Producer Andrew discuss how adopting critical race theory drove South Africa to the brink of civil war."
- Date: Approximate 2025 (exact episode date not specified in sources)
- Source: Townhall Review podcast appearance by Charlie Kirk
![RiseAgainstEvil's tweet photo. We, minority South Africans, have truly lost such a loud voice when only a handful heard us.
➡️ Quotes by Charlie Kirk about South Africa
"Trump should cancel the $500 million of annual foreign aid we give to South Africa until their racist and dangerous policy of murdering white farmers is forever discontinued and the criminals who stole the land are jailed and never see the light of day again."
- Date: August 25, 2018
- Source: X post by @charliekirk11
"Medical Apartheid is here. Democrats have succeeded in recreating a medical version of South Africa and the Jim Crow-era South."
- Date: August 2, 2021
- Source: X post by @charliekirk11
"Chinese dictator Xi Jinping has arrived in South Africa for the BRICS summit. BRICS stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa—a collection of emerging economies that are looking to create a mulltipolar world order and to unseat the US Dollar as the world reserve currency. [...] Joe Biden is overseeing and accelerating the loss of America's economic might and power."
- Date: August 21, 2023
- Source: X post by @charliekirk11
(full post includes video analysis)
"KIRK: But that is what South Africa did. South Africa took the awful, kind of, immoral approach to apartheid and they just flipped it upside down. They just said, ok, now we're going to extract revenge on the colonizers because now we're in charge. And South Africa is not a functioning country."
- Date: February 16, 2023
- Source: The Charlie Kirk Show
"🚨TRUMP HOLDS SOUTH AFRICA PRESIDENT ACCOUNTABLE! President Trump says to 'turn down the lights' and then proceeds to show South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, videos of South African political leaders calling for the death of white South Afrikaners. Afterwards, he showed the president video of the crosses that symbolize each white farmer MURDERED in South Africa. God bless President Trump. He’s a president who is actually the LEADER of the Free World."
- Date: May 21, 2025
- Source: X post by @charliekirk11 (includes video)
"South African Boers face systemic legal discrimination in their country. They face horrifying violence based on their skin color. A political party in their homeland openly calls for their genocide. Yet at the same time, they're enormously talented people. [...] America can integrate them with minimal difficulty and they will immediately start adding to America's wealth [...] President Trump just denied the left their celebration and made America stronger in the process. They will never forgive him for it."
- Date: May 13, 2025
- Source: X post by @charliekirk11
"NYT: 'There is no confiscation of land [in South Africa]' just 'a measure that would allow the government to take land without providing compensation.' This is the celebration parallax in one video: It's not happening, but it's good that it is."
- Date: May 22, 2025
- Source: X post by @charliekirk11 (includes video)
13. (from podcast episode "Kill the Boer: What's Really Happening in South Africa"): "South Africa isn't the 'rainbow nation' you've heard about on TV. In the wake of Trump admitting Afrikaner refugees into America, Charlie talks to South African Ernst Roets about the ongoing disintegration of his country, and how things became this bad."
- Date: May 15, 2025
- Source: The Charlie Kirk Show podcast
(from podcast "The South African Crisis"): "Charlie Kirk and Producer Andrew discuss how adopting critical race theory drove South Africa to the brink of civil war."
- Date: Approximate 2025 (exact episode date not specified in sources)
- Source: Townhall Review podcast appearance by Charlie Kirk](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/G0pkrhOWAAIaBaW.jpg)
📅 30th April 2022
🐰 Charlie
🏷️ @thepixiesally
💕 #animaloftheday
@TeamTrump @realDonaldTrump I just love you, respect you President Trump, you are a great man and a great leader for America. I pray that you will be the next President of USA again! Prayers from South Africa.. Many South Africans support you!
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