Malaboch War

Malaboch War
Date April 1894 - July 1894 Location Blouberg, South Africa 23°05′0″S 28°51′0″E / 23.08333°S 28.85000°E / -23.08333; 28.85000 Result South African Republic (ZAR) Victory
Belligerents
South African Republic	Bahananwa (Xananwa) people
Commanders and leaders
Commandant-General Piet Joubert Commando Danie Theron	Chief Malaboch
Strength
Unknown	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Unknown
Location within South Africa

The Malaboch War (Afrikaans: Malaboch Oorlog) (1894) was between Chief Malaboch (Mmaleboho, Mmaleboxo) of the Bahananwa (Xananwa) people and the South African Republic (ZAR) Government led by Commandant-General Piet Joubert.^[1] Malboch refused to pay taxes to the Transvaal after it was given back to the Boers in 1881 by the British, which resulted in a military drive against him by the South African Republic (ZAR).

Background

In April 1894, Chief Leboho (Leboho, Leboxo) of the Bahananwa (Xananwa) people refused to leave his traditional mountain kingdom of Blouberg as ordered by the South African Republic (ZAR) Government. The authorities took action through forced removal, which ultimately resulted in the "Maleboho War", with the chief and his subjects defending their territory. As it became evident that the Bahananwa people were losing the war against the soldiers of Commandant-General Piet Joubert, they began surrendering, and subsequently their chief followed suit, on 31 July 1894, after a siege of more than a month. On the day he was taken prisoner, Chief leboho twice attempted suicide by jumping into a fire, but both attempts at suicide failed. He was tried by a council of war on 2 August 1894 and was found guilty on all charges. He was never sentenced but kept prisoner of war until his release by the British authorities in 1900 during the Second Anglo-Boer War. The chief returned to his people and ruled until his death in 1939.^[2]

References