Cathcart's very short administration

Sir Harry Smith was sacked in January 1852 for his incompetent handling of the Mlanjeni War. He was replaced by the Honourable Sir George Cathcart. Another change of Governor, however, did not have the immediate effect of reducing the war.

In December 1852, the imperial forces suffered yet another defeat at the hands of the Basuto at Berea Mountain, which was a strong factor in the later decision to abandon the Orange River Sovereignty in favour of an independent Orange Free State.

It was only in February 1853 that Sir George was able to conclude peace with Sarhili and so brought an end to a war which had cost the British Treasury nearly £3 million.

Although there was now some pressure within the Colonial Office to withdraw from British Kaffraria altogether, Sir George saw this as a dangerous option, especially as there were now White settlers in King William's Town.

Furthermore, it would, he said, revive in the amaXhosa hopes of defeating the British. He therefore chose to keep British Kaffraria as a tribal reserve but where White influence would be restricted to the military occupation and its small circle of traders.

Sir George's sojourn at the Cape, however, was very brief. His Governorship had not made a deep impression on the Colonial Office which now sought a man with novel ideas who could establish a lasting peace on the frontier.

In any case, Sir George was wanted to do battle on the Crimean Peninsula — where he would soon give up his life.

The new man chosen for the Cape Colony was Sir George Grey, the first civilian to hold this office and a man who had had apparent success in New Zealand in settling the Maori problem. He arrived in Cape Town in December 1854 and brought with him his own plans for British Kaffraria.

Return to the Homepage