ENGLISH
As the 18th century drew to a close, Dutch mercantile power began to fade and the British moved in to fill the vacuum. They seized the Cape in 1795 to prevent it from falling into the hands of Napoleonic France, then briefly relinquished it back to the Dutch (1803) before finally garnering recognition of their sovereignty of the area in 1815.
At the tip of the continent the British found an established colony with 25,000 slaves, 20,000 white colonists, 15,000 Khoisan, and 1,000 freed black slaves. Power resided solely with a white élite in Cape Town, and differentiation on the basis of race was deeply entrenched. Outside Cape Town and the immediate hinterland, isolated black and white pastoralists populated the country.
Like the Dutch before them, the British initially had little interest in the Cape Colony, other than as a strategically located port. As one of their first tasks they tried to resolve a troublesome border dispute between the Boers and the Xhosa on the colony's eastern frontier. In 1820 the British authorities persuaded about 5,000 middle-class British immigrants (most of them "in trade") to leave Great Britain behind and settle on tracts of land between the feuding groups with the idea of providing a buffer zone. The plan was singularly unsuccessful. Within three years, almost half of these 1820 Settlers had retreated to the towns, notably Grahamstown and Port Elizabeth, to pursue the jobs they had held in Britain.
Simultaneously, Shaka is rising to power
AFRIKAANS
Groot Brittanje neem die Kaap van Goeie Hoop in 1797 vir die eerste keer tydens die Vierde Engelse-Nederlandse oorlog in besit. Nederland is in 1795 deur die Franse weermag onder die leierskap van Napoléon Bonaparte oorwin. Brittanje wou verhoed dat die Kaap in Franse hande val en die Britse weermag, onder Generaal Sir James Henry Craig vaar na Kaapstad om die kolonie te beskerm namens die Stadhouer Prins Willem V van Oranje. Die goewerneur van Kaapstad weier aanvanklik om enige instruksies van die prins te gehoorsaam, maar na die Britte gedreig het om kragdadig op te tree, stem hy in. In Februarie 1803 lei die Vrede van Amiens daartoe dat die kolonie weer onder Nederlandse beheer kom in die vorm van die Bataafse Republiek. Ná oorlog weer uitbreek, word 'n Britse mag weereens na die Kaap gestuur en na 'n slag in Januarie 1806 op die strande van Tafelbaai gee die Nederlandse vesting van die Kasteel oor aan die Britte onder Sir David Baird, en die Britte annekseer die Kaapkolonie in 1805.
Die Britte sit die oorlog teen die Xhosas voort en stoot die oostelike grens ooswaarts tot by 'n lyn van forte, wat langs die Visrivier opgerig is, en konsolideer die gebied deur Britse Setlaars aan te moedig om hulle in dié gebied te vestig. As gevolg van druk deur afskaffingsverenigings in Brittanje, beëindig die Britse parlement sy wêreldwye slawehandel in 1806 en skaf slawerny in al sy kolonies af in 1833. Die voortslepende grensoorloë, ongelukkigheid met die wyse waarop slawerny afgeskaf is en ander verskille met die Britse owerheid lei daartoe dat 'n gedeelte van die Nederlandssprekende bevolking as deel van die Groot trek verder in die binneland in trek buite Britse beheer
Terwyl al bogenoemde gebeur, is Shaka se mag besig om te groei
(SOURCE: Wikipedia)