Piet Retief Delegation massacre | |
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Part of the Great Trek | |
Location | Hloma mabuto, uMgungundlovu, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
Date | 6 February 1838 |
Deaths | 100 |
Injured | Unknown |
Perpetrators | Impis of Dingane Zulu |
The Piet Retief Delegation massacre was the 1838 killing of 100 Voortrekkers by the Zulu king Dingane in what is now KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The Voortrekkers, led by Piet Retief, migrated into Natal in 1837 and negotiated a land treaty in February 1838 with Dingane. Upon realizing the ramifications of the imposed contract, Dingane betrayed the Voortrekkers, killing the delegation including Retief on 6 February 1838. The land treaty was later found in Retief's possession. It gave the Voortrekkers the land between the Tugela River and Port St. Johns. This event eventually led to the Battle of Blood River and the eventual defeat of Dingane.