While we are on about Shaka giving the land away lets not forget the treaty and deal signed by Dingaan and Piet Retief?
On 5 October 1837 Retief established a camp near the Drakensberg ridge and proceeded on horseback the next day to explore the region between the Drakensberg and Port Natal, now known as Kwa-Zulu Natal.
Upon receiving a positive impression of the region he started negotiations with the Zulu chief, Dingane in November 1837. Retief led his own band over the Drakensberg Mountains and convinced Voortrekker leaders Maritz and Potgieter to join him in January 1838. On a second visit Dingane agreed to Boer settlement in Natal, provided that the Boer delegation recovered cattle stolen from him by the rival Tlokwa tribe. This the Boers did, their reputation and rifles cowing the tribe into peacefully handing over the cattle.
Despite warnings, Retief left the Tugela region on 28 January 1838 in the belief that he could negotiate permanent boundaries of the Natal settlement with Dingane. The deed of cession of the Tugela-Umzimvubu region, although dated 4 February 1838, was signed by Dingane on 6 February 1838. This Dingane did by imitating writing and the two sides recording three witnesses each. Dingane then invited Retief's party to witness a performance by his soldiers. Upon a signal given by Dingane, the Zulus overwhelmed Retief's party of 70 and their coloured servants, taking all captive.
Retief, his son, men and servants, about a hundred in total, were taken to Kwa Matiwane Hill and murdered. Their bodies were left on the hillside to be devoured by wild animals, as was Dingane's custom with his enemies. Dingane now gave orders for the Voortrekker laagers to be attacked, which managed to plunge the emigrant movement into serious disarray. The Retief party's remains were recovered and buried on 21 December 1838 by members of the "victory commando" led by Andries Pretorius following the decisive Voortrekker victory at Blood River.
The commando also recovered the undamaged deed of cession from Retief's leather purse, as later verified by a member of the "victory commando", E.F. Potgieter. An exact copy survives, but the original deed disappeared in transit to the Netherlands during the Anglo-Boer War. The site of the Retief grave was more or less forgotten until pointed out in 1896 by J.H. Hattingh, a surviving member of Pretorius's "victory commando". A monument recording the names of Retief's delegation was erected near the grave in 1922.
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