Dina van Rio de la Goa – escaped from slavery and re-captured

The story of Dina’s brave bid for freedom as a runaway slave was recorded in the 40-page testimony she and six others gave at their trial.

Dina was born in Rio de la Goa in present-day Mozambique and brought as a slave to the Cape where she was made to work on the farm of the widow Smiesing.

In her “confession”, gained under torture, Dina told the story of how she ran away from the farm and joined a small group of runaway women slaves, also from Mozambique. They travelled along the coast east of Cape Town, living on fish and tortoises.

Later she left the group and travelled near present-day Malmesbury. There she joined another group of runaway slaves and they made their way to the well-known slave refuge at Hangklip (Pringle Bay). An established runaway community lived there, hiding out in the high rocks. They had no contact with local people so did not know how to live off veldkos. Instead they ate mussels, limpets and fish which they caught with lines made from shrubs (a skill taught by the Madagascans) and hooks made from bone or captured bits of iron. They possessed stolen guns, and would cross the Cape flats at night to sell fish or wood to other slaves in exchange for lead, powder and flint. Life at Hangklip was harsh and violent. During Dina’s time at Hangklip a man named Schipio was killed in a brawl,

In 1735-1736 Hangklip runaways were responsible for at least one of several arson attacks in Cape Town, as well as a plan to poison the town’s water supply with the rotten bladder of a toad fish. A VOC commando was sent to Hangklip. It recaptured seven people, including Dina, on the beach.

On 29 January 1737 Dina was put on trial in Cape Town with six others:

“… Officii Claimant Contra the slaves Alexander of Bengal, slave of the widow Hendrik Tomasz: Zambo of Madagascar belonging to the burgher Ernst Heege, Joseph of Bengal, slave of the farmer Coert Grof and Januarij, belonging to the burgher Izac Hendrik Mark, the female slave Anna of Madagacar who had belonged to the farmer Gijsbert Verwey. Dina and Diana, both of Rio de la Goa, the first belonging to the widow Smiesing and the last to the burgher Jacobus Marshoorn, All seven presently prisoners in the Lords’ prison on charges of Murder, Robbery, Plunder with violence, public disruption and disturbance of the general peace of the entire country, with an armed conspiracy[i].”

All the accused were found guilty of “these enormous crimes and acts of violence” and sentenced to agonisingly slow and cruel deaths: to be broken on the wheel and left to die of multiple injuries; to be burnt at the stake; or tied by the neck to die of slow strangulation.

Three days after sentencing, Dina was tied to a pole and strangled. She was 25 years old and pregnant.

Repeated attempts over the years to clear out the Hangklip group were unsuccessful. There is evidence that the Hangklip stronghold survived until the abolition of slavery in 1834.

Dina van Rio de la Goa – ontsnap uit slawerny en weer gevang

Die verhaal van Dina se dapper poging vir vryheid as ‘n droster slaaf is aangeteken in die getuienis van 40 bladsye wat sy en ses ander by hul verhoor gegee het.

Dina is in Riode de la Goa gebore, hedendaagse Mosambiek, en was as ‘n slaaf na die Kaap gebring waar sy op die plaas van die weduwee Smiesing moes werk.

In haar “belydenis”, onder marteling verkry, het Dina die storie vertel van hoe sy weggehardloop het vanaf die plaas en by n klein groepie droster-vroueslawe, ook van Mosambiek, aangesluit het. Hulle het langs die kus, oos van Kaapstad, gereis en oorleef op vis en skilpaaie.

Later het sy die groep verlaat en naby hedendaagse Malmesbury gereis. Daar het sy by ‘n ander groep droster-slawe aangesluit en hulle het hul pad na die bekende slawe-toevlug by Hangklip (Pringlebaai) gemaak. Daar was ‘n gevestigde drostergemeenskap wat in die hoë rotse weggekruip het. Hulle het geen kontak gehad met plaaslike mense nie, dus het hulle nie geweet hoe om van veldkos te leef nie. In plaas daarvan het hulle mossels, klipmossels en vis geëet wat hulle gevang het met lyne wat van struike gemaak is (‘n vaardigheid geleer deur die Magagaskane) en hake gemaak van been of stukke yster. Hulle het gesteelde gewere besit en sou die Kaapse woonstelle snags oorsteek om vis of hout aan ander slawe te verkoop in ruil vir lood, poeier en vuurklip. Die lewe by Hangklip was moeilik en gewelddadig. Gedurende Dina se tyd by Hangklip is ‘n man met die naam Schipio gedurende ‘n geveg vermoor.

In 1735-1736 was Hangklipdrosters verantwoordelik vir ten minste een van verskeie brandstigtingsaanvalle in Kaapstad, asook ‘n plan om die dorp se watervoorsiening te vergiftig met die vrot blaas van ‘n padvis. ‘n VOC-kommando is na Hangklip gestuur. Hy het sewe mense, insluitende Dina, op die strand weer in hegtenis geneem.

Op 29 Januarie 1737 het Dina, saam met ses ander, se verhoor plaasgevind:

“ … Officii Claimant Contra die slawe Alexander van Bengal, die slaaf van die weduwee Hendrik Tomasz: Zambo van Madagaskar wat behoort aan die burgemeester Ernst Heege, Joseph van Bengal, slaaf van plaasboer Coert Grof en Januarij, wie behoort het aan die burger Izac Hendrik Mark, die vroulike slaaf Anna van Madagaskar wie behoort het aan die plaasboer Gijsbert Verwey. Dina en Diana, albei van Rio de la Goa, die eerste behoort aan die weduwee Smiesing en die laaste aan die burgemeester Jacobus Marshoorn, al sewe huidige gevangenisse in die Here se gevangenis op aanklagte van moord, roof, plundering met geweld, openbare ontwrigting en versteuring van die algemene vrede van die hele land, met ‘n gewapende sameswering.”

Al die beskuldigdes is skuldig bevind aan “hierdie enorme misdade en dade van geweld” en is veroordeel tot agoniserende stadige en wrede sterftes: om op die wiel gespalk te word en gelaat word om te sterf van verskeie beserings, om op die brandstapel verbrand te word; of om aan die nek gehang te word om stadig dood te wurg.

Drie dae na die vonnisoplegging was Dina vasgebind aan ‘n paal en verwurg. Sy was 25 jaar oud en swanger.

Herhaalde pogings deur die jare om die Hangklipgroepe uit te wis, was onsuksesvol. Daar is bewyse dat die Hangklip-vesting oorleef het tot die afskaffing van slawerny in 1834.

Dina wase Rio de la Goa – oqhweshe ebukhobokeni wabuya wakhonxa

Ibali lika Dina lobukroti bokuziqhawula emakhamandeleni aqhweshe, lishicelelwe kumaphepha obungqina benkundla, ibali awalivakalisa yena buqu enogxabakhe abathandathu abangamangina kwelotyala.

UDina ufike kweli leKapa lodumo ebuya kwilizwe elibizwa Mozambique ngokwalemihla, apho wazalwa kwindawo ebizwa Rio de la Goa. Ekapa ufike wasebenzela umhlolokazi wommfama uSmiesing.

Phantsi konxwalo nohlutshezo, uDina “uqhabalake wampola” ingcombolo yoqhwesho lwakhe kulo fama ka Smiesing, echaza nendlela ahlangene ngayo neqaqobana lamakhobokazana ebemaphutha ‘hlathinye nalo, belala ngangubinye koloqhwesho.

Zaqhawuka indlela zakhe kweloqaqobana lamakhobokazana xa Kanye ekude kufuphi ne Malmesbury yalemihla (ngelasemzini). Apho uhlangene nabanye alala ngangubenye nabo koloqhwesho, yathi kwa oko loontlanganisela yaloo maqobokazana yazisondeza kwindumasi yegwiba lamakhoboka e Hangklip (Pringle Bay). Ibilikhaya labaqhweshe ebukhobokeni ke loo ndawo (Kilombo), isithelo elingqongwe ziincotshe zamatye amakhulu.

Ukuqhawuka kwenkaba yolugcudwana eluntwini (olungamakhoboka ngokubanzi) kwathetha ukuthi abasenamava okwazi nokunqothula kwinto yinto ezityiwayo zelohlathi ababencathame kulo. Endaweni yoko babesidla iimbatyisa, oonokrwece (limpets) nentlanzi ababeyiloba ngeminatha yeentsontela zokhula nenkuzane (lines made of shrubs), isakhono ababesifunde eMadagaska sokurhola intlanzi emanzini ngegwegwe (hook) lethanjana okanye iingqokelela yentwana-thwanana zesinyithi. Babenemikhon’ ekati ebiweyo; ngongcwalazi lwemivundla babelixwesa elikaLanga Libalele wamaHlubi, iCape flats, bethengisa iinkuni nentlanzi, betshintshiselana namanye amakhoboka ngookhanda mbumbulu (lead: isombiwa sokwenza iimbimbulu), rhuluwa (powder) ne litye lokwenza intlantsi yomlilo (flint). Esahlal’ kwelogwiba, iHangklip, uDina, yaf’ indoda kwisiphithiphithi sengxabano.

Kusukela kumnyaka we 1735 uyakuthi xhaxhe kowama 1736 abaqhweshi ababengabahlali base Hangklip balingena ngomlilo eloKapa lodumo; oorheme babengafuni linggqongqe nje ngumlilo, babenkonye iqhinga lokuthyefa namazi ka wonke-wonke apho, besenjenjalo ngesinyi sesilwanyana esinkangeleko ibuxoxo-buntlanzi. Umkhosi we VOC wokugqogqa wabazizibawu entsimini kulo Hangklip yebhongo yooDina. Latshon’ ilanga lolo gqogqo isixhenxe sesiphinde sakhonxwa kwakho, kuquka uDina abambhada elwandle apho.

Nge 29 ku January ngowe 1737, nogxa bakhe abathandathu uDina wawubona umkhumbi wenkundla:

“Ngegunya lenkundla noburhulumente ummangali unxamnye nezenzo zama khoboka alandelayo, uAlexander wase Bengali, ikhoboka lomhlolokazi uHendrik Tomas, uZambo wase Madagaska, ikhoboka lika Ernst Heege, Joseph wase Bengalo, ikhoboka lomfama uCoert Grof, no Januarij, ikhoboka lika Izac Hendrik Mark, uAnna wase Madagaska ikhoboka lomfama uGijsbert Verwey. UDiana, base Rio de Goa, uDina olikhoboka lomhlolokazi uSmiesing, noDiana olikhoboka lika Jacobus Marshoorn, bonke aba basixhenxe esithetha nje bangamabanjwa eluvalelweni loseNyangweni, bevalelwe ngezityholo zokubulala, ukugwinta, ukuzigxavulela ngobundlobongela, ukwenza isiphithiphithi ekuhleni, nokudub’ uxolo lwelizwe liphela, befohlele bezimisele ukubhukuqa umbuso(conspiracyi).”

Bonke ababathyolwa bafunyanwa benetyala: “ubunxamnye nomthetho obungathethekiyo, nezenzo zokuqhway’ udushe ngobundlobongela”. Isigwebo senkundla sasisithi bafanelwe kukufa bengcungcutheka kanobomi: baqwatyazwe amathambo kwivili ebelithenjwe ngokophula amakhoboka, bashiywe apho de bazifele kukulimala nokuqaqanjelwa. Kwesosigwebo kuquka ukutshiswa elubala lihlab’ Umhlaba; okanye baqanyangelwe ngentambo entanyeni, bakhanywe ngayo belenga, de baphume umphefumlo.

Kwintsuku ezintathu ezilandela esosigwebo, uDina waqhinwa eqhinelwa epalini, wakhanywa umoya, wade wafa. Wayeneminyaka engama 25 ubudala, wayekhulelwe ukunabela kwakhe uqaqaqa.

Iinzame zokududula eloqaqobana liphume liphele kuloo (Kilombo) iHangklip, iinzame ezenziwe amatyeli ngamatyeli, minyaka le, zatsho phantsi kwaqhum’ uthuli. Kukho ingqiniseko yokuba umxhelo waloontsika yamakhoboka iHangklip wema umi, kwade kwalilixa lokuphanziswa komthetho wobukhoboka ngo 1834.

[i] CJ 341, p 1-40: Proceedings of Dina’s trial, 29 January 1737