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Tuisblad Monumente Wie is ons Skakels Kontak ons
Webblad onderhou deur Paul van der Merwe
Die Dorslandtrek het ontstaan na tien Afrikaner gesinne Afrika ingetrek het met die doel om ŉ ander, beter tuiste te vind wat kon voorsien in al hul behoeftes. Hulle het in 1875 by die Krokodilrivier bymekaar gekom en daarvandaan min of meer noord- wes getrek.
Die Eerste trek het uit bogenoemde tien gesinne bestaan wat min of meer suksesvol getrek het. Dit was ook bekend as die ‘Van der Merwe’ trek, omdat ses van die gesinne Van der Merwes was. Hierdie trek is gelei deur Gert Alberts.
Die Tweede trek was 'n groot groep van 125 waens en juis omdat die trek so groot was, het dit baie ellende veroorsaak. In die 'Dorsland' veral, maar ook in die moerasse van die Kavango het hartverskeurende tonele hulle afgespeel en is sommige gesinne heeltemal uitgewis. Dit het gelei tot name soos die ‘Dwaaltrek’ of ‘Dorstrek’ en later die ‘Dorslandtrek’.  Die verlies van duisende beeste en ander vee was ook geweldig, wat daartoe gelei het dat sommige families met net hulle waens gestrand was en hulp moes kry om verder te trek. Tydens hierdie trek was daar leierskap probleme wat daartoe aanleding gegee het dat sommige vir Jan Greyling ondersteun het en ander weer vir Louw du Plessis.
Die Derde trek het uit slegs agt waens bestaan wat, soos die eerste trek, redelik suksesvol deur die Kalahari getrek het.
Hierdie drie trekke het later op Leeupan saamgesmelt en so is 'n ‘Verenigde Dorslandtrek’ gevorm, gelei deur Kommandant Botha.
Die trekkers het lank in die Kaokoveld vertoef. Vandaar het hulle met die Portugese onderhandel en toe besluit om na Angola te trek. Sodoende het hulle gedurende 1881 op Humpata aangekom. Vanaf Humpata het sommiges hulle later verder noordwaarts gaan vestig. Die Dorslandtekkers het eventueel vir amper 50 jaar in Angola gewoon en gehelp om die land te ontwikkel.
Ná bogenoemde trekke was daar heelwat ander trekke, wat om verskeie redes ook in Angola by die eerste groep aangesluit het. Selfs tot in 1892 het nog groepe mense na Angola getrek.
Tydens die Eerste Wêreldoorlog het dinge sodanig verander dat die Portugese benoud begin raak het oor die Hollandse nasate in Angola en wou daarom so gou moontlik van almal volwaardige Portugese burgers maak. Die Dorslandtrekkers het nie kans gesien om hulle skole en kerke op te gee nie en kon ook nie transportaktes vir hulle grond bekom nie, wat hulle geen alternatief gelaat het, as om maar weer te trek nie. Suksesvolle onderhandelinge is toe met die Suid- Afrikaanse regering getref om terug te trek na Suidwes- Afrika. Alhoewel almal nie gedurende 1928 na Suidwes- Afrika (vandag Namibië) geïmmigreer het nie, was dit die grootste groep wat Angola wel verlaat het.
The Dorsland Trek originated when ten families started a trek up in Africa with the aim of finding another, better homeland that would meet their needs. They gathered at the Crocodile River in 1875 and moved more or less north- west.
The First Trek consisted of the above mentioned ten families and trekked successfully to a certain degree. It was also known as the Van der Merwe trek, because six of the families were Van der Merwes. This trek was led by Gert Alberts.
The Second Trek was a large group of 125 wagons and this was the main cause of all the misery. In the Thirstland especially, but also in the swamps of the Kavango, harrowing scenes were witnessed and some families were wiped out completely. This led to names like the "Wandering Trek" or "Thirst Trek" and later the "Dorsland Trek". The loss of thousands of cattle and other livestock were just as great, which led to some families being stranded with only their wagons. They had to get help to go further. During this trek there were leadership problems which caused disunity and this in turn gave rise to some members supporting the original leader, Jan Greyling, and others the next elected, Louw du Plessis.
The Third Trek consisted of only eight wagons and they, like the first trek, crossed the Kalahari more or less quite successfully.
These three treks later merged at Leeupan and from then on formed the "United Dorsland Trek", led by Commandant Botha.
The trekkers then settled temporary in the Kaokoveld for quite some time. Here they made contact with the Portuguese and thus decided to finally move to Angola. They arrived at Humpata in 1881 and from Humpata some later settled further north. The Dorslandtrekkers lived in Angola for 50 years and helped to develop the country.
After these first three treks, there were many other treks and they all joined the first groups in Angola for various reasons. Even in as late as 1892, groups of people still moved to Angola.
During the First World War, things changed such that the Portuguese became worried about the Dutch descendants in Angola and decided these people should be fully converted to the Portuguese way of life as soon as possible. The Dorslandtrekkers, though, were not prepared to give up their schools and churches, and could also not acquire deeds for their acquired land, and this left them no alternative but to start a new trek. Successful negotiations with the South African government helped them to move back to South- West Africa (Namibia today) and although everyone did not emigrate during 1928, the majority did.
‘n Kort geskiedenis van die Dorslandtrek
A short history of the Dorslandtrek