With Suzuki Auto becoming the new naming right sponsor of the Griquas rugby team, we followed the 3,500 km trek of the Griqua people two centuries ago, which ultimately led to the establishment of Griqualand West, our quest culminating in a visit to the Suzuki Griquas Stadium in Kimberley.
On the final 30 km stretch of gravel, after negotiating over 600 km of coarse dirt roads, we suffered the only setback during our journey of 3,500 km… Going into a downhill hairpin bend on the descent from Naude’s Neck Pass near Barkly East, a sharp rock damaged the right rear rim of our five-door Suzuki Jimny and the tyre, deflating rapidly on the long climb following the bend, was quickly cut to shreds.
However, this misfortune (we replaced the shredded tyre with the rear-door mounted spare on the small 4×4) was minuscule compared to the hardships, trials and tribulations suffered by the Griqua people in the 18th century when they trekked from Piketberg in the Western Cape to Klaarwater (later renamed to Griquatown or Griekwastad in Afrikaans) in the Northern Cape region.
The Griqua trek, under the leadership of Adam Kok, started in 1740 – preceding the Great Trek by nearly a century – and the community established Griquatown as the first town in the country north of the Orange River. However, in 1815, the Griqua leaders Andries Waterboer and Adam Kok II had a dispute, and Kok (and the Barends dynasty) left for Philippolis, while Waterboer founded Griqualand West.
GRIQUALAND WEST
From 1873 to 1880, the province, as a British Colony, had its own flag and currency before it was annexed into the Cape Colony. Since then, the territory, now with Kimberley as its main city, has been known as Griqualand West, and the Griqua rugby team took its name from the region.
However, after the split of the Griqua leadership, the group under Adam Kok II that settled in Philippolis in 1826, faced with the prospect of coming under the control of the emerging Orange Free State, embarked on a further exhausting journey in 1861 over the Maloti in Lesotho and the Drakensberg to the area around Mount Currie in present-day KwaZulu-Natal.
In 1872, they founded the town of Kokstad, named in honour of their leader, and the region became known as Griqualand East (officially New Griqualand) before it was occupied by the British Empire and became a colony in 1874. Shortly after, the tiny territory was incorporated into the neighbouring Cape Colony.
FOLLOWING THE TRAIL
When we left, the misty clouds were just lifting over the green fields surrounding Piketberg, following the N7 towards Vanrhynsdorp. The small yet responsive 1.5-litre petrol mill in our GLX manual model sang lustily as we passed Citrusdal, Clanwilliam, and Klawer. After filling the 40-litre fuel tank in Vanrhynsdorp, we headed into the Knersvlakte.
Here, we made a brief stop at the Ratelgat site that was declared a provincial heritage site by Heritage Western Cape in 2012 – as special recognition of the role that the Griqua leader Andrew Abraham Stockenstrom le Fleur played to bring the Griqua community together (more about this later).
We then turned off onto the R358, a long and dusty gravel road leading towards Kliprant in the Cape hinterland, going from there to the R355 towards Loeriesfontein. With four-wheel drive selected, the little Jimny was in its element in the rough stuff, and its supple ride impressed us again.
From Loeriesfontein, it was more gravel travel towards Brandvlei, where we filled up again before joining the R27 to make our way to Kenhardt. The boxy off-roader somewhat struggled against a strong headwind, causing the average fuel consumption to jump to over 8 l/100 km.
Some more dirt sections took us past Putsonderwater and Marydale before joining up with the N10 towards Groblershoop, and from there, we did the home run on the N8 over Griekwastad towards Kimberley, with the Jimny chugging merrily along, unperturbed by the dire state of the tar roads.
In Kimberley, we met up with some of the players in the Griqua squad, proudly wearing their S-badged gear before their game against the Lions (they lost, unfortunately, but gave a good account of themselves – much like our small Jimny on our trip).
The Griqualand West Rugby Union is one of the oldest rugby unions in the country, having officially formed in 1886. Shortly after forming the Union, the Griquas hosted the first Currie Cup in 1892, and it has since won this coveted trophy five times. Today, the team and their stadium are an important part of Kimberley and the economy of the Northern Cape province, and it is the ethos of community support and development within the Griquas, along with their loyal fan base, that appealed to Suzuki, and encouraged the manufacturer to partner with them.
The next day, we continued our journey, and the trail took us from the capital of the Northern Cape over Bloemfontein towards Kokstad. It was here, on the twisty dirt road in the mountains surrounding Rhodes, that we suffered a puncture just before turning onto the tarred R56 road.
We overnighted in Matatiele at the Resthaven Guest House, where owner Philip Rawlins regaled us on stories of the Drakensberg, also referring to Ongeluksnek Pass, the descent into Natal that added to the ordeal of the Griqua people trekking there from the Free State.
THE FINAL JOURNEY
After the death of Adam Kok III and the incorporation of Griqualand East into the Cape Colony, the Griqua people were leaderless, but in 1896, Andrew Stockenstrom le Fleur was elected as the new paramount chief, and in 1917, he led the Griquas on their final journey – from Kokstad to Plettenberg Bay.
Travelling by means of horseback, donkey carts, and wagons, the first group arrived on the farm Jakkalsdraai near Plett in 1927. In 1939, Le Fleur negotiated a lease on the farm Kranshoek, and many descendants of these families still live in the Kranshoek area.
Although not the most comfortable long-distance cruiser due to its limited engine power, the Jimny again showed its mettle on the notorious route from Matatiele to Komani (Queenstown) and from there to Gqeberha. With only 75 kW on tap and 130 Nm of torque, it struggles to maintain speed on up-hills, and yes, you do need to plan your overtaking moves carefully.However, with its mini-G-Wagon looks, now combined with a more spacious and practical interior, the small SUV has a cool factor second to none. It also makes gravel road travel comfortable, and while it may be overshadowed by bigger and fancier off-roaders – much like the story of the Great Trek still overshadows the Griqua trek, although it is described as “one of the great epics of the 19th century” – the little Jimny impresses with its sheer guts.
Report by FERDI DE VOS | Images © RYAN ABBOTT
