Many Xhosa worked peacefully on farms, but in the Zuurveld there was a persistent note of low-level conflict. The instability was aggravated by intra-white and intra-black conflicts. The Rharhabe chief, wanting to bring the Zuurveld Xhosa to accept his authority, turned to the farmers for support. When Rharhabe died in 1780, the regent, Ndlambe, continued the efforts to subordinate the Zuurveld Xhosa chiefs with the help of the frontier colonists.
In 1792 Ndlambe found an ally in Barend Lindeque, a field-cornet. Without any authority he called out a commando that briefly joined forces with Ndlambe’s men and attempted to expel the Zuurveld Xhosa. It ended in disaster when they counter-attacked. Ndlambe and his men retreated, leaving the Zuurveld farmers to face the wrath of the Zuurveld Xhosa, who no longer feared their guns.
As the Zuurveld Xhosa burned houses, raided cattle and killed herdsmen, penetratingeven the Swellendam district, the colonists evacuated the southeastern part of the colony in headlong flight. Of the 120 Zuurveld homesteads, only four were not burned down. Some 300 families lost all their possessions. It was the greatest disaster the farmers had ever experienced – and worse was to follow.
In 1793 a large commando of Graaff-Reinet and Swellendam burghers recaptured some cattle, but large numbers remained in Xhosa possession and the Zuurveld Xhosa remained where they were. For many of the Zuurveld burghers the appointment in 1793 of Honoratus Maynier as landdrost of Graaff-Reinet compounded the crisis. He has been depicted as a negrophile, but he was rather a typical Company servant, whose first concern was to avoid trouble with the Xhosa because war was risky and expensive.
