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THE FIRST BOER REPUBLIC - THE REPUBLIC OF NATALIA THE BOERS ENTER INTO A COVENANT WITH GOD In the days when the commando advanced deeper into Zululand, Pretorius assigned Hans de Lange the task of continuous reconnaissance to precisely locate the Zulu forces. Each evening, the commando set up their laager where they could safely spend the night, and Pretorius posted sentinels every night to prevent any surprises. At the same time, Zulu spies continually reported the Boers' progress to Dingane. Pretorius realised that Dingane knew they were on their way because Dingane had lit various fires along the Boers' route. After a few days, Pretorius discussed the idea of a Covenant, a prayer for God's help in overcoming the Zulu forces, with Sarel Cilliers. On 7 December 1838, on the banks of the Wasbank River, Sarel Cilliers offered the Covenant to God in prayer: "Here we stand before the Holy God of Heaven and Earth to make a vow to Him, that if He will protect us and deliver our enemy into our hands, we shall keep the day and date every year as a day of thanksgiving like a Sabbath, and that we shall build a house to His honour wherever it pleases Him, and that we will also tell our children that they should share in it with us as a memorial for future generations. For the honour of His name will be glorified by the fame and the honour of victory to Him." This prayer was repeated every evening until the night before the battle. The Covenant likely had a decisive impact on the campaign, as it bolstered the Boers' self-confidence and spiritual resilience. #Boer #Boers #BoerIdentity #Boeridentiteit #BoerRepublic #BoerRepubliek #Natalia #UnitedBoerRepublic #VerenigdeBoerrepubliek #Covenant #Vow #Gelofte