Nearly 200 People are killed in the Bulhoek massacre in the Eastern Cape

In 1921, in a battle lasting less than 30 minutes between police and Israelites, followers of prophet Enoch Mgijima, more than 180 people were killed. The battle started after police issued an ultimatum demanding that the Israelites evacuate land they were squatting on and warned that if they failed to comply, their leader would be arrested and their homes demolished. Soon afterwards a group of around 500 white-robed men, armed with sticks and spears, challenged the machine guns of an 800-strong police force sent by Jan Smuts to remove the Israelites who had settled at the holy village of Ntabelanga, Bulhoek in Queenstown to pray. The event coincided with Smuts’ birthday. He was turning 51 on the day. The Israelites used to gather in the area to celebrate Passover.  Towards the end of 1919 Mgijima declared that he had a vision that the world would end in 1920. This caused a pilgrimage of his followers from all over South Africa. About 3 000 people arrived at Ntabelanga and proceeded to squat there, erecting a tabernacle and some huts without registering themselves or paying tax. Mgijima was insistent that the end of the world was at hand and that Jehovah had instructed him to remain there. Prophet Mgijima was charged with sedition and imprisoned.  He was released in 1924. * Note: Sources vary on the number of Isrealites that gathered at Ntabelanga and proceeded to squat there, sources also vary on the exact number of victims of the massacre. Therefore all of the numbers in this piece are approximate and based on numerous sources (below).