In November, 1882, Commandant-General Piet Joubert, with a commando of about 1 500 men, advanced against Njabel. A detachment penetrated to the hills east of the 'Hoofstat' where its commander, Commandant Senekal, was killed in an attempt to blow up some of the caverns with dynamite. The Mapoch stronghold was gradually surrounded; earth forts were constructed round it as far as possible and the circumference of the encirclement was reduced step by step by building forts successively nearer to the stronghold. These were highly dangerous tactics and resulted in the death, amongst others, of Stephanus Roos, a man who had shown remarkable heroism at Majuba.
