1 8 2 9 . ▁Thus , ▁the ▁K ho ik ho i , ▁in ▁theory , ▁were ▁equal ▁with ▁the ▁Europe ans . ▁As ▁in ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁Empire , ▁slaves ▁– ▁estimated ▁to ▁be ▁around ▁ 3 9 , 0 0 0 ▁in ▁number ▁– ▁were ▁em an cip ated ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 4 . ▁This ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁the ▁Bo - K a ap ▁by ▁a ▁Muslim ▁community ▁after ▁being ▁fre ed . ▁The ▁Cape ▁Town ▁Legisl ative ▁Council ▁was ▁also ▁established ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁year . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁moment ous ▁events ▁in ▁South ▁African ▁history , ▁the ▁Great ▁Tre k ▁( ), ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 6 . ▁About ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁Dutch ▁families , ▁for ▁various ▁reasons , ▁left ▁for ▁the ▁north ▁in ▁search ▁of ▁new ▁land , ▁thereby ▁opening ▁up ▁the ▁interior ▁of ▁the ▁country . ▁Further ▁political ▁development ▁occurred ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 0 ▁when ▁the ▁Cape ▁Town ▁Municip ality ▁was ▁formed . ▁At ▁its ▁in ception , ▁the ▁population ▁stood ▁at ▁ 2 0 , 0 1 6 , ▁of ▁which ▁ 1 0 , 5 6 0 ▁were ▁white . ▁ ▁En su ing ▁political ▁develop ments ▁now ▁saw ▁grad ual ▁moves ▁towards ▁greater ▁independence ▁from ▁Britain ▁and ▁towards ▁a ▁degree ▁of ▁political ▁inclus iveness . ▁In ▁ 1 8 5 4 , ▁the ▁Cape ▁Col ony ▁elected ▁its ▁first ▁parliament , ▁on ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁the ▁multi ra