An African Experience.com

ZULU

“A remarkable people, the Zulu. They defeat our generals; convert our Bishops and put an end to a great European dynasty.” Benjamin Disraeli, novelist, statesman and twice Prime Minister of Britain, he made this comment over 100 years ago

Here was a nation that had come from obscurity and inflicted the worst defeat that a modern army has ever suffered at the hands of men with only spears and shields.

Today the Zulu nation is one of the many that make up the rainbow nation of Southern Africa. Four million 760 000 Zulu’s, comprising of 286 tribes make up the Zulu nation. Their homeland being Zululand or Kwazulu Natal. Durban its main city, with its warm Indian Ocean making it a perfect family vacation retreat for most South Africans and tourist alike. It lies between Swaziland and Mozambique in the north to the Umtumvuma River in the south.

It is here that a Nomadic chieftain, Mandalela, wandered 200 years ago. With 1500 of his people where he settled near the white Umfolozi River in what is now KwaZulu Natal.

Here his son was born and his name was Zulu which means “Heaven” with the death of Mandalela,Zulu became clan chief and by the time he died his people had adopted the name “amaZulu” or “People of Heaven”.

Within a hundred years there was no greater expression of pride in this sub tropical land than to say”Ngi Wum Zulu”, which is translated into “I am a Zulu” even though many tribesmen that said these words were not Zulu.

Only one man was responsible for creating this enormous empire and pride in race. A man that determined the course of history became a master at war by creating a whole new way of fighting. Often cruel he would have his soldiers march on long thorns and have them killed if they showed any sign of pain or weakness this man was Shaka Zulu

SHAKA ZULU

SHAKA NODUMEHLEZI (SITTING THUNDER)

Shaka was born in 1787, the illegitimate son of a Zulu chief Senzanangakona, and a clanswoman, Nandi.

When Nandi fell pregnant the tribal elders had claimed that it was not a case of pregnancy. As the man she claimed to have been the father was a Zulu chief and already had 2 wives (He eventually had ten). They had claimed that it was iShaka an intestinal parasite on whom menstrual irregularities were usually blamed. He did however marry her and made her his third wife but it did not last long and after six years she along within Shaka and her second child a daughter was sent back to live with eLangeni, where they were even less welcome .

Until he was 15 years old, Shaka grew up fatherless among a people who despised him and his mother and sister.

It is the when Shaka came into change; Shaka began to show a physical prowess. He grew to manhood. He became an expert at throwing a spear and took on killing a wounded leopard and was awarded cattle.

Shaka quickly impressed those and moved fast in the ranks of the tribe ranks he was ruthless he preferred to smash a clan to then incorporate them into his army. He devised new weapons like that of the traditional throwing spear to a short stabbing spear that was broad and resembled that of the roman sword. It was called an iKlwa to describe the sucking sound when withdrawn from a person’s body it soon became a weapon used by all the Zulu Impi’s.

When Shakas father Senzangakona, died in 1816 he was released from his military service and then had his brother Sigujana killed, Shaka entered his father’s kraal and led his people to greatness. He began by discarding their sandals that they wore in battle as it slowed them down he had them make larger shields. Sorted regiments by colour code his own was plain white with a single black dot in the middle.

One of his first acts was to send his impi army to attack those that had tormented him as a boy the eLangeni clan that treated him and his mother and sister so badly and those of the iNtangas who had bullied him when he was a boy. Needless to say they died an agonising death, impaled on sharpened stakes drawn from their own kraal fences, while their huts were burnt down. Before long Shaka had trained his Impis so hard that they were Able to cover 80 km a day running over hills and mountains.

He created the horn attack whereby his Impis would face their enemy and pin them down and then those on the ends would flank them like the horns of a bull.

He made use of spies and smoke signals, he would have young herd boys carry the bedding of his army usually 1 for every three Impi warriors. As well as cooking pots extra weapons.
By this time Shaka had ruled for 3 years he was so feared that no one in the whole of Africa dare oppose him he had increased his original land from226 square kilometres of territory to 30 667 square kilometres and his army consisted of 20 000 fighting men he had a harem of 1 200 ‘women” but absolutely refused to marry any of them as he was constantly afraid that one of his heirs would one day overthrow him.

There is no doubt that with all the woman in his life his mother had the most profound influence on him when she died he initiated a brutal mourning period everyone was compelled to weep none were allowed to rest or drink those that were unable to cry no more were beaten to death 7000 of them. Three days later when Nandi was buried, ten of her handmaidens their arms and legs broken were placed alive in the grave with her and a regiment of 12 000 men were set to guard it for a full year.

These and other contributing factors were to lead his half brothers Dingane and Mhlangane to plot his death. On the 22 of September 1828 he was subsequently murdered by his half brothers.