An Early Ndebele Home
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Ndebele
History
An early Ndebele Home
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An Early Ndebele Home click to enlarge |
Ndebele
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An early Ndebele Home click to enlarge |
The ancestors of the Ndebele people were part of the Bantu migration that occurred sometime around 1-200 AD. By the 1500s, the first distinct Ndebele clans emerged from the other Bantu-speakers under a chief named Musi. Historians believe the first split of the Ndebele took place sometime soon thereafter. The Northern Ndebele left the coastal regions of eastern South Africa, heading west into the interior. They were eventually absorbed into the Sotho nation and are now considered part of that society.
This section will deal with the Southern Ndebele, a group which includes two main clans: the Ndzundza and the Manala. The Ndzundza would head west and settle the Transvaal region (near Johannesburg), while the Manala remained in the eastern portion of the country. Although both groups are Ndebele, they have different histories and cultures.
The Ndzundza
South Africa in the late 1600s was described by Portuguese
sailors as densely populated. Reaching 10,000 feet, the Drakensberg
Mountains to the west were a formidable natural barrier which kept much of the
population hemmed to the coast. Resources were pushed to the limit and a
natural disaster--such as flood or drought--could easily destabilize the
region.
Whatever the cause, the Ndzundza (who took their name from their chief) split from their brethren in the 1700s. Crossing the Drakensberg, the settled northwest of the other Nguni peoples. This area was populated by another Bantu-speaking group: the Sotho. The two groups lived in relative peace until early in the 1800s, when another natural disaster--drought--caused what would become the greatest upheaval in human history.
To the south, several Nguni clans were battling for survival. The two principals, the Ndwandwe under Zwide and the Mthethwa under Dingiswayo raided each other on a regular basis for cattle and provisions. Finally, Zwide struck a decisive blow against Dingiswayo. By the time the dust was settled, Zwide had triumphed and Dingiswayo's empire was in disarray. Some smaller Nguni clans fled Zwide while others pledged allegiance to him. A small clan, led by a little-known chief named Shaka, stood up to Zwide and defeated him on the field of battle. Under Shaka, the Zulu conquered most of the area east of the Drakensberg.
This was the final step in a process which had begun years earlier. Smaller clans--such as the Pedi, Swazi, and the Basuto--fled the advancing Zulu army to the interior. Along the way, they encountered and displaced other groups who had previously inhabited the land. The domino effect--called the Mfecane--would cause the death and displacement of hundreds of thousands of people. It reached as far north as Tanzania and altered the balance of power in at least 7 modern day countries.
The Ndzundza felt the Mfecane as early as 1821 when they were defeated by--ironically--a distant cousin. Mzilikazi, leader of a subsect of the Manala clan swept into Ndzundza territory with Shaka's Zulu army at their heals. Chief Magodongo attempted to defend his Ndzundza kingdom using archaic military methods. Gathering a herd of cattle before it, his army attempted to conceal its numbers in the dust raised by the herd. Well-schooled in this tactic, Mzilikazi countered with a small contingent of warriors. The group banged it's shields and screamed as they approached, frightening the cattle and turning them on their masters. The resulting stampede caused many casualties and the rout was on.
Magodongo had no way of knowing his good fortune. Mzilikazi led a small, lean force. They were eager to accept refugees into their group and lacked the manpower to pursue the Ndzundza. Furthermore, their former lands were dangerously close to Zulu territory. This region, and all who inhabited it, would become regular targets of Zulu raiding parties.
The Ndzundza fled further west into the Transvaal, where they would reach the height of their power. During much of the 1820s and 1830s they fortified themselves in rock strongholds in the mountains. From these defensive positions, they extended their control to the best of the surrounding lands.
Midway through the 1830s, the first Boer trekking parties reached Ndzundza territory. The Boers were descendants of the first Dutch settlers at Cape Town-- in their 2nd and 3rd generations in South Africa. When Cape Town came under British control in 1806, the Boers fled to the interior. Along the way they encountered (and defeated) the San, the Khoikhoi, and the Sotho. By the time they reached Ndzundza territory, they must have been convinced that there was no powerful ruler among the many clans.
The ensuing skirmishes halted Boer advances and reaffirmed Ndzundza power. During this time, Chief Mabhogo came to power. Whether he ascended prior to or after the arrival of the Boers is unclear. Still, his dealings with them would come to symbolize the strength and pride of the Ndzundza Ndebele.
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The flow of Boers into the interior increased over the next decade. The small groups of Boers were no match for the powerful Ndzundza. In fact, the Boers actually paid Chief Mabhogo tribute for grazing rights on Ndzundza land. This further increased Ndzundza power, as lesser chiefs swore allegiance to their powerful neighbors.
Two key events would signal the eventual end of the Ndzundza kingdom. The first came in 1856 when the Boers established the South African Republic (later the Transvaal) in the region. The next came in 1867 with the discovery of gold just outside the new Boer republic. Gold meant more people, and more people needed more land. They wanted Ndzundza land, but needed an excuse.
It came sometime in the early 1880s when Mampuru--a member of a neighboring Sotho royal family--murdered his chief. His attempted coup failed, and he fled into Ndzundza territory for protection. This was not uncommon among Nguni peoples, but the South African Republic (SAR) took the opportunity to wage war against the Ndzundza. Siding with supporters of the slain Sotho chief, they demanded the return of Mampuru. The Ndzundza refused, sparking a war that would last over a year.
The Ndzundza put up a brave fight, but were no match for modern firearms. In addition, the Sotho people, who were eager to unseat their rivals, joined with the SAR army. The end came with the Ndzundza under siege in their mountain fortresses. Ravaged by hunger, they were forced to surrender in 1883. The terms of surrender forced the Ndzundza Ndebele into slavery and displaced their people throughout the Transvaal.
Conditions remained poor for the Ndebele for much of the next 100 years. Precluded from he political process, they could only watch as the Apartheid government took over an independent South Africa in the 1940s. Confined to impoverished townships, many Ndebele took to civil unrest. To solve the problem, the South African government created KwaNdebele in 1979. This homeland was created as part of a government policy which forced the 87% Black population onto ten homelands representing only 13% of the country. The official justification was that they would be autonomous in the homelands. In reality, this meant that they would receive little, if any, assistance from the South African government. Faced with no better option, many Ndzundza Ndebele favored the idea.
The KwaNdebele ruling government was violent and corrupt. They only approved projects of personal interest and accepted illicit support from the South African Government to keep the homeland under control. The chief minister of Kwa Ndebele even formed a group called Mbokotho ("grinding stone") as a para-military arm to enforce government will. Anybody suspected of dissenting from the KwaNdebele government was summarily rounded up and beaten. Many more simply disappeared altogether. In response, the people formed counter groups like the Mass Democratic Movement and the Comrades. These groups fought back against the Mbokotho.
The violence would peak in the late 1980s with the death of a prominent Mbokotho leader. Nobody discovered the identity of the car bomber in that case. It was not until Paramount Chief David Mahlangu spoke out against the KwaNdebele government that peace was restored. Many of the corrupt leaders gave up and moved on, leaving KwaNdebele in a state of disarray. With the first free elections in 1995, KwaNdebele became a state within the new South Africa and their language was declared one of many official languages. Today, the Ndzundza Ndebele take great pride in their valiant stand against the Boers and in the fact that they have maintained their culture distinctiveness throughout great hardship.