Matabeleland

[Bulawayo]

Hello South Africans. I am an Ndebele, a descendant of Mzilikazi and Lobengula and i just want correct a few misconceptions about Zimbabwe.

1. The Ndebele people of South Western Zimbabwe have nothing to do with Mugabe's so-called 'land re-distribution' program. That is not to say we don't agree that there was a need for a fair distribution of land. We just dont susbcribe to the violent, racist, cheap poli-tricks of Mugabe.

2. Mzilikazi defected from Zwide in 1818 and then from Shaka in 1820, entering the Transvaal. In this quest for autonomy by the Ndebele, the Tswana, Pedi, Sotho people were attacked and assimilated into lower echelons of the Khumalo groups.

3. Boer trekkers, with their Griqua allies broke up Mzilikazi's composite Ndebele state in the transvaal region and forced him to migrate across the Limpompo River in 1838.
It was through these processes that Mzilikazi was able to build the Ndebele state south of the Limpompo River.

4. The Ndebele, on reaching the Zimbabwean plateau(1838) continued the process of state formation. They conquered the groups that occupied the southwestern part of Zimbabwean plateu. These groups were the Rozvi, Kalanga, Nyubi, Venda, Birwa and other 'Shona' groups. By 1842, the Ndebele state in Zimbabwe had been fully established.

5. From 1838, the Ndebele state was a 'legal' entity. In September 1890, entry of the Pioneer Column in Mashonaland brought Imperial violence much closer to the Ndebele state. After the occupation of Mashonaland, the B.S.A.Co began to instigate violence, first between the Shona and the Ndebele and second, between the Ndebele and B.S.A.Co in order to justify the destruction of Mzilikazi's state.

6. In 1893, white settlers invaded the Ndebele state. Ndebele forces tried to stop the white invasion at Shangani river but were over-powered by weapons of mass destruction.The Maxim gun (Isigwagwagwa) felled Ndebele warriors like trees. It was after this defeat that Lobengula (Mzilikazi's son and King of the Ndebele) set fire to his capital and fled northward before the whites entered Bulawayo on 4 November 1893.


I will pick it up from 1893 onwards, after the whites had entered Bulawayo.

[mel-mar]

Thank you very much for you reply. I thought the film was brilliant and have tried to find out more about the Zulu Nation, but with not much success. I will look forward to receiving the list of books Thank you once again

Margaret.

[Southerncomfort]

Thank you very much for sharing such a rich history of the Ndebele nation. Believe me this is one nation which is very proud of its culture and tradition. I have lived in Kwandebele (South Africa) south of limpopo of about eight years, completed my higher education there. so I know what I am talking about.

I am also happy that we finally hear from an ordinary citizen of Zimbabwe. We share the same experience. I mean for "apart-hate" to be successfull in SA, is because there where strong powers and people black and white who supported it and benefit from it. Also the rest of the world must understand that for Mugabe to be in power for so long was because He had friends outside Zimbabwe who supported him, the very friends who now are trying very hard to be Speak againts him.

We where lucky enough to have countries which supported us, in our struggle. Countries who financed our struggle during econimic sanctions. The youth which was agressive internally and The very few white businessmen and De Klerk, who where brave enough to visit ANC in Lusaka and realise that you cannot protech the wealth in the hands of few minorities while the rest of the nation is suffering

Zimbabwe problems where long created by western powers before Mogabe came into power. His beggest mistake was to think he is the only intelegent blackmen in Zimbabwe. He happens to be a perfect scape-goet for Blair. Trying to justify that blackmen must never own land. Either way Zimbabwe was already stripped of its own natural resources

The war veterans in zimbabwe are few ill informed people who used to benefit from the system, Now they have realise that their well has run dry.

[Magigwana]

When dealing with problems we must seek the problem cause. This, we can only achieve by seeping from the calabash of history which we must respect. Zimbabwe is the last remnant of civilisation in Southern Africa. The Portuguese who were granted by the Papacy (Roman Catholic Church) the powers to enslave, subdue and expropriate land of the heathens were responsible for the destruction of this once powerful, rich and peaceful Kingdom of Munhumutapa. We must never forget that the arrival of the Ndebeles in the western part of Zimbabwe occurred when the Munhumutapa Empire was experiencing an onslaught that had started from the time when Vasco Da Gama set foot on the shores of Mozambique. We must never forget that an attempt at first to convert the Mutapas (Kings) through a Jesuit by the name Da Silva failed leading to his death. Again we must never forget that the Portuguese later married into the Mutapa Kings and produced an offspring who later killed one of the Mutapa and usurped shortly the rulership of the Munhumutapa Empire. It is from this time that endless wars were fought.

South Africans of the black race must know that they are from Zimbabwe including the Ngunis who passed through Mozambique and settled in South Africa. Mozambique was a part of this glorious empire. The Sotho/Tswana also passed through Mapungubwe (near Musina) before they trekked into the interior. Mapungubwe was established by the descendents of the Mutapas. I have always been referring to Dzungudini a daugther of the Mutapa who is the founder of the Balobedu (Northern Sotho people) whose female descendents later changed to Modjadji. I have also spoken greatly about the vaVenda who also originated from Zimbabwe. Africans are the same from the same parentage. Africans are the true ancient Egyptians who are the founders of civlisation.

Ndebeles like most of the Nguni people must stop encouraging division in preference of their recent Mfencane history. It shall soon surface that Mfencane itself was a product of the Whites since they wanted to start moving into the interior (the Boers Great Trek). What Mugabe has done is good if it was done in an orderly fashion. Mugabe to me is a former puppet of the British Queen who is now trying to switch sides like most of the African leaders who are puppets of the west. Mugabe is a creation of the CIA,M16 and the Scotland Yard. His wartime credentials are suspect.

[ches]

Actually the Ndebele arrived in Zimbabwe because the split from Shaka and got the hell out of Dodge before he killed them for it. (Of course, they didn't hate to wait long before first Rhodes and then Mugabe interceded on Shaka's behalf.)

[uMgobandlovu]

sanibona bakwethu.mina ngimusha kulengosi ,ngihlatshwe umxhwele yingxoxo yezithakazelo.