Mzilikazi
Mzilikazi seems to have been popular with his subjects, and
he ruled successfully until his death in 1868, in contrast to the
fate of his contemporary Shaka. White missionaries, impatient
at his refusal to let his people go to work for them, often
portrayed him as a savage tyrant who ruled solely by terror,
but others - like the Scottish missionary Robert Moffat, got on
well with him and regarded him as intelligent and
statesmanlike. Matabele tradition suggests that he was
genuinely mourned as the "founder of the nation". Of course
nineteenth century African ideas of government will not
always appeal to modern tastes, and people were executed for
witchcraft, impaled, mutilated or fed to crocodiles. And
ruthless aggression against neighbouring peoples weak
enough to be exploited was par for the course. Even Moffat
admitted that Mzilikazi was responsible for "the desolation of
many of the towns around us - the sweeping away the cattle
and valuables - the butchering of the inhabitants". One of his
native informants recalled "the great chief of multitudes... the
chief of the blue-coloured cattle", who was so confident of his
strength that he had refused to flee when the invaders
approached, heralded by “the smoke of burning towns”. "The
onset was as the voice of lightning, and their spears as the
shaking of a forest in the autumn storm. The Matabele lions
raised the shout of death, and flew upon their victims… Their
hissing and hollow groans told their progress among the
dead… Stooping to the ground on which we stood, he took up
a little dust in his hand; blowing it off, and holding out his
naked palm, he added, 'That is all that remains of the great
chief of the blue-coloured cattle!'" Something of this
reputation remains to this day in southern Africa, where the
fearsome army ants, famous for their aggressive wars against
the local termites, are still known as "Matabele ants".
he ruled successfully until his death in 1868, in contrast to the
fate of his contemporary Shaka. White missionaries, impatient
at his refusal to let his people go to work for them, often
portrayed him as a savage tyrant who ruled solely by terror,
but others - like the Scottish missionary Robert Moffat, got on
well with him and regarded him as intelligent and
statesmanlike. Matabele tradition suggests that he was
genuinely mourned as the "founder of the nation". Of course
nineteenth century African ideas of government will not
always appeal to modern tastes, and people were executed for
witchcraft, impaled, mutilated or fed to crocodiles. And
ruthless aggression against neighbouring peoples weak
enough to be exploited was par for the course. Even Moffat
admitted that Mzilikazi was responsible for "the desolation of
many of the towns around us - the sweeping away the cattle
and valuables - the butchering of the inhabitants". One of his
native informants recalled "the great chief of multitudes... the
chief of the blue-coloured cattle", who was so confident of his
strength that he had refused to flee when the invaders
approached, heralded by “the smoke of burning towns”. "The
onset was as the voice of lightning, and their spears as the
shaking of a forest in the autumn storm. The Matabele lions
raised the shout of death, and flew upon their victims… Their
hissing and hollow groans told their progress among the
dead… Stooping to the ground on which we stood, he took up
a little dust in his hand; blowing it off, and holding out his
naked palm, he added, 'That is all that remains of the great
chief of the blue-coloured cattle!'" Something of this
reputation remains to this day in southern Africa, where the
fearsome army ants, famous for their aggressive wars against
the local termites, are still known as "Matabele ants".
Aggressors
But the Matabele were not always the aggressors. The Griquas
and Koranas from the south had horses and guns, and were said
to be the worst cattle thieves in southern Africa (quite an
achievement!) In 1831 they descended on the Matabele
settlements and drove off a huge herd. They might have been
surprised to encounter no resistance, but after three days riding
they decided that they had got away with it. After all, the
Matabele were entirely on foot and could hardly have followed
them undetected across the open veldt. So on the third night the
thieves had a feast and went to sleep. During the night a
Matabele “impi” - which had indeed kept up with them by
marching at night - surrounded them at a place now known as
Moordkop, or Murder Hill. Mzilikazi got his cows back, and
only three Griquas escaped with their lives.
In 1832 a Zulu "impi" or army attacked Mzilikazi's
headquarters while his warriors were away on a raid. The
subsequent battle was a draw, but the Matabele suffered serious
losses. Knowing that the Zulus were the one people he could
not intimidate, the king decided to take his people out of their
reach once. First he moved them a hundred miles to the west
into the Marico Valley, but in 1836 the vanguard of the Boers
"Vortrekkers" began to arrive there. Like his contemporary the
Zulu king Dingaan, Mzilikazi decided to strike first, but also
like Dingaan he failed to finish the job. At first the Boers were
taken by surprise and several of their camps were wiped out,
but most of the men escaped. A Matabele "impi" of around
3,000 men attacked the now concentrated Boers at the Battle of
Vegkop, but were unable to storm their wagon laager and were
driven off with heavy losses. Then the Zulus and Griquas
returned to the attack, and Mzilikazi realised that he could not
hope to survive on the High Veldt against such a combination of
enemies. He led his people north once again, this time across
and Koranas from the south had horses and guns, and were said
to be the worst cattle thieves in southern Africa (quite an
achievement!) In 1831 they descended on the Matabele
settlements and drove off a huge herd. They might have been
surprised to encounter no resistance, but after three days riding
they decided that they had got away with it. After all, the
Matabele were entirely on foot and could hardly have followed
them undetected across the open veldt. So on the third night the
thieves had a feast and went to sleep. During the night a
Matabele “impi” - which had indeed kept up with them by
marching at night - surrounded them at a place now known as
Moordkop, or Murder Hill. Mzilikazi got his cows back, and
only three Griquas escaped with their lives.
In 1832 a Zulu "impi" or army attacked Mzilikazi's
headquarters while his warriors were away on a raid. The
subsequent battle was a draw, but the Matabele suffered serious
losses. Knowing that the Zulus were the one people he could
not intimidate, the king decided to take his people out of their
reach once. First he moved them a hundred miles to the west
into the Marico Valley, but in 1836 the vanguard of the Boers
"Vortrekkers" began to arrive there. Like his contemporary the
Zulu king Dingaan, Mzilikazi decided to strike first, but also
like Dingaan he failed to finish the job. At first the Boers were
taken by surprise and several of their camps were wiped out,
but most of the men escaped. A Matabele "impi" of around
3,000 men attacked the now concentrated Boers at the Battle of
Vegkop, but were unable to storm their wagon laager and were
driven off with heavy losses. Then the Zulus and Griquas
returned to the attack, and Mzilikazi realised that he could not
hope to survive on the High Veldt against such a combination of
enemies. He led his people north once again, this time across
