Nduna Films

Men.at Work

Black Umfolosi

LMC FC under 20 in the making on an away game at Plumtree. Its halftime with their caretake coach Hawu issuing a word of advice to the players. Next game...BeitBridge and Vic Falls.

These women prepare their tomatoes and veges for business without caring for their safety as a heavy duty truck passes by....neare Entumbane Complex Mall....Walala wasala....( pict by Ndumiso Ncube)

THE HELMS OF HOPE FOUNTAIN
by Gwenda Newton
5. LOBENGULA part 1 (picture shows Lobengula's wives)
On the death of Mzilikazi in 1868, his son, Lobengula (known as Jandu in his youth), succeeded him. Lobengula’s date and place of birth have never been confirmed, but it is generally accepted that he was born in the Marico District of the Transvaal, between the years 1834 to 1837. Fulata, his mother, was a daughter of Malindela, a Swazi princess. As a young man Lobengula was often in the company of white men. He frequently went hunting with George “Elephant” Phillips, who was a friend of Mzilikazi’s, and who was called “Playful Elephant” by Lobengula. He also went elephant hunting with Henry Hartley and his sons. Lobengula favoured western clothes and wore a “wide-awake” hat with an ostrich feather in it. (After his inauguration he reverted to traditional dress.) Unlike his people he rode a horse and carried a rifle. After the days hunting, Lobengula and the hunters would sit around the campfire re-living the hunt. On one occasion, Lobengula broke his arm and Hartley set it for him. The Hartley family had hunted north of the Limpopo River from 1859 but from 1865, after obtaining Mzilikazi’s permission, they hunted in Mashonaland, North of Matabeleland. While there, they came across ancient gold-diggings. Henry Hartley told Karl Mauch, a Geologist, about his find and in 1866 Mauch accompanied Hartley to the area (now known as Chigutu and previously called Hartley after the hunter). A year later, in 1867, they returned to hunt, and confirmed the presence of gold. Mauch announced the find to the Transvaal Argus in Pretoria, and the announcement created worldwide interest. In the same year “Elephant” Phillips and Westbeech accompanied Lobengula and a raiding Impi to the Mazoe area in Mashonaland. On their return they were told that Mzilikazi was dead. The neighbouring Mashonas were frequently attacked by the Matabele who took their cattle and their young men and women for slaves. Some of the young men were later absorbed into Matabele regiments.

Lobengula’s succession was contentious, as the heir apparent, Kurumane, had disappeared. When Thomas Baines (the artist, explorer and the first person to obtain a mineral concession in Mashonaland) was in Natal in 1869 he was asked to deliver a letter to Lobengula from the Governor of Natal. The letter stated that Kurumane was working for Theophilus Shepstone, Secretary for Native Affairs for Natal, under the name of Kanda. Shepstone was an ambitious man and it may have been that he had a hidden agenda in identifying Kanda as Kurumane. Lobengula replied to the Governor in August 1871, in a letter written for him by Baines, and set out the gist of the controversy:

To His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor of Natal.
Greetings and friendship.
I LoBengula, chief of the Matabili nation, have to acknowledge the kind and friendly message brought to me by Mr. Baines, and I return to you my best and most sincere thanks for the friendship and service you have rendered me and hope that Your Excellency will continue to favour me in the same manner when occasion may require.
With regard to the message Your Excellency has sent me respecting a person said to be Kuruman, I cannot now listen to it, as I have reliable information from my own people that the true Kuruman was not sent out in the usual manner, but was killed in this country by order of Umziligazi
After the death of Umziligazi there were two opinions in the country, the first that search should be made for Kuruman, the other that he was dead. Search was accordingly made for Kuruman in every direction, and to such an extent that messengers from this country reached Natal and saw the person to whom You Excellency refers, and they declared he was not the real man.
The Matabili then came to me and said, “ You are, according to your birth, the next heir of your father, Umziligazi, and we require you to take upon yourself the chieftainship of our nation." This request was made to me in the winter of 1869, about the month of July, and I declined to comply with it as long as there was a hope of Kuruman being found.
I attempted to go out myself to search for my brother, and I applied to Mr. Jewell [Baines’s partner in the South African Gold Fields Exploration Company] to give me guides and assistance to reach Natal, but he did not feel at liberty to supply these in the absence of Mr. Baines. All the white men know that I made every endeavour to find my brother, and I refused the chieftainship until my people threatened that they would break up as a nation and disperse themselves among other tribes.
My father Umziligazi gave orders for the destruction of the kraal at Inthaba Isinduna, to which Kuruman’s mother belonged. I myself, being a child, was in the village, but was saved by Guabalanda, Induna of the Umthlathlangela, who hid me from the massacre. It was however found that Kuruman was not there but at the kraal of Zwong Endaba [Zwangendaba], and my father sent a Basuto, named Gwabaiiyo, to call him. He came with his servant Gualema, not expecting danger, and Umziligazi ordered the Basuto to take him out and kill him. This Basuto is still living in this country.
After this Guabalanda had a very serious argument with Umnombata, asking him why he had advised, or allowed, Umziligazi to kill Kuruman and destroy his heir and the hope of the Matabili nation. After the death of Kuruman Gualema ran to Zwong Endaba and reported the fact. Then Umziligazi sent for Munto, his son, and Umthlabba, Umnombata’s son, and had medicine given them, according to Matabili custom, because their companion Kuruman was killed.
Now when these witnesses, Gwabaiiyo and Gualema, were called before the council of the nation, about August, 1869, Gwabaiiyo said the king’s orders to him were, “You must not stab him with an assegai; you not must strangle him with a riem [leather strip]; you must not bruise him with a keerese [knobkerrie/club]; but you must take his head in your own hand and kill him by twisting his neck so as to dislocate it” – and he said he killed him according to these orders.
Gualema at the same time disputed the manner of Kuruman’s death, and said Gwabaiiyo did not adhere to the orders of Umziligazi, but took bark off a tree, twisted it into a rope and strangled him by twisting this about his neck. He also broke his keerie in striking Kuruman, but both agreed that he was put to death.
It was the younger people who thought that search should be made, but the older ones, who knew the facts, said, “How can one rise from the dead and be sent out of the country? With whom was he sent, or could a child go so far, or pass through so many enemies as the late king must have made in his progress from Marico.”
Umnombata knew also from the first that Kuruman was dead, yet nevertheless, for the satisfaction of the nation, he had consented to the search, and now a letter was received by our missionaries [Sykes and Thomas of Inyati] from Natal in which it was stated that the person living there denied that he was Kuruman, but said that he had known him during his childhood. When Elijah and Mr. Le Vert [Arthur Levert, who took over the management of the London and Limpopo Company from Swinburne] came up, they said they had seen him and questioned him about Uboothooli, a brother of Kuruman, who was killed at the kraal of Inthaba Isinduna. He seemed to be perfectly ignorant of this, and of many other circumstances which the real Kuruman ought to know.
Up to the time when the testimony I have mentioned was brought before the council of the nation, I was myself one of those who doubted whether Kuruman was not alive, and I exerted myself to search for him, and before I applied to Mr. Jewell, I had already taken six attendants, of whom Umlomo Ngaba, Induna of Ignama (the Ram) was one, and attempted to go out by way of Zoutpansberg, but was taken ill on the road and was obliged to turn back; but I gave my party a black and white ox for provision on their way. They proceeded as far as the place of the Signor Albucini [Joao Albasini of Schoemansdal in the Zoutpansberg area], and then they were told it was unsafe for them to go further, as the tribes in advance were enemies of the Matabili.
When Mr. Le Vert went down to Natal the first time I gave him a large ox in token of friendship and requested him to seek for Kuruman, because it was my brother and blood-relative that I wished to find.
In the face of this testimony both from natives and from white men of whom enquiries had been made, I could no longer refuse to comply with the request repeatedly made by my people, and I consented to accept that dignity which, after Kuruman’s death, was mine by birthright.
In February of 1870 [Baines gives the date as 24th January 1870] I was duly installed in the place of my father as chief and king of the Matabili nation. 10 000 warriors were present at the ceremony and many more had paid their homage and departed. A few remained disaffected, but I was patient and said, “Why should I kill my own people?” although the Zwong Endaba, the chief of the disaffected tribes, had frequently made prisoners of men who were loyal to me and had killed two of them.
I avoided all cause of quarrel as long as possible, but at length I was accused of having taken cattle belonging to the Zwong Endaba. I went to their village in person to deny the charge. I did not call up a regular army, but my people gathered and followed me of their own accord. As soon as the Zwong Endaba saw me coming they armed themselves and prepared for war. I sent a messenger, named Umthlatoosa, a petty chief, to say that I wished to speak with Umbeko, the chief of the tribe, but Umbeko at once declared war and sent him back. I then went to speak in person and as I came within range they fired on me from the village.
The people who were with me had not even their war-shields or dresses, but as soon as they saw me in danger they charged with the weapons they had to defend me. After some partial repulses my people forced the entrance and defeated the rebels, and as soon as victory was gained, I gave orders that slaughter should cease and that no one should be killed after the battle was over, because my heart was not for blood. I did not want to shed more than I was compelled, although the war had been forced upon me and I was compelled to fight to defend myself. The survivors I forgave freely and sent them into other regiments. I have now also subdued all other disaffected persons in my country and my nation is now at peace.
Your Excellency will see from what I have said how loath I was to accept the dignity of sovereign of the nation but, having once consented to do so, I must to the best of my power show myself worthy of the trust reposed in me and not lightly resign my high office.
I beg to assure Your Excellency that I shall appreciate the just and proper course you have pursued in not taking part in a dispute which properly concerns the Matabili themselves, and in desiring the subjects of your Great Queen to remain neutral, and I further beg of you not to give encouragement to the person calling himself Kuruman to disturb the peace which now exists in my country by raising war and bloodshed in it. I shall not begin war. I wish to remain in peace, but if I am attacked I shall defend myself as becomes the king of a nation of warriors like the Matabili.
I am the friend of white men. I am opening my country to them, and I hope in years to come that lasting friendship and advantageous in*******se will be established between us.
I have again to thank Your Excellency very much for the Friendship you have shown to me and to the Matabili nation in forwarding information and advice of so much importance to me and them, and hoping that the friendship between the Matabili and the British people will never be interrupted, but increase as our in*******se becomes more general and frequent, I beg to assure you that I remain
Your Excellency’s very sincere friend
LoBengula
+ His sign manual
King of the Matabili nation

When this letter was written the inauguration of Lobengula, as king of the Matabele, had already taken place. Thomas Morgan Thomas was present and gives this description of Lobengula’s reluctance to become king and his final acceptance:
As for Ulopengule, when first informed by Umcumbata that he was the real heir to the throne, he became so alarmed, and con¬vinced of the existence of a plot against his life, that he escaped from his own town, and riding about fifty miles, took refuge at our house. Three days after, being rather doubtful of the propriety of sheltering him, and having been advised by parties in whose judgment I had the greatest confidence, I prevailed upon him to return home. He would do so, however, only on the condition that I would accompany him, and ascertain from the ruling chief what was the real state of affairs in respect to him. Satisfied with the result of my enquiry, he remained at home.

Then ensued some weeks of daily communications carried on between Umcumbata, who was at Umhlah-lanhlela, the capital of the country, and the prince, who remained at his own town. During this time Ulopengule was initiated in all the laws and customs of the tribe, examined, abjured, and lectured, just as the aged chief deemed necessary, in order that thus he might be prepared for the coronation day. As that day drew near, the prince was consulted in matters of importance, and invited to go to the capital in order to assume the reins of government. Declining to do so, and treating the messengers very unkindly, Ulopen¬gule alarmed the old chief; and for a time the latter seemed quite discouraged, and to have given up the attempt. At length, however, it was resumed, and a number of the leading izinduna of the land brought a few oxen to the prince, which were intended to propi-tiate him. After a very long and spirited debate between them - the prince charging the izinduna with having departed from the policy and customs of their forefathers, and dishonoured him by believing that he was not the rightful heir, and seeking another king; and they, on the other hand, urging that the error had arisen from the silence of the late king in respect to his successor, and the false report which had come from Natal - he consented to become their king.

The time for the inauguration having arrived, the chief men of the larger number of the Amandebele towns, together with their soldiers, left their homes and came to the neighbourhood of Umhlahlanhlela. They were obliged, on account of the want of accom¬modation in the town, to encamp in the fields; and their izihonqo(encampments) soon covered every elevated spot near the capital. The custom of the Amandebele upon the occasion of the inauguration of their king in his office, is to fetch him from his own town, and lead him in triumph into the capital. Consequently on the 22nd of January, 1870, the said izinduna and soldiers appeared at Utjotjo, Ulopengule's town, with the view of fetching him "ugu yi tata," or to take him, as they call this part of the business. It was about nine o'clock in the morning, when great clouds of dust were observed ascending towards the skies about a mile to the south of Utjotjo, and the approach of the mighty army soon became known to the people of the town. Now, a very great lamentation was set up by the prince's wives, children, and other relatives who were present, which continued in a greater or less degree until the evening. The army rapidly advancing, was soon near the town, and passing at a quick march on the east side, in a short time stood in battle array on the north, about half a mile distant. When thus situated, it presented a figure of a half moon or semicircular shape, and extended about a mile from east to west. Not understanding exactly what this movement meant, our position, situated as we were with our wagons, between the assembled soldiery and their heathen prince, seemed rather perilous, and at first we felt a little uncomfort¬able. The king, however, telling us that there was not the least danger or cause of alarm, soon removed our apprehensions. Five hours were spent in making the arrangement for starting, during which time two staffs of officers continued incessantly running between the prince and the army. Before long the whole army began to dance and sing, and as the time drew nigh for making a start, the dance was augmented, the song swelled, and the army slowly advanced towards the town. All this was done at the prince's command and at two o'clock in the afternoon the whole army, fully armed, found itself before the gate-way of the large cattle pen, or kraal. It touched the hedge on the north side of the gate-way, and extended in a curved shape twenty deep, about quarter of a mile towards Umhla¬hlanhlela. The leading men on both sides then commenced a warm debate, which was continued for about half an hour. The chief speaker on the side of the prince was Utjwabalala - the nearest living male rela¬tive of the royal mother; and the chief speaker on the side of the people was Uputaza, the nearest living adult male relative of the late king. Utjwabalala during this debate made several demands upon the people for the umfana, or boy, as he called the prince. Such demands were for the country, the cattle, and their own obedience. Uputaza, on the other hand, promised all this, and urged his friends to deliver their king up to them, that they might take him home to the great city. The two parties having agreed, the prince mounted his horse, and accompanied by ten white men, who at his earnest request had presented themselves also on horseback, rode out of the kraal, made a rush at the ranks, and returned into the pen. Then, turning his steed round, he darted away at full speed towards Umhlahlanhlela.

Led now by their prince, the six or seven thousand soldiers, in high glee, covered the country for a mile in every direction, dancing and singing the whole way from Utjotjo to Umhlahlanhlela. Before entering the town, a consultation was held between the new comers, as they were called, and the citizens, during which time Ulopengule, with his life guard, stood under a tree nearly surrounded by the dancing and singing crowds. An ox was brought and presented to him, and by this act he was invited to enter the city, which he did by the north gate. Proceeding to the goat kraal - the holy place of the Amandebele, he was welcomed by an aged blind man called Umtamtjana, who acted now as the high priest of the tribe. This man, by instructions, ceremonies, and charms, pre¬pared the prince for the coronation time, and purified all the huge earthen pots and wooden bowls and dishes before the approaching festivities. As for the amatjaha (soldiers) they numbered about seven thousand, and constituted a semicircle within the cattle kraal. This semicircle was about twenty deep, each one with his shield of ox-hide, ornamented with a couple of spears, a centre supporting-rod clothed at the point with the tail of the jackal in his left hand; a long staff in his right, an ample cape of black ostrich feathers, or a bandeau of yellow otter skin, and a blue crane feather fixed in front of it, on his head. His arms and legs were ornamented with brass bangles, threaded beads, or tufts of white ox-tails, a tippet of the fine umpila cat skin covered his shoulders and chest. Bulky kilts of strips of various wild animals’ skins were fastened round his waist, and hung loosely round his hips. To a looker-on from the adjacent hillock, where I stood at the time, the view was a fine one. The motley, moving, mighty mass of people pre¬sented themselves with their black and white, red and white, speckled, or other colored oblong shields (accord¬ing to their regiments) in their left hands, and long staves in their right, swelling their songs of praise to their illustrious ancestors and former kings, like the chanting of a great cathedral, while with their feet, as they lifted them in turns from the ground, the time was kept. Whilst thus formed, dressed, and engaged, the whole multitude moved from one side to the other, like the trees of a forest in a strong breeze. One veteran soldier after the other leaped out of the ranks, holding his shield in readiness to defend himself against an imagined foe, and rattling it in his face; at the same time vaunting his expertness in battle, evading armed assailants, leaping over fallen ones, struggling to stand as if hard pushed, then plunging his spear into one after the other, until the whole number of those killed by him were counted. He pointed with his spear, as he repeated his attacks, towards the localities in which his exploits had been achieved, and a deep sneering groan from the whole army, in imitation of the dying ones, accompanied each thrust. To complete the engagement of the day Usibandabukali (one of the izinduna), in a spirited speech, showed that Ulopengule was the rightful heir, denouncing all pretenders and opposers of their new king, and shouting to the people he said, “Nansi inkosi yenu” (There is your king.) Ubukweli and other izinduna, having thanked him for the news, and praised the king, the first day was over; and Ulopengule, his life guard, and white friends left, and returned to Utjotjo. The army followed them half the way, dancing, leaping, and singing all the time.

The next day being the Sabbath, all was quiet, but on Monday morning, the king, dressed in a new suit of European clothes, a veldt hat upon his head, under the band of which was fixed a long beautiful blue crane feather, and a bright red - and - yellow handker¬chief binding the whole, rode out of his own kraal. Accompanied again by the European missionaries and traders, he proceeded to Umhlahlanhlela, where on arriving, he was received with deafening shouts of joy and praise. He proceeded at once into the goat kraal, where he began to assume the reins of govern¬ment, performed the first acts of a priest, and dis¬charged the duties of the representative of the people before their gods. Umcumbata, the regent, and Umtamjana, the high priest, having entered, and in a few words, informed him what to do on the occasion, he stood up, and viewing a number of picked black oxen brought there from several towns for his service, he prayed to the spirits of the former kings of the tribe. He addressed each one by name, offered him an ox, enumerated his good qualities, informed him that now he was to succeed him in the government of the country, and solicited his guidance and assistance in this responsible and important office. “Nansi yako Umzilikazi,” (There is thine, Umzilikazi) said he pointing to the ox. Then came that of Umatjobana, his grand-father, next that of Ulanga, his great grand-father, and then others, until he had named all the gods to whom the oxen were offered. These, together with two he-goats, were the first to be speared, skinned, and cut up, all of which his majesty super-intended. Then followed and fell a number of oxen of various colours, until the whole of the goat kraal, large though it seemed, was actually filled with dead cattle. The oxen marked out for slaughter being mixed with others outside the gate, Umcetjwa, one of the great izinduna, taking his spear, stabbed eight or ten of the wrong ones. This he did so quickly - lay¬ing each ox upon the ground with one stroke behind the shoulder - that their owners, although on the spot, never noticed him until all was over. The slaughter¬ing of sixty oxen, wild as they were, the skinning, cutting them up, and carrying the meat into the appointed royal huts in the isikohlo was an exciting scene of hard work. The meat was arranged in the different huts for the night, in order that during the hours of darkness, the spirits of those men to whom it had been offered might come and sanctify it.

The next day, the beef of thirty oxen having been cooked for about nine hours, in huge earthen pots, was brought in very large wooden dishes, each borne by two or three men, and placed before the king upon the ground in the centre of the cattle kraal. When it had all been arranged by him, a quaint little man leaped out of the crowd, and with his shrill voice, cried as directed by Ulopengule, to each regiment in its turn, saying, “A yi bambe inhlovu!” (Let it take hold of the elephant) meaning the regiment to take hold of the large quantity of meat of which it was invited to accept. The moment the name was uttered, the party rushed at the meat allotted to it, and ran away with the dish - helter-skelter - back to its place. Then ensued a barbarous scene - about seven thousand men tearing at the flesh, like so many ravenous wolves. Here was a shoulder of beef, there a leg, each trembling between a dozen men's teeth. In one place a party was seated on their heels in a circle round a rump in an umgano (wooden bowl), with their fingers fixed in the boiled flesh and pulling away pieces as large as their fists, and soon demolishing them; while in an¬other direction several were seen, each with a lump of meat in his hands as large as his head. The only man who did not eat of the meat was the king himself; he went home hungry. The rest of the raw meat was disposed of the next day in a similar manner.

The second stage in the inauguration was to build a new town, which would be the capital, and which in time would supplant Umhlahlanhlela. The site for it was a stony plateau, the centre of which stood about two miles to the east of the old capital, elevated about five thousand feet above the sea, surrounded by abundant bush, grass, and water, and on these ac-counts well suited for the ends in view. Arriving on the spot we found an isikohlo (royal court) constructed, in which there were three temporary huts, - one for the king, and the other two for two of his nearest female relatives, on the mother’s side; also a small enclosure, meant to be the sanctuary: and the cooking and wooden vessels which were left by his father. Into this isikohlo the king, with his only sister by the same mother, entered, now separating himself, for a time at least, from his four wives and all his children and living thus for about three months, until all the rites and ceremonies connected with the remaining part of the inauguration were observed. Among these were the putting away from him every garment which before now had in any way touched his body; sacri¬ficing oxen and he-goats to the worthies of former times; purifying himself by charm-water, anointing with oil, and dressing in karosses (skin-robes). Unable to see all the performances of Umtamtjana and his son, who were acting the parts of priest and high priest at present, it was impossible to learn, from a people so averse to be questioned as the Amandebele (especially their priests, whose power and success are to be largely attributed to their great caution and reserve in respect to their profession), what all this meant. Very absurd, however, did the king seem, when on successive days he came out of the goat kraal, in a state of almost entire nudity, with his whole body painted like the wolf, wild dog, or spotted leopard, or, dressed with the skins of some such animals.

This purifying process continued about six weeks, at the end of which period he put on a new suit of European clothes, and was now considered competent to receive the sovereignty, and to rule the land. In the mean time, better huts had been built in the isikohlo for the use of the king's nearest relatives, while the late king's wagons and other property had been hauled from Umhlahlanhlela, and handed over to Ulopengule.

On the 17th March, 1870, in the presence of about six thousand people, Umtamtjana gave the king a charge, in which he dwelt upon the laws and customs of the tribe, and the responsibilities and difficulties of the present government of the country. Umcumbata delivered up the cattle, people, and land of his father unto him, saying, “There is the country of thy father, his cattle and his people - take them, and be careful of them: those who sin, punish; but those who obey, reward.” So Ulopengule was henceforth the king. He was now the owner of the people, as well as of the cattle and the land; but he must provide and protect, as well as govern them. He had absolute power, but he must pay due attention to the traditions, customs, and opinions of the people. At his bidding, all ranks must immediately present themselves at head quarters, proceed to war, punish offenders, journey to a distant land, or dig his gardens; but a portion of the spoil, provisions for the journey, or food whilst en¬gaged in the work, must be given them by his majesty. The soldiers, who, in rude huts like ill-made hay c***s, irregularly laid out into villages, had now lived with the king about two months, generally engaged in the great dance, sang the praises of the nobles of former days, and now and then added a stanza of their own production to the honour of their new sovereign. Or, squatted around a number of fires, watching with much interest the clay pots full of flesh, which, with lids closed up with cow dung, were sim¬mering in the centre, they began to depart for their respective homes. But the king, with his life-guards and a number of his most faithful chief men remained at the town.