umlando wakwaSibindi.
Mzilikazi was well welcome by the King and his people, appreciating his skills in battles etc. as a way of life at the time, tribes used to attack their neighbour if there is something they want and is in possession of others including cattles and if they feel they are undermined. Mzilikazi and his few men estimated at 300 used to be part of the troops of amaNdebele when they were attacking other tribes. As a believe amongst people that a real relationship is sealed with marriage, thus how Mzilikazi was viewed and treated.
He was given a princes to marry but he bemoan the fact that he does not have cattles to marry the daughter of the King. Mzilikazi then began to request some Ndebele backup to attack some tribe with an aim to get cattle’s so he can marry the daughter of the King.
After careful consideration Mzilikazi was allowed to make use of some Ndebele man. It is said he did that three times but on a third occasion he had already plan his escape.
On this occasion it is said he took the amaNdebele back up far away and when the sun was about to set he advise that they should rest. Is during this time that when everyone was relaxing, having some sorghum beer and meat, his men took the spear of amaNdebele and rap it with grass. Upon realizing that amaNdebele best trusted troops are now not in a sober mood Mzilikazi’s men surrounded amaNdebele while others have already went back home to kill the King.
When amaNdebele became aware that something is wrong they were already surrounded. Those who went back after completing their mission they set the entire royal kraal on fire also as assign to those in the bushes that they are done. They fled the area which clearly they have already mastered it having stayed full two years. The news of the assasination of the King spread fast necessitating amaNdebele regrouping and call for backup from neighboring clans including the Mayisa clan.
Together with King Sibindi’s uncle Mavula who was staying near Harthely they drove Mzilikazi’s troops past KoSoMazabanye/ Cullinan. That is why the praise song for the King says “Ngushlangu sidabula udaka mhlana abaNtungwa bawa ubusolokohlo KoSoMazabanye”.
However, Mzilikazi went away with thousands of young men and women hence he could not avoid calling themselves amaNdebele due to the high number of high contingent of people of amaNdebele descent. Also it was convenient for Mzilikazi because that was the best way deceiving those who were high on his heels.
But Mzilikazi fleeing from amaNdebele from KwaMnyamana he went east. When amaNdebele at KwaMaza received the news of King Sibindi assassination it was late. Mzilikazi had began attacking amaNdebele at KwaMaza in 1826 where he caught King Magodongo and his sons. He tied King Magodongo after killing all his sons and took him back Mkobola mountain river and tied him to the big rock and threw him alive to the river(isiziba). He took some of amaNdebele there though many had already ran away. Mzilikazi continue attacking all tribes on his way and by the time the boers and Batswana combine forces to drive him away he had already commanding a troop of more eighteen thousands people. He cross to Bachwanaland (current Bitswana). It is said Mzilikazi split his group into two there other group cross to Zimbabwe from the north while other from the west. That is how in Zimbabwe you find amaNdebele in large numbers but also all tribes of South Africa are there even though in less numbers. AmaNdebele arrive in Zimbabwe at Ntabazinduna in the land of the Khalanga/ Kgalaka.
At home in KwaMnyamana Mavula as an younger brother to Sibindi took over the reign during a mourning period of the death of the King and the mother queen. After a year in 1826 King Mavula relinquishes the reign back to the heir King Mdala.
Mzilikazi’s foot print is well visible even today. In his route to Zimbabwe you will find pockets amaNdebele began with Rustenburg, Botswana at Odi and some some went belong Zimbabwe to Zambia.
That is how Mzilikazi became a Ndebele instead of Mtungwa/ Khumalo. As to whether Mzilikzai is the founder of amaNdebele is the question well answered in the narrated history above and it should be treated as such. We hope writers will from now have guts to dig more about this than rushing to rap amaNdebele under Mzilikazi kaMashobane.
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