Zwide kaLanga

Zwide kaLanga (* around 1758 , † around 1820 in Nongoma ; briefly Zwide ) was the leader ( Inkosi ) of the Ndwandwe , who belonged to the Nguni . His empire was a victim of the Zulu ruler Shaka .

Life

Zwide's father was the head of the Ndwandwe, Langa kaXaba, his mother was Ntombazi. He ruled an area around Nongoma. Zwide subjugated the Khumalo with their chief Matshobana kaMangete, whose son Mzilikazi later fell out with Shaka.

South of the area was the Mthethwa Confederation , ruled by Dingiswayo . When the latter joined forces with the Tsonga in order to be able to trade with the Portuguese on Delagoa Bay , Zwide attacked them in 1817. Zwide managed to kill Dingiswayo in battle. Presumably Shaka - Dingiswayo's general - had betrayed him to Zwide. But Shaka, who attacked the Ndwandwe, pushed into the resulting power vacuum, although his army was clearly outnumbered. In the "Battle of Gqokli Hill" Shaka almost achieved a victory. 7,500 Ndwandwe warriors, including five of Zwide's sons, were killed. However, Zwide and the surviving soldiers managed to flee northwards. In 1819 Zwide undertook a campaign against the Zulu. Shaka had the Ndwandwe march into his area and responded with guerrilla tactics. Due to a lack of material, the Ndwandwe finally had to retreat in early 1820. Shaka defeated them in the "Battle of the Mhlatuze River" by driving a wedge into Zwide's army while crossing the river. Zwide was killed shortly afterwards by the Zulu in Nongoma. This is when Mfecane began . After Zwide's death, individual Ndwandwe groups moved to areas to the north, while the remaining Ndwandwe were killed or assimilated by the Zulu.

Two grave lies in an unknown place in Nongoma.

Others

One tree in Nongoma is known as Zwide's Tree . Zwide is said to have held judgment under the tree.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Dingiswayo's portrait at sahistory.co.za (English), accessed on February 22, 2014
2. ^ History of the Ndwandwe (English), accessed on February 22, 2014
3. ↑ Name of origin of the South African communities (English), accessed on February 22, 2014
4. ^ Report from Zwide's descendants , accessed on February 22, 2014