6 The Ndebele State

THE NDEBELE STATE
-The Founder of the State was Mzilikazi son of, Matshobane and grandson of Zwide.
-Mzilikazi joined Tshaka under Zwide.
-He was a chief of a small clan called Khumalo.
-He suspected Zwide of the death of his father Matshobane.
-Mzilikazi was sent to recover cattle and he did not surrender the cattle to Tshaka and fled
north.
-He left Natal in 1821/ 1822 with 300 men.
-The name Ndebele was given as a nickname by Tswanas and means people of long shields.
-Mzilikazi increased his side through conquering and incorporating weak tribes such as the
Tswana and Suthuland some people voluntarily joined Mzilikazi.
-He was defeated by the Boers at Enthumbane in the Transvaal.
-The Ndebele crossed the Limpopo River in 1837 1840.
-In 1846 they settled at Inyati near Matopo hills.
-They easily routed the weakened Rozvi and brought adjacent Shona areas under their
control.
-They conquered Shonas such as the Kalanga and Venda.
Political Structures
King was pre-eminent in the Ndebele state. Mzilikazi was the supreme commander of the
army, highest judge with power over life and death. He was a religious leader who presided
over important religious ceremonies such as Incxwala.
King however didn 1846 and settled att rule alone but with two advisory counsels, the
Mphakati and Izinkulu indicating that king was not a dictator.
The Mphakati was made up of original Khumalo chiefs i.e. those who had left Natal and
knew Zulu military tactics.
These made the most important decisions although they could be vetoed by the king.
The Izinkulu was made up of other chiefs especially those who were incorporated in the
Ndebele state.
The Ndebele Economy
-Many European historians misunderstood or deliberately distorted the bases of Ndebele

economy.
-They argued that the Ndebele were nomads and therefore had lots of time for raiding the
Shona. This was not entirely true.
-The following were the basis of Ndebele economy.
-Herding was the most important economic activity owing to the fact that the Ndebele
initially were not permanently established in Matebeleland.
-The Ndebele kept large heads of cattle, sheep and goats.
-They acquired some of the cattle along the way while others were obtained through the
conquered Rozvi and others were received in the form of tribute from the Shona while others
were obtained through raiding.
-Agriculture- the Ndebele had fields in which they grew crops such as millet, sorghum, water
melons etc.
Agriculture was however, not very popular with the Ndebele because of climatic conditions.
Hunting and gathering - Hunting was very popular in the Ndebele state.
-Their kills ranged from large animals e.g. elephants and buffaloes to small species e.g. buck
and rodents.
-Men usually hunted while women concentrated on gathering.
-They gathered wild fruits, grass seed and insects. Gathering was important in the Ndebele
state as far as it supplemented organized agriculture.
-Trade - They traded internally i.e. amongst themselves and externally with the Shona
-The Ndebele traded their cattle and gold for grain, corn, cloth, iron, jewellery, beads etc
-Mining - The Ndebele occasionally carried out some mining activities to a limited extent.
-They traded gold with the Portuguese.
-Mining was done mostly in winter- after harvest when people didn’t
-This was the most it have much work in the field.
-Tribute - in the form of cattle, grain and to a certain extent women from those tribes under
their control
-Raids/plunder - They raided the subdued Shona tribes for cattle, women, young men and
grain.
-However, it should be realized that the Ndebele didn’t have much work in t always raid the
Shona.
Only those who lived near Ndebele settlements were raided occasionally such as the Shona in
the Masvingo, Mberengwa, Gweru and Kwekwe areas.
Social Organization
-The state was divided into 3 distinct social groups based on history namely:
Abezanzi
-These were the superior class which occupied most important positions.
-They formed the aristocratic ruling class.
-These were the original Khumalo who had left Natal and constituted about 15% of Ndebele
population ie. The Hadebes, Khumalos, Mkwananzi.
Enhla
These were 2nd most important groups in the Ndebele state.
They were Sotho and Tswana who joined the Ndebele on their way to Zimbabwe.
They occupied important military positions in the Ndeng state and they constituted about
25% of Ndebele population.
Amahole
-These were the least important in the Ndebele state.
-They were made up of the Kalanga and other Shona speaking people who were conquered
and absorbed by the Ndebele and made up 60% of Ndebele population.
-However, the hole who proved themselves in battle also occupied important military posts in
the Ndebele economy.
-Due to continued inter-marriage most of these groups lost their identities ie the Moyos,
Sibandas, Ncubes, Gumbos.
Ndebele- Shona relations
The myths and realities
-Many European historians wrote that the Ndebele always raided the Shona and that the
Shona were on the verge of extinction when settler colonialists came to Zimbabwe.
-They used this as an excuse to influence the British government to colonize this country and
the missionaries used this argument more than the ordinary settlers.
-The reason why missionaries encouraged the British government to occupy and destroy the
Ndebele Kingdom was because they had failed to convert a single Ndebele man.
-The truth of the matter is that there was co-existence between the Shona and the Ndebele had
the occasional raid as a common feature of this relationship.
-In the early stages of the Ndebele settlement i.e. between 1840 t always raid the Sh 1870 the
Ndebele were pre-occupied with their own security, internal problems such that they could
not always fight the Shona.
-It is also true that some Shona people never experienced Ndebele raids up to 1890 especially
those Shona people living north of Harare and Manicaland.
-Those Shona chiefs who refused to pay tribute e.g. Chief Chivi or Bere were major targets
for raids.
-Ndebele raids did not interfere with the economy of those Shona chiefs who paid tribute and
moreover some Shona chiefs aided the Ndebele and some stole or raided the Ndebele to
recover stolen cattle.
-The Ndebele actually encouraged good relations and there was some level of inter-marriage.
-The Ndebele adopted the Shona deity 1870 the Ndebele wemwari and followed the Shona
traditions of ancestral worship.
Decline of the State
-The Ndebele State declined due to the colonisation of Zimbabwe
-The Victoria Incident precipitated the Ndebele inversion by the imperialist forces.
-King Lobengula fled from the capital.
-They undertook a scotched earth policy (burned the capital).
-King Lobengula isa said to have later died from malaria in the Zambezi valley.
-The imperialists colonised Matebeleland.

6 The Ndebele State

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6 The Ndebele State

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THE NDEBELE STATE

-Mzilikazi joined Tshaka under Zwide.

-He was a chief of a small clan called Khumalo.

-He suspected Zwide of the death of his father Matshobane.

-He left Natal in 1821/ 1822 with 300 men.

-He was defeated by the Boers at Enthumbane in the Transvaal.

-The Ndebele crossed the Limpopo River in 1837 1840.

-In 1846 they settled at Inyati near Matopo hills.

-They conquered Shonas such as the Kalanga and Venda.

The Ndebele Economy

-Many European historians misunderstood or deliberately distorted the bases of Ndebele

-The following were the basis of Ndebele economy.

-The Ndebele kept large heads of cattle, sheep and goats.

-Men usually hunted while women concentrated on gathering.

-They traded gold with the Portuguese.

-This was the most it have much work in the field.

-They formed the aristocratic ruling class.

These were 2nd most important groups in the Ndebele state.

Ndebele- Shona relations

The myths and realities

Decline of the State

-The Ndebele State declined due to the colonisation of Zimbabwe

-King Lobengula fled from the capital.

-They undertook a scotched earth policy (burned the capital).

-The imperialists colonised Matebeleland.

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