The Ndebele people of Zimbabwe have offered four cows to the Zulus of South Africa as an apology for founding Ndebele king Mzilikazi’s insurgency against then Zulu king Tshaka some 160 years ago.
Prominent activist Nqabutho Mabhena broke the news in a social media platform this week claiming that he was witness at a church service when people claiming to be representatives of the Ndebele people offered the cattle to Prophet Mkhuseli Hadebe of the Revelation Church in Johannesburg on Sunday.
The offer was said to be a plea for peace and forgiveness from the Zulu by the Ndebele for Mzilikazi’s “misdeed” through the prophet in his capacity as a “man of God.”
The offer has however raised a major mayhem amongst the Ndebele people who have distanced themselves from it all.
In reaction, the Ndebele people in the country discredited the group claiming that it was never sanctioned by the people as they believe that Mzilikazi was justified in his move against Tshaka.
Three centuries ago, Mzilikazi, then a subject under Tshaka the Zulu king, was sent to raid a neighbouring tribe and bring it under the kingdom of the Zulus. After the victory, Mzilikazi took all the cattle and women from the defeated tribe and fled from Tshaka with the loot resulting in him settling and setting up the Ndebele kingdom in present day Zimbabwe.
As the country’s economic and political conditions take a turn, Zimbabweans, particularly the Ndebele have been finding their way down to South Africa as economic and political refugees.
As they return to South Africa, the Ndebeles have been struggling to get the South African government to give them citizenship on the grounds that they were originally from South Africa through Mzilikazi’s migration.
In follow up on the matter, ZimEye.com tried to get a comment from Prophet Hadebe but failed as his PA would not let the media to access the prophet.
The PA also refused to comment on the offering of the four cows claiming that offerings were a secret between the church and the persons making the offering.
It was not clear how and to who the prophet will remit the Ndebeles’ offering for peace with the Zulus.
7 Replies to “Ndebeles Offer 4 Cattle as Apology to Tshaka for Mzilikazi’s Notoriety”
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The problem is that there were no such a people as “the Shonas” in those days. So who really are we talking about? No history of Southern Africa in the 1800s and before talks about “Shonas”!!
They could do the same thing to the Shonas kkkk,,, I suppose the pple that deserve compensation were the ppl that were raided, raped, enslaved, pilaged traumatised and murdered!!! Why Tshaka? The victims never belonged to him, for Christ’s sake!!! This ranks among the most Very stupid thing I have ever read!!!!.
They could do the same thing to the Shonas kkkk,,, I suppose the pple that deserve compensation were the ppl that were raided, raped, enslaved, pilaged traumatised and murdered!!! Why Tshaka? The victims never belonged to him, for Christ’s sake!!! This ranks among the most Very stupid thing I have ever read!!!!.
Tell us South Africans who is a mokwrrekwere? Because history clarified it all
Tell us South Africans who is a mokwrrekwere? Because history clarified it all
This is nonsense really to say the least. Who are the Ndebele in this particular case, if I may ask? King Mzilikazi was not Ndebele but was Zulu. He left Zululand as a Zulu with Zulu people. The word Ndebele is a Tswana/Sotho word, pronounced Tebele, which they acquired along the way to the Transvaal as more and more tribes joined them. Tebele or Tebele therefore encompasses so many different language Communities including the ex-Zulus from Zululand. Now to ask the Basotho, or Khalanga or Xhosa and many others who today fall under the Ndebele umbrella to apologise for cattle is clearly wrong. Again the story about King Mzilikazi’s departure from Zululand is a half truth – there were genuine reasons which led to his departure. You cant just summarise it in this way and leave an impression that he was simply stealing cattle from King Shaka. That’s not true – there is more to how and why King Mzilikazi left. People must give proper context to historical developments and stop misleading the reading public, particularly the young!!
This is nonsense really to say the least. Who are the Ndebele in this particular case, if I may ask? King Mzilikazi was not Ndebele but was Zulu. He left Zululand as a Zulu with Zulu people. The word Ndebele is a Tswana/Sotho word, pronounced Tebele, which they acquired along the way to the Transvaal as more and more tribes joined them. Tebele or Tebele therefore encompasses so many different language Communities including the ex-Zulus from Zululand. Now to ask the Basotho, or Khalanga or Xhosa and many others who today fall under the Ndebele umbrella to apologise for cattle is clearly wrong. Again the story about King Mzilikazi’s departure from Zululand is a half truth – there were genuine reasons which led to his departure. You cant just summarise it in this way and leave an impression that he was simply stealing cattle from King Shaka. That’s not true – there is more to how and why King Mzilikazi left. People must give proper context to historical developments and stop misleading the reading public, particularly the young!!