Lobengula Totally Explained

Everything about Lobengula totally explained

Lobengula Kumalo (1845-1894) was the second and last king of the Ndebele people, usually pronounced Matabele in English (or, linguistically more correctly, the nDebele). Both names, in the siNdebele language, mean "The people of the long shields", a reference to the Matabele warriors' use of the Zulu shield and spear.

Birthright

Mzilikazi (a.k.a., Umsaingaas), the first king of the Matabele nation, died in 1868 and the throne was to go Nkulumani, son of the king and his royal wife. But the young chief was mysteriously missing and this led the izinduna, or chiefs, to give the crown to Lobengula, another of Mzilikazi's sons but from an inferior wife. Several impis (for example, regiments) disputed Lobengula's assent and the question was ultimately decided by the arbitration of the assegai, with Lobengula and his impis crushing the rebels. Lobengula's courage in this battle led to his unanimous selection as king. South African Republic in 1886. Lobengula had granted Sir John Swinburne the right to search for gold and other minerals on a tract of land in the extreme south-west of Matabeleland between the Shashi and Ramaquiban rivers in about 1870, in what became known as the Tati Concession, however, it wasn't until about 1890 that any significant mining in the area commenced. Lobengula had been tolerant of the white settlers who came to Matabeleland and Mashonaland and he'd even go so far as to punish those of his tribe who would unjustly harm the whites. But he was wary about negotiation with outsiders and when a British team came in 1888 to try to persuade him to grant them the right to dig for minerals in additional parts of his territory, the negotiations took many months. Lobengula only gave his agreement to Cecil Rhodes when the king's friend, Dr. Leander Starr Jameson who had treated Lobengula for gout once before, secured money and weaponry for the Matabele in addition to a pledge that any people who came to dig would be considered as living in his Kingdom. As part of this agreement, and at the insistence of the British, neither the Boer nor the Portuguese would be permitted to settle or gain concessions in Matabeleland. The 25-year Rudd Concession was signed by Lobengula on October 3, 1888 and by Queen Victoria on October 20, 1889.

Matabele war

It soon became obvious that Lobengula had been duped and that the British team really intended to colonise his territory. The First Matabele War began in November 1893 and the British South Africa Company's use of the Maxim gun led to devastating losses for the Matabele warriors. As early as December 1893, it was reported that Lobengula had been very sick, but his death sometime in early 1894 was kept a secret for many months and the cause of his death remains inconclusive. The earliest accounts state it was smallpox, later it was diagnosed as dysentery, and some accounts mention poison, although this seems unlikely. Mlimo was assassinated by Frederick Russell Burnham, the American Scout working for Rhodes, and by October 1897, the white colonists had successfully settled in much of the territory known later as Rhodesia and Matabeleland was no more.
It has always been thought that King Lobengula died in 1894 but nobody knows where he went. When Lobengula went into hiding in 1893,after seeing much of his army and kingdom perishing he decided not to return. Cecil Rhodes waited for many months to hear from Lobengula but didn't receive any news. In the end,fearing that Lobengula might be organising another tribe, Rhodes decided to spread word that the King had died. Because he could shape and influence public opinion through his media empire, Rhodes spread rumours that Lobengula had given up and committed suicide by poisoning himself. It was then reported he'd dysentery. There were even columns that suggested the King had told all his comrades to "go and join Rhodes now,He will take care of you,i am powerless. Do everything he wants. He's your king now". This did work in Rhodes' favour, because most of the Ndebele people believed that Lobengula had died simply because their king was nowhere to be found. His hiding in exile proved to be the final nail in the coffin, so Rhodes convinced them to put their weapons down and surrender,which the Ndebele did. Not much was written or said about Lobengula's burial except that he was buried by his top commanders and close relatives. However, the few selected Ndebeles (handpicked by Rhodes himself) who were present at this "burial" say they were forced to attend and confirm to the everyone that the body was indeed of the King .They also claimed that the body couldn't possibly be of the King's because it wasn't as tall as him.Fearing a future Ndebele uprise,Rhodes decided to take Lobengula's eldest children away from Bulwayo to have them educated in Capetown. If you go to Bulawayo and ask any Ndebele today about Lobengula, they'd say to you,"Inkosi yanyamalala", which means "The King disappeared". >ref:gchinyemba=Molest The Natives>./

Background

The Matabele were related to the Zulu and fled north during the reign of Shaka following the mfecane ("the crushing") or difaqane ("the scattering"). Shaka's general Mzilikazi led his followers away from Zulu/Mthethwa territory after a falling out. They settled in what is now the south-western part of Zimbabwe, although claiming the sovereignty of a much wider area.

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