Allan Wilson slayer remembered

Mkhululi Sibanda, Assistant Editor
BATTLES are won and lost by generals.

In the event of victory, accolades are directed to the general and it seems this is the case with the Battle of Pupu where Ndebele warriors in defence of their State and King against colonialism girded their loins and took on the invading force under the command of imperialist Major Allan Wilson on 4 December 1893.

The colonial forces were in pursuit of King Lobengula who had abandoned his capital, koBulawayo following the defeat of his elite force, Imbizo Regiment at the Battle of Gadade. While the commander of the Ndebele forces on that victorious day, General Mtshana Khumalo befittingly got all the praise for outwitting the colonialists at Pupu situated across Shangani River in present-day Lupane District, not much is said about the warrior, Mdilizelwa Fuyana who through oral sources is believed to have in close combat delivered the fatal blow on Major Wilson. Maj Wilson was wiped out together with 33 other imperialist forces.

Gen Mtshana’s exploits have also since seen him granted National Hero status by the Second Republic led by President Mnangagwa, a fitting tribute to a military strategist. At the moment the story of Mdilizelwa Fuyana is probably a fading memory shared by his descendants gathered around embers of a dying fire in the evening somewhere in Matobo District, Matabeleland South Province where they are habitant.

However, his descendants say as the country marks 41 years of Independence heroes like him should also be remembered and this year the family is setting the ball rolling as it is preparing to hold a ceremony to celebrate the heroic exploits of their ancestor. They have chosen 21 August to erect a tombstone at his grave situated at Mbembeswana in Matobo.

“Mdilizelwa Fuyana was my great, great, grandfather and his story that he delivered the fatal blow to Major Allan Wilson at the Battle of Pupu in 1893 has been told from generation to generation,” said Chief Ngwemnyama Fuyana, the holder of the Mayenga chieftaincy whose roots are traceable to Mdilizelwa.

“Mdilizelwa was the son of Maphisa Fuyana, Chief of Isizinda Village /Regiment. He was part of Isizinda Regiment but as the soldiers were already greatly depleted by earlier encounters with the colonialists then at Pupu he fought under the command of Mtshana Khumalo who led the Ndebele crack regiment, Imbizo (eyayifunga ngomntanenkosi). It was the final stand by the determined warriors to defend the King and the State and the battle was won but unfortunately the war was lost and the mighty State crumbled.”

Chief Mayenga said with the Ndebele State having fallen with the demise of Imbizo at Gadade, the crack regiment of the State and with Isigodlo (Palace) set alight by Sivalo Mahlangu who had been sent by King Lobhengula, the Battle of Pupu was fought by remnants of the Ndebele regiments who were determined to die with the King.

Of the British South African Company (BSAC) mercenaries that were determined to capture the King, Major Wilson led the pursuing party while Major Forbes followed with the reinforcement and heavy machinery maxim gun (isigwagwagwa). The maxim gun had done untold major damage in previous battles at Gadade and Shangani.

“Major Allan Wilson was closing on the King’s party and crossed the Tshangane River while Forbes remained on the southern side of the river. The Ndebele warriors deployed on the southern part were led by senior commanders, Fusi Khanye and Manyewu Ndiweni while on the northern part of the river was Mtshana Khumalo assisted by Dakamela Ncube (isanuse) and Chief of Babambeni,” narrates Chief Mayenga.

“In brief it was this battle led by the courageous Mtshana Khumalo that struck a telling blow to Major Allan Wilson early in the morning. The rains had fallen all night and the Tshangane River was raging hence the Forbes party could not offer any help as they could not cross the flooded river. On the other side Fusi Khanye and Manyewu Ndiweni assisted by other senior indunas pushed Forbes backwards.

Allan Wilson was greatly outnumbered and outwitted by the Ndebele warriors who among them was my ancestor Mdilizelwa Fuyana who struck the fatal blow to Major Allan Wilson with a spear. This was, however, never amplified as it was a battle and again the fear of reprisals as the Ndebele State had been destroyed and hence the fear of white reprisals. The warriors had learnt from the previous encounters with the white defence and offensive machinery. The pursuers were completely wiped out.”

After the fall of the Ndebele State, Chief Mayenga said Mdilizelwa moved back to koBulawayo and was eventually settled at Centenary or Entabeni Emnyama the area around Figtree where he became Chief of Isizinda Village after the death of his father Maphisa. With the whites spreading their influence by taking fertile land and pushing blacks to the so-called reserves Mdilizelwa too was forced out. In 1912 he moved with his people to an area across the Tshatshane River known as Isizinda today.

“It’s in Matobo District, Matabeleland South, Zamanyoni Ward 19 today where some of his remnants are still found and they comprise mainly the Ndiwenis, Nxongos, Mafu, Masuku, Mguni, among others. He further moved on again around 1918 to an area called Mbembeswana. He finally passed on around 1944 and it is where his grave is, Entatshaneni,” said Chief Mayenga.

While his age was not exactly known when he passed on, typically of people of his generation, Chief Mayenga said he lived into his early 90s. By that time his son Mayenga had taken over the chieftainship.

“He could no longer carry out his duties effectively and so he handed it over to his son. It was during that time that part of his area was handed over to Chief Bango (by the District Administrator of the day) which included among others part of Isizinda area and Mbembeswana village where his grave is found.

“We unfortunately don’t have anything to show for his outstanding bravery. However, we made an attempt to the Government to change our chieftaincy to be named after him in 2018 through the DA’s office but nothing came of it.

Efforts were made again to restore some of the land that belonged to him as Chief of Isizinda but that has not come to fruition as we speak. We strongly believe that he was a hero for preservation of our Independence, an outstanding servant of the King and State.

(ldibha lako Mdilizelwa). We feel that is demeaning considering his stature.”

Chief Mayenga said his father, Chief Herben whom he succeeded named Maphisa Growth Point after their ancestor in the early 1970s. Maphisa was the father of Mdilizelwa. Maphisa Growth Point has since grown to be a mining town of some sort. It is also at Maphisa that a township is named Johanna MaFuyana, another descendant of Mdilizelwa.

“My aunt, the wife of Father Zimbabwe, Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo okaNyongolo was the great, great, granddaughter of Mdilizelwa,” said Chief Mayenga.

Tracing the family history, Chief Mayenga said his ancestor Maphisa moved with King Mzilikazi from KwaZulu during the Mfecane period. He described him as a very brave warrior who was very close to the King and earned the nickname ingwemnyama kaMzilikazi kaMatshobana mainly because of his bravery.

“We regard him as, ‘ingqalabukhosi’ bakoFuyana as he was the first to be when Mzilikazi settled in land between the Zambezi and Limpopo. He was a selfless man as well. This was highly indicated by him declining to assume the same position he held under Mzilikazi by suggesting to the new King, Lobengula that he should take his younger brother Magwegwe instead,” opines Chief Mayenga.

“Magwegwe was a genius and all the chiefs that came to King Lobengula first went through him and hence the moniker bestowed on our chieftancy as, ‘lnduna yezinduna’. We all are aware of the legendary Magwegwe. Maphisa was even recognized by the Rhodesian administration as there’s a township in Bulawayo (Isizinda township) and a school (Maphisa Primary) in the same township named after him.”

As for the current Chief Mayenga, he was inaugurated on 20 December 2007 by the then Governor of Matabeleland South Province, Cde Angelina Masuku who on that day was representing the then Minister of Local Government, Dr lgnatius Chombo.

The current chief was born on 25 July 1971 at Dakamela Clinic in Nkayi District. For his education he started his Grade One at Zamanyoni Primary School, which is the local school in his area of Matobo in 1979. As the war of liberation escalated schools were closed and he had to move to Bulawayo where he enrolled at lntutha Primary in Sizinda township before being moved to Mahlabezulu Primary in Tshabalala.

“l eventually was transferred again to Kezi Primary School as my father (Chief Herben Mayenga) was stationed there together with other chiefs. After independence it was back to Zamanyoni Primary School until l finished my Grade 7 in 1985. l did my Form 1 to 4 at Embakwe Boys High in Mangwe District after which I went to Matopo Mission for my ‘A’ levels,” recalls Chief Mayenga.

After school he did casual work at Edgar’s Distribution Centre in Bulawayo and that was in 1992 before finishing that year as a temporary teacher at Hlangabeza High and Guwe Secondary School in Nkayi. He then enrolled for a Diploma in Education at the then Gweru Teachers College. Between 1995 and 2000, he taught at Hadane Secondary School in Nkayi, a school named after the father of the late former Governor of Matabeleland North and National Hero, Welshman Mabhena.

In 2000 he left the country for South Africa where he changed professions as he started training as a fitter and turner at Scaw Metals, a leading Anglo-American company in the steel industry. He later on did a Higher Diploma ln Maintenance Management with Durban University of Technology. After Scaw Metals he moved to Coca-Cola canners where he later left to return home as his duties as a traditional leader beckoned.