The Sunday News
Among the Ndebele people, the concept of a capital town located permanently at one place did not exist. We point this out so that we dispel the myth that King Lobengula relocated from koGibixhegu/koBulawayo/eNyokeni/eNtenjaneni under pressure from white colonists.
The move, which took place in 1881, had nothing to do with the whites bent on colonizing the Ndebele State. If anything, the whites who lived close to the capital town followed him to the new place that retained the old name, koBulawayo.
Exceptions were the white LMS missionaries at Hope Fountain, and the Jesuit Catholics who relocated to establish eMpandeni Mission in 1885.
In our last article, focus was on the reasons for relocating the capital town following the demise of the last King. In this particular case, King Mzilikazi died in September 1868 and was only succeeded by his son Prince Lobengula in 1870. Reasons for doing that were furnished with most, if not all of them, relating to the metaphysical ideas embraced within the Ndebele Thought and worldview.
Relocation was however, not confined to the transition from one king to his successor. During the reign of the same king, the capital town was relocated.
This article seeks to unpack the reasons for doing that. At the same time, we shall seek the explanation for burning the old capital town, which Chief Magwegwe Fuyana did when they left Old Bulawayo in 1881.
It was all about the depletion of the natural resources around the old capital town. For that, we need to look at the various economic, cultural, military and spiritual activities that took place at the capital town, eSigodlweni/koMkhulu to appreciate the type of resources that were depleted.
There were numerous ceremonies and rituals that took place at the royal residence. The most prominent was Inxwala, the First Fruits ceremony where a large population of the Ndebele regiments and indeed ordinary citizens gathered to witness the playing out of the unifying ceremony, which was at the same time an expression of the loyalty of the regimental chiefs.
Before Inxwala was conducted, there was some prior dress rehearsal, which took place a month earlier. This was a ritual ceremony known as uMthontiso/iNtontisane. The conduct of Inxwala was discussed and requisite preparations made.
There was time also when there were military pass out parades at the royal capital. Young men who had been undergoing military training following their conscription were formally constituted into a new regiment. During the same occasion given a name.
At the same time, a chief appointed over them. The colour of their shields was decided upon as all of them had to have a distinctive colour for their shields, izihlangu.
All these activities demanded that the soldiers call at the king’s place. The numerous soldiers and citizens constructed temporary shelters, amadlangala/izihonqo out of tree branches. The population gathering there was large which meant several trees were cut down to provide both shelter and firewood.
Unavoidably, the natural resources were depleted over time. Further, there was soil erosion and depletion of water resources. The name of one river, namely Koce, bears testimony to that effect. The large royal herds would drink all the water, ukukhoca. Intemba Village under Chief Njojo, (meaning the sharp end of a spear) Mlotshwa was located in the vicinity.
In addition to the holding of the national ceremonies, the regiments departing on raiding expeditions did so from the capital town as a way of ensuring the King remained the centre of wealth and thus political power. Political power had to remain at all times in the hands of the monarch.
If various chiefs ordered raids they would, over time, become wealthy and wield political power that was likely to challenge that of the King. As a result, it was only the King who gave orders and authorization for a military regiment to proceed on a raid. The
King was the only person referred to as iKhuphampi because of his privileged position to sanction a raid. It was the same arrangement for regiments returning from raids, for humans (abesihlangu) and cattle. The booty, known as intundu (ekaSobukhazi Masuku) had to be surrendered to the King who presided over and supervised the distribution of captured cattle and children and sometimes adults. He made sure he took a fair share of the cattle and that translated to political, social and military power.
The regiments going out and coming back from raids depleted the natural resources in the same manner explained above. The environment would, over a long period, fail to sustain the national activities that went on at the capital town.
There came a time when it became prudent for the capital town to relocate. It should not be imagined that the capital town was the sole abode of the King, his queens and helpers.
Security and safety considerations demanded that there be other people, many of them, who lived close to iSigodlo within the Commoner Enclosure.
The population would have run into several hundreds. The implications for the natural resources are clear. That, plus the compounding activities referred to above, meant there was a great negative impact on the natural environment.
Periodic relocation was the answer, together of course with the King seeding his large herds of cattle to people beyond the core State, such as Chief Bere in Masvingo.
Quite clearly, King Lobengula would have relocated from the second koBulawayo even if the white colonists had not driven him out following the debacle at the Battle of Gadade where the crack regiment Imbizo and other regiments were in battle on 1
November 1893. Without colonial pressure, it is unlikely he would have remained there beyond 15 years. Let us now turn to the torching of the town following relocation. Here, once again, Ndebele Thought comes into play.
The key concept at play is one of representation. This is to say a part of an object represents the whole of it. That portion of it, if accessed by people knowledgeable in malevolent metaphysical science they will harm the whole object or person.
It was out of such considerations that royal excreta, hair, nails were carefully disposed of so that they would not fall into the hands of those who have the manipulative power to harm the monarch and thus the state itself.
The King was the State and the State was the King. Many royal portions were left behind when he relocated. The nails, hair and body grease were some of these.
The royal town, as explained in the last installment, was heavily fortified. For example, at Old Bulawayo, several figurines were unearthed from wooden palisade trenches.
These were izikhonkwane zomuzi. If the entire settlement were left intact many royal objects, passing as representations of the King and his royal town would fall into wrong hands. The victim would be the King and his State itself.
People behave, as they believe. Cultural practices are underpinned and informed by what people believe in, the way they perceive the world and the myriad of processes therein.
In the absence of a definitive and a wholesome understanding of a Ndebele worldview, cosmology and Thought, it is difficult to fully comprehend their cultural behaviour, more so when it relates to matters spiritual.
