The Ndebele were made of the several groups but those that settled in Central Africa were largely the Khumalo people who were Nguni speaking group led by Mzilikazi who was a great associate of Shaka and indeed one of the chief indunas in his age regiment.  He traveled from Zulu land through Transvaal in the 1830’s defeating the Tsotho and Tswana people until he finally settled in Central Africa forming the Ndebele kingdom after defeating the indigenous Shona people.

Political Organization

Mzilikazi established a centralized system of administration, the king in all cases had supreme powers whereby all the land, cattle and people belonged to him.  He was the supreme commander of the army and a chief judge whereby all the major decisions were made by him and he indeed determined life and death of his subjects.

The Ndebele state was divided into military towns which were built within 8 Km of the capital and each of these towns was under the control of an induna.  The town was grouped into four provinces and each was under a senior induna.

When a soldier left the army, he was allowed to marry and settle in a village near his town where he could carry out agricultural work and would be called upon in circumstances of a war.  These Indunas had both political and military powers and were answerable only to the king and indeed their administration centred on carrying out the orders of the king.

Militarily, the organization of the Ndebele was similar to that one of the Zulu and was therefore based on age regiments with fighting methods such as the cow-horn formation, the short stabbing spear which was used at close quarters and attacking the enemies by surprise.  These methods were greatly employed during the periods of raiding for slaves and captives.  This army was under the command of the king who was normally assisted by the Indunas who commanded various regiments throughout the kingdom.

Economically, the basis of the Ndebele economy was cattle.  It was the ownership of cattle that enabled man to make gifts, hold feasts and pay dowry plus making sacrifices to the ancestors.  It was to obtain these cattle that raids were carried out on other people and was also because of the emphasis on cattle that the Ndebele were constantly searching for highlands free from tsetse flies.  The power of the king and chiefs came from the control of cattle and men than from his control of land.

Apart from cattle, the Ndebele carried out some trade with the Shona especially exchanging grains for cattle which was a local trade; but by the second half of the 19^th Century  the Ndebele begun involving themselves in Long Distance Trade in other words they took gold and ivory to the coastal regions and exchanged these for European goods for example cloths, beads and guns.  The Ndebeles were later to use these guns in expanding and protecting their kingdom.

Another source of income for the Ndebele’s was cultivation of some grains and they carried out pastrolism.

Like in other centralized system, the economy of Ndebele was centralized  for it was controlled by the king who had powers to know the kind of business that was taking place in his kingdom and was always given detailed information concerning the casualties or births of heads of cattle in his kingdom which therefore made the economy central for it was greatly controlled by the king.

ECONOMIC ORGANISATION.

The Ndebele economy was a centralized one and all the economic resources were owned by the King. These included minerals, land, cattle and many others.

They raided their neighbours for mainly cattle which served them with hides and skins, milk, meat as well as for marriage purposes.

Some little trade was also done especially with the Portuguese and offered them Gold dust, slaves and Ivory in exchange for clothes and gunpowder.

They carried out agriculture and grew crops especially by the reserved forces. These included cotton, potatoes and pumpkins.

They also got tributes and taxes from tributary states, which came in form of gold dust, food, clothes and cattle. For example Shona.

Hunting was also done for example for elephants to get ivory and also getting food.

Little iron working was also done and they produced fighting weapons like spears and arrows.

They did animal keeping or rearing especially of cattle.

Social Organization

Socially, the Ndebele society was divided into three classes among which included the Zansi class which was greatly the aristocracy of the ruling class which was a composition of the original members of the Khumalo clan.

Next in, the importance were the Enhla who were greatly the Kalanga, Tsotho and Tswana captives who had been captured during the initial phase of the their transit northwards and had been integrated in Ndebele society.

The third class was that of the Holi who were Shona captives who were treated as slaves of the first and second class.

Another social aspect was marriage whereby different classes were not encouraged to marry from each other although the three classes could be mixed in the age-regiments irrespective of social station.

All the people were assimilated and spoke the Ndebele language Sindebele and regarded themselves Ndebele people, which created remarkable unity in the Ndebele kingdom.

There were also religious rituals which were performed to the “Mwari-high god cult” and almost in every part of the country there were different priests who represented this cult.  These priests were consulted by the king from time to time especially during the time of crisis or wars.  Whatever these priests said was thought to be true and obeyed.  Both the Shona and Ndebele people very much depended on and consulted the priests which brought unity among them and other tribes.  There were other religious cults for example Mpondoros.  The king was the ritual head of state and presided over national ceremonies.  There was an annual pumpkin festival “the Ankwalle” which initiated increased food production, reaffirmed respect for the ancestors and helped in paying homage to the king to enforce his power and authority.

 

THE COLLAPSE OF THE NDEBELE NATION

The Ndebele Kingdom lost her independence to the British in 1893 during the time of Lobengula. They were mainly two imperial forces that were interested in this Kingdom directly, namely:

First were the Boers who even signed a protection treaty with Lubengula in 1887 called Grobler Piet Treaty. Nevertheless the Grobler treaty was repudiated by the British at the Cape because they were interested in the same area. Therefore, the British sent John Moffat to secure a protection treaty again with Lubengula. Again, in 1888, the British sent another agent by the names of Charles Rudd. He secured a protection treaty with Lubengula called Charles Rudd Concession. Its terms will be analyzed later God willing. Lubengula tied his hands and accepted to sign the treaty but again his failure to fulfill its conditions or terms led him to the conquest of the Ndebele nation. Hence its collapse in 1893. Nevertheless, the collapse of Ndebele nation and its final loss of independence were caused by both immediate and long-term factors as seen below.

European imperialists had desire for Matebele land or Ndebele nation but Lubengula wanted to preserve his independence. More so, the British who had desire of painting the whole map of Africa red from Cape Town to Cairo yet, Ndebele nation was in their way.

The discovery of minerals in South Africa more so Gold in 1886 put the future of Ndebele nation at stake. After the discovery of gold in the Rand, Ihe British thought that central Africa where the Ndebele were, was flooded with gold, hence concentration of mineral seekers in Ndebele Kingdom and its loss of independence.

The economy of the Ndebele depended on raiding neighboring tribes yet some of them like the Ngwato and Lozi had collaborated with the British. This was un acceptable to the British and hence the Ndebele had to be fought.

There was internal disunity in the Ndebele Nation for example, Holi caste members were not happy with the Zansi and Enhala castes that always oppressed them. Moreover Lubengula was not liked by all the members of the royal family because of his hostile nature.

Ndebele provocative nature and their attack on the white settlements in Mashonaland. The Ndebele always regarded the Shona their tributary state yet when the whites came first settled there. The Ndebele attacked all the members of the first pioneer column, which forced the British to conquer the state by 1893.

Ndebele state, given its good climate and fertile soils was suitable for agriculture and white settlements. Hence, it had to be conquered.

Desire by Europeans to spread Christianity in Ndebele nation. Lubengula refused the European missionaries to preach Christianity in his Kingdom. European missionaries therefore advocated the break up of the Kingdom, which the British did.

Rival interests of the Portuguese, Boers and the British also put the future of the nation at bay. The Boers in Tranvaal wanted the area in order to block the British movement to the North. The Portuguese wanted the area in order to link Mozambique to Angola. The British wanted the area in order to fulfil their mission of painting the whole map of Africa red. So, the Ndebele nation could not be spared.

The role of Cecil Rhodes and the British South African company. Using the Company, Cecil Rhodes fought off other European interested parties, and the area was colonized by the British.

The various treaties Signed between Lubengula and the Europeans left the former tricked, confused, and could not even prepare properly to contain European threats. These treaties included Lockner treaties, Grobler, Moffat and Rudd concession of 1888.

The death of Lobengula created a power vacuum and demoralized the Ndebele fighters. When the British attacked Lobengula who fought desperately, escaped and crossed river Zambezi but died as result of small pox. Thereafter the Ndebele could not fight effectively and their independence was lost.

The outbreak of diseases especially small pox and rinderpest diseases just added their havoc. The Ndedele warriors, who were out of the nation by the time of the British arrival, came back when they had already caught small pox. They were weakened and could not defend the nation when the British striked.

The Ndebele had alienated its neighbours through raiding them. The Ngwato and the Lozi who were worst hit just joined the British against the Ndebele when the latter was attacked.

Lobengula was unfortunate that he ruled over militant people. This threatened white interests and they to approached the Ndebele aggressively.

The superior weapons which the British had backed up with a strong economy were just a menace to the Ndebele for their short stabbing spears and arrows were no match to the Maxim guns which the British carried.

The death of Ndebele envoys and chief Lomagudi whom Lubengula had sent to Shona to negotiate peace with the British just demoralized the Ndebele.