KwaZulu-Natal is lapped by the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, with its subtropical coastline, extensive savannah in the east and the magnificent Drakensberg mountain range in the west, it generously caters to almost every conceivable taste.
Known as the Kingdom of the Zulu, KwaZulu-Natal is a melting pot of African, European and Indian cultures. This province has two World Heritage Sites, the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park and the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park. KZN offers fantastic beaches, sunny weather, playgrounds, rolling green hills, numerous sugar cane plantations and relics of the great battles in South African history.
Traditionally a popular holiday destination for out-of-town tourists who flock to its sandy beaches and glorious waves, KwaZulu-Natal is South Africa’s busiest local holiday destination.
The man who ruled over the Zulu clan at the time of its greatest glories, who had led its growth from a small clan to become the dominant power on the coast of south-eastern Africa, was called Shaka.
At the beginning of each winter, the conquering Zulu regiments would gather in their ancestral lands to pledge new conquests with the salute: “Ngathi impi” – “Thanks to us, the war.” The man who ruled over the Zulu clan at the time of its greatest glories, who had led its growth from a small clan to become the dominant power on the coast of south-eastern Africa, was called Shaka. He was a fierce and militaristic king, who contributed to the murder of a million people.
But to understand the man we know today as “King Shaka,” we have to understand the driving force that made him the remarkable leader that he was.
Shaka’s mother was the daughter of a deceased chief of the eLangeni clan and her name was Nandi. Shaka’s father was a chief of the small Zulu clan, then unknown, and his name was Senzangakona. Three months after they met, Senzangakhona learned that Nandi was pregnant. A failed marriage forced Nandi to return to her tribe, but she was less welcome there than she was with the Zulus. Shaka grew up without a father among people who despised his mother and him. He grew up lonely and bitter with his only companion being his mother, whose life was also miserable. The smart and naturally sensitive boy knew of his royal blood and the origins of his tormentors. He harbored a great hatred for them until his death.
However, in due course, Shaka’s physical development surpassed that of his peers and his stature became that of a true Zulu warrior. When he was 21 years old, Shaka was 6′ 3″ tall, with a superbly proportioned, well-muscled body and a truly regal bearing. As a teenager, he displayed exceptional fighting ability and bravery. At the age of 19, he single-handedly killed a leopard that was attacking cattle.
At the age of 23, he was called to serve as a Mtetwa – warrior, and did so for the next six years. In battle, he found an outlet for his pent-up frustrations and developed his political politics. He saw battle as the only sure method of political growth and was never satisfied with a clan’s submission before being drawn to war.
Shaka became King of the Zulu in 1816 when he was about 30 years old. Over the next few years, he systematically attacked all independent groups in the neighborhood, either driving them out or absorbing them into the Zulu nation. The first people he attacked were the eLangeni.
Shaka’s Zulu or amabutho warriors were truly legendary, and the stories of the strenuous and often cruel training are innumerable. However, Shaka never expected his men to do anything he couldn’t or wouldn’t do himself, and he set an example. He was not spared the luxury of a true king.
Forced marches of up to 70 km a day, carrying weapons and surviving with whatever they could find in the bush, skill in handling their weapons, and methods of dispatching the enemy were the order of the day. Shaka soon discovered that the crude sandals traditionally worn by Zulu men hampered their speed and agility, and as a result the army marched, ran and fought barefoot: over sharp stones, through thorny bushes, in deep sand, rivers and all manner of things. . of land possible. Another Shaka innovation was the short stabbing spear; a vast improvement over the longer-handled throwing assegais that would break when used against the enemy at close range.
One of Shaka’s most successful battle tactics was the fighting formation he devised. Known as the “buffalo horns”, it was extremely simple. The warriors that formed the “horns” surrounded the enemy, while the “chief” or “chest” assumed the main weight of the attack. The reinforcements were kept in reserve behind the security of the “chest”.
At 23, Shaka was triumphant. His army was supreme, his followers raving about him with success. Cattle, booty, and women simply fell into his hands, and the once-peaceful valley was too small to contain them all.
In the winter of 1823, Shaka began building a new capital on the site overlooking the Mhlatuze River valley. He called it kwaBulawayo (“the place of the persecuted man”). It was here that his mother, Nandi, died in 1827. In anger, Shaka ordered the execution of several men, but in the chaos, more than 7,000 people died. Shaka practically ordered his clan to starve out of reverence for his mother. After three months, order was finally restored, but the seed of angst against Shaka had been sown. Shaka and his army began to go downhill, as Shaka seemed to lose touch with reality more and more.
Around sunset on September 22, 1828, Shaka expected to receive tribute from a visiting party from Tswanas. Two of his half-brothers, Mhlangana and Dingane, suddenly entered the cattle pen where Shaka was waiting and stabbed him to death.
The next day, his corpse was wrapped in ox hide and buried, with some of his belongings, in an empty corn pit.
Although some historians have described Shaka as a tyrant and a monster, his actions must be seen in the context in which they took place. A tough ground called for tough measures, and Shaka was quick to use them. He ruled his kingdom with justice and in many cases with compassion. Shaka remains one of the greatest kings and warriors of our time. His legacy, to this day, still resonates and lives on.
Along the road between Eshowe and Melmoth is the location of three excellent and increasingly popular Zulu “living museums” that offer visitors day and night “kraal experiences”. The largest is Shakaland, which was built for the TV epic Shaka Zulu and now consists of a hotel, a kraal of 120 beehive huts (with en-suite bathrooms), and other Zulu specialties.