African groupings at the time of the Mfecane.
To understand this transformation it is necessary to pose three straightforward questions, which to some extent belie their complexity. How did the Mfecane begin? Why did it occur? And what were its consequences?
The discussion begins by tracing developments in the present area of KwaZulu-Natal on the southeastern seaboard. From 1780, in the territory from Delagoa Bay to the Thukela (Tugela) River, a number of African chiefdoms began to expand in size and grow in power. These included the Mabhudu and Tembe, under Makhasane, near the coast. Weaker communities were dominated or expelled from the region. Even the nascent Pedi kingdom some 300 kilometres away in the interior felt the effects of this.
Further south, a similar pattern emerged, with the Ndwandwe and Mthethwa chiefdoms increasing their numbers and competing for allies. This led groups some distance away from these expanding chiefdoms to strengthen their military capabilities – including the Hlubi in the Drakensberg foothills, and the Qwabe below the Thukela River.
Some chiefdoms caught up in the conflict between these competing power blocs chose
Thought to be Shaka’s nephew, as depicted by G.F. Angas.
to flee. The Ngwane under Matiwane’s leadership moved westwards, attacking the Hlubi and killing their chief, Mthimkhulu. The Hlubi split apart; some abandoned their homeland and others merged with the Ngwane. Chief Matiwane settled in the region of modern Bergville, incorporating smaller groups such as the Zizi and Bhele. He was now the dominant figure in the upper Thukela.
After 1810 Dingiswayo of the Mthethwa surrounded himself with allies and forced those who refused to join him into tributary status. One of these confederates was the Zulu. When their chief Senzangakhona died, Dingiswayo intervened and appointed Shaka as leader.
Mzilikazi, chief of the Khumalo (later known as the Ndebele).
By 1818 the rivalry for power in the region between the Mthethwa and the Ndwandwe under Zwide was reaching a climax. The Ndwandwe resided in present-day northern Zululand and, like Dingiswayo, Zwide commanded the loyalty of a number of smaller chiefdoms. A difference between them was that the Mthethwa built loyalties around common trade interests in cattle and ivory, while the Ndwandwe seemed to rely on the support of related communities.
In 1818 Dingiswayo was captured by Zwide and killed. This allowed Shaka to step into the power vacuum and take control of the Mthethwa. Zwide then turned his attention to the Zulu, seeing them as the only ones capable of thwarting his control over the former Mthethwa confederacy. But Shaka had managed to weld his neighbours into an alliance against the Ndwandwe. These included the powerful Qwabe chiefdom, which previously had rivalled the Zulu for dominance between the White Mfolozi and Thukela rivers.
Zwide’s first attack against the Zulu was inconclusive, but in another raid his troops
A sketch by A.G. Bain of the son of Chief Faku of the Mpondo. Faku strengthened his kingdom during the Mfecane by absorbing refugees. He survived Zulu invasions in 1824 and 1828, losing many cattle, but emerging politically stronger.
overstretched themselves, driving far into the Thukela River region. Shaka’s army forced the Ndwandwe into headlong flight. The Ndwandwe, in all likelihood already experiencing internal stress, disintegrated. Soshangane and Zwangendaba of the Jele and Gaza chiefdoms, who were principal allies of Zwide, moved first to the Delagoa Bay region and then later trekked north. Zwide himself attempted to regroup north of the Phongolo River.
The Zulu then took steps to secure their position in the region across the White Mfolozi and southwards along the lower Thukela and Mzinyathi rivers. This represented a consolidation of existing territorial gains. Contrary to popular historical conceptions, the Zulu kingdom did not have the capacity to extend its sway to the Delagoa Bay (near present-day Maputo) region. Nor was it immediately secure to its south. Shaka had to man oeuvre client chiefs into positions of power to ensure security along his southern border. These included Magaye of the Cele chiefdom – which had been long dominant along the lower Mvoti – and Zihandlo of the Mkhize chiefdom.
