18 Facts About Mzilikazi

Mzilikazi was born the son of Mashobane kaMangethe near Mkuze, Zululand, and died at Ingama, Matabeleland.

Mzilikazi left Zululand during the period largely known as mfecane with a large kraal of Shaka's cattle.

Shaka had originally been satisfied that Mzilikazi had served the Zulu nation well and he rewarded Mzilikazi with cattle and soldiers.

Mzilikazi first travelled to Mozambique but in 1826 he moved west into the Transvaal due to continued attacks by his enemies.

Mzilikazi absorbed many members of other tribes as he conquered the Transvaal.

Mzilikazi attacked the Ndzundza kraal at Esikhunjini, where the Ndzundza king Magodongo and others were kidnapped and subsequently killed at the Mkobola river.

Mzilikazi eliminated all opposition and reorganised the captured territory to suit the new Matabele order.

In 1831, after winning a battle against the Griqua people, Mzilikazi occupied the Griqua lands near the Ghaapse mountains.

Mzilikazi used scorched earth methods to maintain a safe distance from all surrounding kingdoms.

Voortrekkers began to arrive in the Transvaal where Mzilikazi was king for 10 years.

One of these groups moved north under military leader by Nkulumane, Mzilikazi's first born son, and Gundwane Ndiweni, who conducted a section of the Ndebele across the Limpopo without Mzilikazi.

Mzilikazi was unable to settle the land there because of the prevalence of tsetse fly which carried diseases fatal to oxen.

Mzilikazi therefore travelled again, this time southeastwards into what became known as Matabeleland and settled there in 1840 where he reunited with the splinter group led by Ndiweni and Nkulumane Mzilikazi.

The Europeans who met Mzilikazi included Henry Hartley, hunter and explorer; Robert Moffat, missionary; John Mackenzie, missionary; David Hume, explorer and trader; Andrew Smith, medical doctor, ethnologist and zoologist; William Cornwallis Harris, hunter; and the missionary explorer David Livingstone.

However, Mzilikazi reappeared after a traumatic journey through the Zambezi Valley and reasserted control.

Mzilikazi's grave, covered in a concrete slab, is on the outskirts of Rustenburg in Phokeng.

King Mzilikazi's legacy extends beyond the founding of the Matabele Kingdom, with his lineage continuing to play a role in cultural and traditional leadership.

Mzilikazi's sister, Ntombizodwa KaMashobane, was an integral part of this legacy, and among her descendants is Mvelamanzini, who upholds customary responsibilities tied to the House of Khumalo and his broader heritage.