INTRODUCTION
Zulu
are Bantu ethnic group of South Africa and the largest ethnic group of Nguni.
They migrated from the East Coast as part of the Bantu groups and settled in
North Natal. They lived in the province of Kwazulu-Natal. Small number lived in
Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Mozambique. “The
Zulu are the largest South African ethnic group.” (Lockmiller: 2010).
Zulu
is a Bantu language more specifically part of the Nguni subgroup.
GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION OF ZULU
The
Zulu are African ethnic group whose members live mainly in the South Africa
province of Kwazulu- Natal which lies between the Indian Ocean to the East and
Drankesburg mountain range to the West. The province stretches from the
boarders of Mozambique and Swaziland in the North to the Umzimkhulu River in
the South. This is an agricultural fertile region with the summer being a very
productive season. The summer season is between October and April is warm and
rainy while the winter between June and August is relatively cold and dry.
They are bordered by the Swazi people
to the North, the Basotho to the West and the Xhosa and Impondo communities to
the South. The capital city is Pietermaritzburg.
According to the South African
Statistics 2000 report, in 1996, (9) nine million to ten (10) million people
out of forty (40) million people they speak Isizulu lan
ORIGIN OF ZULU
According to Oxford ((2010) origin
means, “A person’s social and family background.”
The Zulu were originally a major clan in what is today Northern Kwazulu –Natal.
It founded in 1709 by Zulu nKantombela. Long ago before the Zulu were forged as
a nation, they lived as isolated family groups and partly normadic Northern
Nguni groups. These groups moved about within their loosely defined territories
in search of game and good grazing for their cattle. As they accumulated
livestock, and supporters family leaders divided and dispersed in different
directions, while still retaining family networks. According to the World Book Encyclopedia (1993), “Zulu, Zoo loo are the
main Bantu speaking peoples of Africa. About 7 million Zulu lived in the
Republic of South Africa, mostly in the province of Natal.”
In
the Nguni languages isiZulu or ilizulu or ilitulu means heaven or sky. At that
time the area was occupied by many large Nguni communities and clans. They had
migrated in what is now South Africa in about the 19th century. “In Zulu language, Amazulu means the Zulu
people and the Zulu people and the word Zulu means heaven. According to a Zulu
version Zulu come down from heaven. Zulu is the Bantu speaking language.”(Ngwane:1997)
ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES OF ZULU PEOPLE
The
Zulu people involved in various economic activities as follows:-
Subsistence
economy, in the nineteenth century Zulu depended on horticulture and rising
livestock. “Men looked after cattle and
hunted for ivory while the women worked in farms belonging to their kin. All of
these were designed to ensure that economic production would not be hampered
and the state would be economically self sufficient.” (Oxford Encyclopedia:
2010).
Also
commercial activities, few Zulu people engaged in serious commercial
activities. Professional jobs were the main venue for economic development.
They were traded with their neighbors like Khoikhoi, Venda and the Portuguese
in the south of Mozambique. In their trade oxen used as the major transport of
their journeys from one area to another and were a symbol of wealth.
Not
only that but also division of labour, the division of labor within a household
mainly between men and women. “The men
function as the housekeepers and agriculturalists… the Zulu man it falls to
build the huts and keep them in repair to erect and renew various fences…, to
hew down the bush… from such sports the female have to cultivate, to milk the
cows, and generally tend all stocks. Many of the elders men are constantly
engaged with special offices, doctoring divining, metal working wood-curving,
and basket making.” (Isichei: 1997)
However
industrial art, was another economic activities among the Zulu people. The hoe
was the main industrial implement, also grinding stone was an important implemented
in the house. Historically the Zulu also engaged in hunting that is why they
make spears known as izagila and emikhontho. Both of these hunting implemented
were also used in warfare. Women engaged in making pottery goods which used in
cooking, storing and eating utensils.
“Spears made by men used in security, offence while pottery vessels were made
to cook and serve meat as vegetables also pots used in storing water.”
(Kennedy:1993)
SOCIAL ACTIVITIES OF ZULU.
Socially, Zulu people were engaged
in different activities as follows:-
Marriage
Traditionally
Amazulu had trainings which prepared the youth to adulthood. After training the
girls had a freedom to choose their own partner. They had written a letter to
boys for courtship by using beads with different colors that had different
massages to relationship. “The Zulu
cerebrated marriage ceremony over several days. Zulus had free choice of
marriage partner and safeguard to help marriage endure.” (Monger: 2013). It led
the Amazulu to practice polygamy system because many girls can choose one boy
whom they like and that boy may accept all accordingly. “During marriage
ceremonies, were slaughtering animals especially cattle” (Isichei: 1997)
Monogamous
marriage is common among the Zulu especially after converted to Christianity.
Polygamy system is still practiced particularly in rural areas kwaZulu-Natal.
Pos marital residence is a patria local and woman often adopt the identity of
the households in which she has married even though in daily communication, she
is called by the bio name or the name of her father with the prefix of
ma-added.
Children
belong to their father’s lineage. The Zulu value marriage and the process of
getting married involves a host of expensive exchanges with bride-wealth being
the men feature making the divorce difficult.
“Men could not marry till they left the Butho, and girls often resented their
marriage to older men and sometimes eloped.” (Golan: 1990). In marriage
among the Zulu became permanent if the woman births the boys while the divorce
was available if the woman births more girls.
Food
Traditionally
the Zulu are nomadic farmers whose diet revolved around meat, grains and wild
plants. Meat is served with phutusamp (maize and beans), yams and seasonal
greens. Zulu meals are social rituals, sharing or wp is a symbolic of friendship
and welcome as a part of cultural tenet of sharing and children ate from one
large dish. “A popular Zulu food is
amandumbe, similar to sweet potatoes. Other typical food includes the
ubiquitous maize-meal, sorghum, sweet potatoes, potatoes melons and pumpkin.” (
Osseo-Asare:2005)
Amazulu
did not eat fish although they lived around the coast of Indian Ocean. They
believed that the fish are like snakes which lived in water. Apart from that
they believed that fishes can cause different diseases among the people of
Zulu. Isichei (1997) wrote a song which
sang by the Amazulu as follows,
“I cannot eat a fish,
because a fish is a water
snake,
a fish can make me ill”
Dancing
In
Zulu society there were several dances practiced depending on activity or event
to be done such dances were; bull dance, the hunting dance, the dance of the
small shield and the traditional war dance.
Bull dance,
a dance that originated in the cramped confines of the mine dormitories
imitating the bull with the arm held a lot and the legs brought down with a
thumb. “Their individual exploits summon
this recognition: when they engage in traditional stick fighting, for example,
one man yells “Nansi inkuzi” (here is the bull), to which his opponents
replies, “Here is another Bull.” But a mental shift takes place when men must
act in unison within situations such as warfare or ceremonial dancing. In these
instances Zulu men refer to themselves as oxen, because in spanned oxen work as
a team in common purpose.” (Dubin: 2012).
THE ZULU BULL DANCE
The dance of small shield
dates from Shaka’s time and is a rhythmic dance used to encourage military
unity. Today is performed at royal occasions. “Zulu men used a small shield (uMgabelomunye) for dancing a slight
larger one (iligoka) for courting and a studier one (iHawa) for every day
protection. The war shield (isiHlangu) be cut from the hide of a single cow.”
(Laband:2009). The aim of Shaka was
to see his military performed well in using different types of shield
especially during the war. The introduction of small shields were for many
purpose, more portable and easy to use them as a defense from their enemy as a
good technique. “Every Zulu men have a
number of shield for his everyday use for a variety of specific purpose. Small
shield for courting or dancing and a larger shield, they ihawu, for
protection…” (Knigt: 1995)
DANCE
IN ZULU
The hunting dance
imitates the actions of hunting and the bravery it requires, this fiery dance
is danced using sticks instead of spears to avoid injury and was danced before
the hunt began. The girls also dance their own version but to welcome the men back
from the hunt. “Granny! Granny! Guess
what? Father is taking one hunting! Vus! Dances a jig around the kitchen making
mock spear thrusts, imitating the foot- stamping kicks of the stick-fighting
dance. “We go tomorrow.” (Ferreire: 2003). “The UmGubho was a Zulu hunting dance
that prepared men for the act of hunting.” (Osnes: 2001)
War dance
War dance
in Zulu was performed by men. They kicked to the ground as sign of men’s
strength and the more dust and noise they create the more cheers and
recognition they will get. Traditionally, only the strongest warriors would
perform this dance before or after the battle. “During the interview, says Sir William Harris, of the Bombay
Engineers, “3000 Zulu warriors standing up to dance, formed a ring round them
and for a time alternately retreated and advanced in the customary manner,
until gradually pressing closer.” (Carruthers)
Language.
The
language of the Zulu people is “isiZulu”, a bantu language more specifically
part of the Nguni subgroup. Zulu is the most widely people spoken language in
South Africa where it is an officially language more than a half of South
African population are able to understand it. Over 9 million, their first
language over 15 million second language speakers. (Ethnoloque report for
language code ZUL: 2005)
Maho(2009)
lists four dialects which are Central kwaZulu- Natal, Northern Trnasvaal Zulu,
Eastern Central Qwabe and Western Coastal Cele.
ZULU
BELIEFS
According to Oxford (2010) beliefs
refers to, “The confidence or the truth that something is right or good.”
The religious system of Amazulu basically mounts the early Zulu life which lies
in traditional worship and Christianity.
Ancestral
spirits are important in Zulu religious life. Offering and sacrifices are made
to the ancestral for protection, good health and happiness. Ancestral come back
in the world in form of dreams, illness and sometimes in shape of snakes. “Traditionally the more strongly held Zulu
belief was in ancestral spirit (Amatongo or Amadhozi) who had the power to
intervene in peoples live for good or ill.”(Walton: 2008)
The
Zulu also believed in the use of magic. Anything beyond their understanding
such as bad luck and illness is considered to be sent by an angry spirit.”
(Adam: 2005). Zulu people were good in rainmaker. Queens in Zulu were special
for creating clouds by using magic beliefs. These were known as ‘amajuji’. They
sacrificed their daughters secretly in order to transform clouds to rain. “The queens were the transformer of the
clouds, the essential attribute rainfall. The power to make rain, they were the
greatest of all rainmakers.”(Isichei: 1997). They were also seeking advice
for more knowledge from the Zulu elders.
POLITICAL SYSTEM OF THE ZULU
Chieftainship
and any position of power in the Zulu were based on genealogy (hereditary)
system. The great great great son of Malandera who was known as Senzanghakona
born a son called Shaka. “Shaka’s father,
Senzanghakona was a chief of minor tribe called Zulu.” (Davis: 1972). Shaka
was the one who transformed Zulu kingdom into a might warrior kingdom. “He strengthened his own regiment by
introducing new military methods which marked to him out as a man of
outstanding tactical and strategic brilliance. The main tactic practiced by Dingiswayo’s
army was to advance on the enemy…” (Davis: 1972)
Shaka
was having an extraordinary military strategy. He introduced new short stabbing
spears to enforce fighting at close combat. “Shaka
experimented with the new assegai before making it the standard weapon of his
impis.” (Roland and Atmore: 1987). This method proved to be so effective
that the Zulus were still using it 60 years later in the war against the
British. Shaka had created a highly centralized, well organized nation- state
with large and powerful army. “The
warriors were formed into a regular army and were not allowed to marry until
they had completed their military services.” (Roland and Atmore: 1987)
Now
days the Zulu are officially ruled by the government of South Africa, but still
refer matters to their tribal authorities. At present, the Zulu king is Goodwill
Zwelithini and the Political leader is Mangusutho Buthelezi who is also the
head of Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP).
MFECANE
Mfecane
means crashes, conflicts among the Amazulu.”The
term mfecane probably dates back to xhosa word used by colonial settlers for
homeless Africans who entered the colony during the period” (Rogers: 2000).
Therefore
Mfecane can be defined as the socio-political upheavals among the Africans of
Southern Africa that began in what today is the province of Natal.
Eurocentric historians’ views trace the origin
of Mfecane that occurred in the late 19th and 20th
Century and regarded mfecane as the result of aggressive nation building by the
Zulu under the rule of Shaka and Ndebele under Mzilikazi. “The conquered tribes were forced to accept the ruthless sovereignty of
Shaka or to move away from his tyrannical rule” (Davis N: 1972)
Afro
centric or modern historians challenge the suggestion that Zulu aggression
caused mfecane, citing archaeological evidence which shows that drought,
environmental degradation lead to increase competition for land and water
encouraged the migration of farmers and cattle herders throughout the region. “Zulu gradually extended their empire by a
series of annual campaigns which took them far into Transkei. The whole Natal
was laid waste and the deserted grasslands used as grazing land for vast herds
of cattle captured in wars of conquest” (Davis N: 1972).
Generally
the outcome of Mfecane in South Africa was a time for trouble in many kingdoms
which created the policy of separation among the Nguni tribes and led other
kingdoms to be strong like Zulu Kingdom. “In
the early years of the nineteenth century one Nguni group expanded in this way
with the result that most of the South Africa was plunged into a period of
destruction and violence known to Africans as a time for troubles.” (Roland and
Atmore:1987)
CONCLUSION
The
Zulu people have played a major role in the history of Southern Africa for the
last two hundred (200) years. They rose to power under the great chief of Zulu
named Shaka (1787-1828), a military genius who built the small Zulu chiefdom
into a powerful kingdom that controlled much of the earlier coast of South
Africa in the 1800’s.
The
Zulu remain today the most numerous ethnic group in South Africa and now have
equal rights along with all other citizens although there is still much to be
done establishing complete social equality in South Africa society.
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