) Mfecane war

According to Davies,(2003)The word Mfecane is from Zulu words meaning “Crushing”, a period of wide spreading warfare      plundering,disturbances,destruction and migration in Zulu land and in other parts of south Africa.

Mwijage,(2004) The term Mfecane is a Nguni word meaning crushing, to Sotho people use the words “Difagane” or “Lifagane” meaning forced migration and wondering or disturbances

Shillington,(2004) Mfecane was a series of wars and population movement that took place over much in south Africa from 1810’s to 1830’s

Alao(1994), Mfecane is a Zulu word used to desrcibe the violent millitary outburst that engulfed the whole southern Africa in 19^th c

Evans(2012). The word Mfecane is derived from Xhosa term “Ukufaca” to become a thing from hunger and fetocanic starring intruders. Mfecane refers to a period of political disruption and population migration in south Africa to other areas during 1820’sand 1830’s Europeans called Mfecane as “wars of calamity” by 1825, two and half millions starring homeless people wondered about south Africa looking for respite.

Phases of Mfecane war

James (2010). The Mfecane passed through two phases which are;

v First phase (1800-1817) 

The war took place between the

Ø Ndwandwe and Ngwne under Sobhuza that resulted faille of Ngwane and moed to Swaziland

Ø Mthethwa under Dingiswayo and Ndwandwe under Swide,in 1817 Dingiswayo was killed by Swide soldiers

v Second phase (1817-1828)

The war took place between

Ø Shaka of Zulu and Mthethwa under Dingiswayo

The Shaka won the war and he was killed by his member of family and his brother Dingane took the power in 1828 to 1840 .The origin of Mfecane war was Shaka’s expansion policy which led to the conquering neighbouring states in 1828 to 1834 James(2010)  

Causes Mfecane

v Economic

o   Control of profitable trade along Delagao bay .A number of powerful states fought one another over the control of trade along Delagao bay .some societies in south Africa region began to compete more intensively for control of the commodities  traded particularly ivory, with Portuguese through Delagao bay guns received in trade made    the competition and more violence in south Africa Spencer (2005)

o    Intensive competition for the land  in South Africa . Maize was introduced in region  18thc  and it became a plentiful staple, population grew,overfarming and over grazing  depleted amount of usable land.Denoon (1973)

o   The control of fertile Phongolo valley or (Pongola)

v Political

o   The   rise of Shaka and his expansion policy. Zulu state under Shaka organized constant wars of expansion against Podo, Segu, Mthethwa, Swazi, Zwide, Ndwande and Sotho to be under his control.  But these communities fought for their control,Said (2003)

o   Advancement of Boers into the interior of south Africa. when Boers moved into interior of south Africa caused shortage of land and increased population in south east that resulted inter tribal wars.The Boers determined to control of fertile soil in the interior  this caused more trouble. Knight (1996)

o   Evolution of the age grade military system. By the introduction of this new military system  many neighboring communities had to flee from their original homestead for safe life, Said (2004).

v Social

Population pressure. The food produced from maize influenced more birth among the communities that resulted the need of land and the areas for grazing their cattle.”Cattle increased significantly as a result young men could acquire cattle easily to provide bride wealth for wives, this led more young men to have more than one wife  which led population increase”. Roger (2000)

Impacts of Mfecane war

q Social

ü Depopulation. Kassin (2012) comment on the point by saying south east of south Africa became the land of death, misery and acute hardship the land interfered with human corpses and skeleton.

ü Migration of people from south Africa to other areas ,Muena (2009)  people moved from insecurity places to security places e.g. Ndwandwe &Ngwane  moved towards north of south Africa.

ü Deculturalization & families separation. Families ,traditions and customs broke up because people of the same society never met again due to death and others moved to new areas of new societies .Philip (2005) says the traditional orders was mostly radically changed in Zulu kingdom .

ü Intermarriage among the societies when groups moved to other places married each other. Wilison (1994) provides the societies that intermarried e.g  Hehe and Mbuga intermarried with the central societies similarly in  Mozambique the Mosheshoe immigrant intermarried with the people they stayed with.

q Political

ü Establishment of Boers settlement at Natal in south Africa. Richard (2012), “many people left the Natal area during the war, hence the Boers occupied that areas and established settlements in 1800’s”

ü ) Emergence of strong leadership. The states that  survived until the period of the European colonization of some of leadership had created outstanding armies the put up a stiff resistances to European conquest , James(2010

ü Decline some states in central Africa and East Africa.  States like Lozi, Rozwi and Tumbu were badly destroyed. Kathleen(2012) Nguni migration in east Africadestroyed states like Yao, Mwenamtapa,Thongo, Sanga and Hehe.

ü Establishment of new empires. These includes empires of Gaza, Sena empire and Tele empire were brought under Shoshangane had established an  empire stretching from Limpopo to Inyanga. Wilson (1994)

ü Political reorganization. Muena (2009) states that “political unity  were constructed in such way that power was never absolute and they discouraged force of disruption because these units also created crosscutting alliance

ü Military organization . Many states copied the same method of fighting e.g. Nguni,Kololo and Ndebele copied the method of fighting from Shaka of Zulu Brian(2008)

q Economic impacts

o   Increased slave activities. Ngoni and Ndebele took the captives of the war as slaves, according to Saidi(2003)says “African coastal traders were easily raided, they formed themselves into formidable gangs known as Mviti who captured people and sold them into slavery”

o   Disruption of trade along the coast  of Africa, during the war non can dare to conduct trade, cultivation and other economic activities Kathleen(2012)

Conclusion

Briefly is imperative to note that Mfecane movement  swept some bantu speaking group from south Africa and left a remarkable effects in central and East Africa region. It was turbulent time of crises  that need to be remembered on the 19thc events in political, social and economical within south Africa and the areas around south Africa.