Nguni Route
The Nguni Route incorporates an area of scenic landscapes combined with historical and cultural attractions. The districts in which the route is situated have some of the poorest rural communities in KwaZulu-Natal. The poverty is to some extent due to the closure of a number of mines (mainly coal) and the resultant high unemployment. Tourism has been identified as a major job creator in the area, and there is a diverse range of tourism attractions, reflected in the route’s slogan ….
‘Cannons, Culture, Crafts and Cows’:
‘Cannons’:
This section of KwaZulu-Natal will always be remembered for the fierce clashes that played an integral role in determining South African history. The area has been aptly referred to as both the 'The Turbulent Frontier' and the 'Crossroads of South African History'. It contains many sites of conflict between the Afrikaners, the Zulu and English, including some of the most significant battle sites in South African history – the Battle of Blood River, the Battle of Talana, Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift - are found in the area. Winston Churchill's historic reference to the town of Ladysmith, "famous unto the uttermost ends of the earth", holds true for the area as a whole.
The Battlefields are fascinating, yet after finding out about what happened in the past to shape the area today, it is a worthwhile experience to visit the communities that border the well known towns of Dundee and Ladysmith. The Battlefields have always been a major attraction of the area, however many are unaware that there is also the opportunity for visitors to experience the day-to-day life of Zulu people today – the rhythms, the food, the way of life, the customs….. The Zulu culture
‘Culture’:
The area is very rich in Zulu culture – the people of heaven. The Zulu of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa belong to the larger Nguni linguistic group whose origin is mostly lost in an oral tradition that precedes recorded history.
Nguni cattle, as well as various other types of livestock, play an important role in Zulu celebrations, and particularly in Zulu marriages. Lobola is the price paid for a bride - traditionally in livestock - and is negotiated whenever a wedding takes place (although in urban areas of South Africa, money has largely replaced livestock as the currency of lobola). Paying lobola continues to be a significant part of traditional weddings in almost all of South Africa's tribes; however it is not quite as straight forward as merely paying a ‘bride price’.
Lobola:
Lobola refers to the exchange of cattle from the bridegroom and his family to that of the bride. Previously believed to be merely a ‘bride price’ this practice compensated the bride’s family for the loss of her labour and also meant that should a bride be mistreated in her new home she could return to her parents while her husband forfeited the cattle.
Lobola also depends on the bride's beauty, charms, education and the standing of her family. The lobola can be anything from a few goats and chickens to many head of cattle.
The bride and groom do not have much say in the lobola negotiations - it is a matter for the families concerned to decide. The acceptance of lobola also represents a treaty between the two families. If the wife is found to be deficient in any way, her father is expected to refund the lobola or find a suitable replacement bride.
Zulu dancing plays a major role in Zulu culture and tradition. The Dance of the Small Shield dates from Shaka's time and is a rhythmic dance used to encourage military unity. Today it is normally performed at Royal occasions. A similar dance using a spear and shield is the umGhubho.
Zulu Dances:
Bull Dance: A dance that originated in the cramped confines of the mine dormitories imitating a bull with the arms held aloft and the legs brought down with a thump. The rural girls have their own version.
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 to welcome the men back from the hunt.
The umQhogoyo involves violent shaking of the upper body.
The umBhekuzo represents the ebb and flow of the tides with the men alternately advancing and retreating on the audience. Those at the ends lift up their aprons exposing their buttocks.
The dancers' bodies move in snakelike unison accompanied by singing in the UmChwayo. The umGhebulo appears as if the dancers want to pull down the sky or climb an imaginary ladder to it. The iliKhomba is a graceful dance with rhythmic movements of the upper body accompanied by the swinging of a long decorated stick.
The Zulu Kingdom played a major role in South African History during the 19th century, especially in the region of the Battlefields of North Western KwaZulu-Natal. There were also a number of other people and cultures who played a significant role in determining South Africa’s future – and part of the cultures still remain for visitors to see and experience, making the region culturally diverse and interesting.
Some of the world-known names associated with the area include Winston Churchill, who was arrested here; the Prince Royal of France, who was killed here; Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who established a stretcher-bearing corp during the Boer War; the Zulu's, who defeated the British and vice versa; and the Afrikaners, who fought against the British in two large wars.
For more than fifty years blood drained the soil of this part of the province.
The Indian Culture and Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi:
The role of the Indian Ambulance Corps and Black people during the Anglo Boer War seems to have been relatively played down, possibly due to the fact that the war has always been considered a ‘gentleman’s war’ and a ‘white man’s war’. Although officially absent from both armies, perhaps as many as a hundred thousand were enrolled to serve British and Boers as labourers, drivers, and guides.
During the Boer War Mohandas Gandhi established a stretcher-bearing corp. His statue can be seen at the Lord Vishnu Temple in Ladysmith and his bust at the Talana Museum in Dundee.
Gandhi’s role in South Africa stretched well beyond the Boer Wars, when he led the struggle for Indian independence from the British Empire. It was while in South Africa, after his experiences of racial intolerance, that he developed the satyagraha ('from Sanskrit: satya for truth and agraha for endeavor, or the devotion to truth'), a new non-violent way to redress wrongs. The campaign lasted for over seven years, and in 1913 hundreds of people went to jail - and thousands of striking Indian miners faced imprisonment and injury - for the cause. Eventually the South African government, under British and Indian pressure, agreed to a compromise solution, and peace was restored. Gandhi played a major role in the freedom struggle of South Africa as well as in the fight for the Indian liberation worldwide.
Gandhi’s Influence:
Throughout his life, Gandhi rejected any form of terrorism or violence. His philosophy of nonviolence, for which he coined the term satyagraha, has influenced national and international nonviolent resistance movements to this day.
From the time he took charge of the freedom struggle and the Indian National Congress in 1918, he became a national icon and was lovingly revered as Mahatma, or Great Soul by millions of Indians. Although he was much averse to honorary addresses, Gandhi is still today commonly referred to as Mahatma Gandhi all over the world. Apart from being considered one of the greatest leaders of all time, he is revered by many in India as the "Father of the Nation" or Bapu (Hindi for Father). His birthday on October 2, Gandhi Jayanti, is a national holiday in India.
By means of nonviolent civil disobedience, Gandhi helped bring about India's independence from British rule, inspiring other colonial peoples to work for their own independence and ultimately dismantling the British Empire. Gandhi's principle of satyagraha, often translated as 'way of truth' or "pursuit of truth", has inspired other freedom activists such as Martin Luther King, Jr., the Dalai Lama, Stephen Biko, Aung San Suu Kyi, and Nelson Mandela. However, not all these leaders kept to Gandhi's strict principle of nonviolence and nonresistance.
Gandhi often stated that his principles were simple and drawn from traditional Hindu beliefs: truth (satya) and nonviolence (ahimsa). He said, "I have nothing new to teach the world. Truth and nonviolence are as old as the hills."
It was through witnessing first-hand the racism, prejudice and injustice against Indians in South Africa that Gandhi started to question his people's status and his own place in society. Racial intolerance here saw him evicted from train carriages, barred from hotels and beaten up. He became more assertive, and began educating fellow Indians in South Africa on their rights. In 1894 he opposed a bill that would deprive Indians of their right to vote, and rapidly became a proficient political activist. While unable to stop the bill, he succeeded in attracting widespread attention to his cause.
*Source: Wikipedia
"Generations to come will find it difficult to believe that a man such as Gandhi ever walked the face of this earth." (Albert Einstein)
The French and Prince Louis Napoleon:
Prince Louis Napoleon, the Prince Imperial, the only son and heir of Napoleon III joined Lord Chelmsford's staff after the defeat at Isandlwana. He was the great-nephew of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, and had personally begged Queen Victoria's permission to accompany fresh troops to South Africa. Exiled to England in 1870, Prince Louis was legally barred from receiving a commission in the British Army, but allowed to join Chelmsford as an extra aide-de-camp. He was said to be an excellent scout and was given the responsibility of scouting for an overnight camp on the march to Ulundi. Any hopes of resurrecting a Napoleonic dynasty in France died on the first day of June, 1879, when his small group was ambushed and he was killed. He apparently fought bravely and died with 17 assegai stab wounds.
‘Death of a Dynasty’
The English and Winston Churchill:
Fighting in both the Anglo-Zulu and Anglo-Boer Wars, England was an integral role player in South African history. Winston Churchill came to South Africa as a 25 year old Sandhurst-trained cavalryman and newspaper correspondent. When Boer patrols from the Orange Free State were spotted crossing the Drakensberg Mountains into Natal near Winterton, the British dispatched a camouflaged, armoured reconnaissance train from Estcourt. Among its complement was a recent addition to Britain's war effort ... Winston Churchill. On 15 November 1899, Boer guerillas ambushed and derailed the train, killing a number of British soldiers and capturing Churchill. Within two months, however, the future Prime Minister had escaped from prison in the Transvaal, slipped back into Natal and rejoined the push to relieve Ladysmith.
The Afrikaners and Louis Botha:
Probably the most well known Afrikaner to fight in the Boer Wars, was Louis Botha. An Afrikaner and first Prime Minister of the modern South African state, then called the Union of South Africa, he became a member of the parliament of Transvaal in 1897, representing the district of Vryheid. Two years later he was made a general in the Second Boer War, fighting with impressive capability at Colenso and Spionkop.
The German Missionaries:
German missionaries settled in the Elandslaagte region, close to Dundee. Many of the people still living in the area have German as their home language and a German fete is held at Elandskraal annual Bazaar, where visitors can buy fresh meat, tasty treats and German delicacies.
The Zulu People and their Nguni Heritage:
Today the Nguni peoples are classified into three large subgroups, the Northern Nguni, the Southern Nguni, and the Ndebele. The Zulu are among the Northern Nguni.
Four of South Africa's official languages are Nguni languages; isiZulu, isiXhosa, siSwati, and isiNdebele are spoken primarily by the Zulu, the Xhosa, the Swazi, and the Ndebele peoples, respectively. Each of these languages has regional variants and dialects, which are often mutually intelligible.
Although much of the Zulu history has been lost through oral tradition, it is said that the Zulu people are the direct descendants of the patriarch Zulu, who was born to a Nguni chief in the Great Lakes region of sub-equatorial Central-to-East Africa. In the 16th century the Zulus migrated southward to their present location.
In the 17th and 18th centuries many of the most powerful Zulu chiefs made treaties and gave control of the Zulu villages to the British. This caused much conflict because the Zulus had strong patriarchal village government systems - they fought against the British but due to their limited strength, they couldn't win. Finally, after much of the Zulu area had been given to the British, the Zulu people made a collective decision that they didn't want to be under British rule. In 1879 war erupted between the British and the Zulu. Though the Zulu succeeded at first, within six months they were conquered by the British, who exiled the Zulu Kings and divided up the Zulu kingdom. In 1906 another Zulu uprising occurred and the Zulu continued to try to gain back what they considered to be their ancient kingdom.
Zulu Kings:
During the reign of King Shaka (1816-1828), the Zulu became the mightiest military force in southern Africa, increasing their land holdings from 100 square miles to 11,500. Shaka was followed by Dingaan, who tentatively entered into treaties with English colonizers. Mpande was the next King. He allowed the British extensive control over his peoples. By the time he died in 1872, the Zulu had had enough of the English invasion. Cetewayo, Mpande's replacement, tried vainly for six years to avoid a confrontation with the British, yet in 1879 war erupted. Although the Zulus initially experienced some success, the British army eventually prevailed. In less than six months, Cetewayo was exiled to England, and the Zulu kingdom was divided to British advantage. The last Zulu uprising against European domination was lead by Chief Bombatha in 1906. In recent times, Chief Gastha Buthelezi has doubled as the political leader of the Zulu, and the head of the Inkatha Freedom Party, which played a leading role in the fight against Apartheid and demanding a voice for his people who are more than three million strong.
‘Crafts’:
Zulu people are well known for their colourful beadwork - decorative beadwork is sold at many outlets in the region. To appreciate the true significance of traditional Zulu beadwork, it’s necessary to have an understanding on how effectively the Zulu people have integrated social values into their arts and crafts. Traditional colours, colour combinations and patterns are still found in modern Zulu beadwork but the real eloquence is rapidly subsiding under the pressures of urbanization and culture change.
What makes Zulu beadwork unique, however, is the code by which particular colours are selected and combined in various ways to shape messages that at the same time are woven into decorative geometrical designs. The geometric shapes themselves have particular significance and the craft itself forms an intricate communicational system devoted entirely to the expression of ideas, feelings and facts related to behaviour and relations between the sexes. The Zulu Love Letters, sold at many outlets, are a modern-day interpretation of the significance of colour in Zulu beadwork.
‘Cows’:
The Nguni is an endemic cattle breed from the South of Africa. The Nguni cattle ancestors were brought by the Xhosa, Zulu and Swazi people, during their migration South between 600 and 700 AD. Since then, these animals have played an important social and economic role in the development of these societies. The amount of animals held by a village or individual determined much of their importance to the rest of the world. King Shaka of the Zulus understood this cultural and economic importance and seized control of the Nguni herds on his dominions. Shaka also bred the Nguni’s according to colour patterns in order to produce skins for the several regiments of his army, henceforward recognized by them. His elite personal guard was recognised by pure white, from animals of the royal herd, the inyonikayiphumuli.
The Nguni cattle are represented in all sections of the slogan ‘Cannons, Culture, Crafts and Cows’.
‘Cannons’, representing the battles that were mostly over land; the Zulu people were defending their land needed to graze their cattle on. Another interesting synergy is that the shape of Isandlwana Mountain, where the Battle of Isandlwana took place, is in fact the shape of the fourth stomach of a cow.
‘Culture’ … the Nguni cattle is a symbol of the majestic Zulu culture and wealth, as it is measured in cattle - a tradition that continues throughout the modern Zulu Kingdom. Cattle are also significant in Zulu music.
Music is highly regarded by the Zulu people, enabling the communication of emotions and situations that cannot be explained by talking. Zulu music incorporates rhythm, melody and harmony — the latter is usually dominant and known as 'isigubudu' (which can be translated as converging horns on a beast, with tips touching the animal, a spiralling inward that reflects inner feelings).
‘Crafts’ … Nguni skins are highly sought after and used on various crafts including drums, throws, and shields and in traditional dress.
The speckles on the backs of the Nguni cattle, the symbol of the route, represent the number and variety of attractions in the area. There are a variety of Nguni cattle breeds – characterised by the multicoloured skin, and each named differently because of their colouring. These cattle are known by their fertility and resistance to diseases, being one of the favourite breed amongst milk and meat producers of South Africa.
Besides the several colour patterns, these animals also present a variety of horn shapes. All different combinations were catalogued in the beginning of the century by a South African headmaster. This work inspired the Nguni Cattle Register, a compilation of terms to describe in full a Nguni cow or bull.
Besides the ‘Cannons, Culture, Crafts and Cows’, the area has even more to offer …. there are a variety of bird species, including two endangered species – ground hornbills and the bald headed ibis, and Dundee has one of only two pairs of black eagles in South Africa that nests in trees.
Local farmers are working together to encourage wildlife to return to their farms, to reintroduce game, protect surviving species, and to promote tourism in the area. After a farmer dropped his fences to form a conservancy, oribi re-appeared after not having been seen for 80 years.
And finally there is the great natural beauty. For an experience of real African scenery - thorn trees, huts, mountains, rivers - the Nguni Route is a place to visit.
Acknowledgments:
Useful Links
http://www.ladysmith.co.za
http://www.tourdundee.co.za
http://www.battlefields.kzn.org.za
http://www.kzn.org.za
http://www.talana.co.za
http://www.kznwildlife.com
http://www.duesouthcraftroute.co.za
http://www.midlands.kzn.org.za
http://www.drakensberg-tourism.com
http://www.createsa.org.za
http://www.zulu.org.za
http://www.studbook.co.za/society/nguni/index.html
http://www.birdlifesa.org.za
http://www.southafrica.net
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