Ndebele Shona Relations Were Cordial PDF

THE NDEBELE-SHONA RELATIONS WERE IN THE 19TH CENTURY FAR FROM CORDIAL.
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DISCUSS
Shone and Ndebele oral traditions as well as history textbooks abound with details of
conflict between the Ndebele and Shona. Every decade from the time of the Ndebele advent
right up to European colonization is full of stories of wars and Ndebele raids all of which
paint a picture of endemic strife and therefore far from cordial inter-ethnic relationships.
While all this was happening, the Ndebele still found time to trade, to form military
alliances and cross-cultural exchange with the Shona. All that could not have been
possible if the atmosphere had been completely poisoned by inter-ethnic strife as
explicitly stated in the essay topic. This essay will review Ndebele-Shona relations and
attempt to demonstrate that the relations were in fact much more complex and cannot be
categorized in such simplistic terms.
Evidence of constant wars between the Ndebele and the Shona on one hand suggests far
from friendly relations between the two in the nineteenth century. During the 1850s the
Ndebele under Mzilikazi fought and defeated the Rozvi under Mambo Chirisamhuru.
Consequently the Ndebele usurped the Rozvi’s role of overlords of the Kalanga and other
Shona groups in the western and southern parts of Zimbabwe.
During the 1860s the Ndebele carried their war policy to north-western Shona groups such
as the Ngezi in the Rimuka area leading to the flight of the Mashayamombe and Chivero
rulers. Even Tohwechipi the son of the slain Mambo Chirisamhuru had to seek refuge in the
Eastern Highlands. There was no letting up during the 1870s when the Ndebele raided
across a 70 kilometre radius from the western Duma on the Mutirikwi and Popoteke
confluences right up to the upper Popoteke River. In the 1890s, Chivi, Gutu, Mupfure and
Chishawasha all incurred the wrath of Lobengula’s Ndebele. Tensions were also
sufficiently high during the early days of European settler occupation for Lobengula to
send troops to punish Gomala’s people in present day Masvingo. These Shona people had
allegedly used Ndebele cattle to pay a fine to the settler administration. Looked from a
different perspective, those wars may be taken as evidence of intermittent quarrels
between two basically friendly ethnic groups. There is evidence of trade conducted by the
two groups and even military alliances. All of these could only thrive in basically peaceful
and friendly conditions. The Shona traded their grain and other agricultural produce for
Ndebele cattle. Relations were suf ficiently friendly for both Mzilikazi and Lobengula to
entrust some Shona groups with their cattle. These Shona were accorded the right to milk
the cattle and even slaughter them for meat. This explains why Gomala’s Shona people in
Masvingo had Ndebele cattle which they subsequently expropriated to pay a fine after
cutting European telegraph wires. Trade was conducted with the Rozvi of the Mwanesi to
the Munyati regions too.
The wars fought were never permanent and did not prevent reconciliation or co-operation.
This explains why Tohwechipi who had fled to the Eastern Highlands in the early 1850s
could be persuaded to come back and assume his position among his people with
Ndebele assistance. Important Rozvi families such as the Mutinhima, Svabasi and
Lukuluba houses certainly co-operated with the Ndebele. The likes of Chivi and
Nemakonde were all important allies of the Ndebele and only turned against them in the
1890s after the imposition of European rule. Even when wars were fought, the Ndebele did
not fight all the Shona at once and they actually allied with some Shona groups while
fighting others. The generic term Shona is misleading as it is implies a single, united and
homogenous political entity which certainly did not exist in the nineteenth century. There
were many scattered and independent Shona groups which were as likely to fight each
other as much as they could fight the Ndebele. This explains why the Ndebele could fight
against Chirisamhuru and Tohwechipi in the early 1850s and then became Tohwechipi’s
allies before the decade was up. Chizema was also assisted by the Ndebele in his attempts
to conquer southern Buhera. This also explains why Mzilikazi had the Chaminuka medium
killed while maintaining good relations with other Shona mediums such as Nyamuswa,
Wanewawa and Chikono. According to D.N. Beach, Mzilikazi even paid tribute to these
mediums.
Furthermore, evidence of cultural exchange belies claims of frosty relations. The Ndebele
assimilated or incorporated Shona people into their society to the extent that the amaHole
caste became the largest within the Ndebele caste system. Although prejudice existed it
was not a totally bleak scenario as this caste could also provide chiefs and also enjoyed
the same state protection accorded the Zansi and Enhla. If assimilation was forced on
amaHole, it certainly was not forced on the Mutevaidzi of Mberengwa who voluntarily
adopted the Ndebele language, forged alliances with the Ndebele and even copied Nguni
practices such as ear piercing. For their part, the Ndebele adopted some of the Shona
religious practices including the shrine at Matopos (Njelele). Historians such as Ranger
have asserted that the cult priests of Njelele had suf ficient authority among the Ndebele to
organize resistance to European rule in 1896.
The final perhaps more accurate picture of the nineteenth century Ndebele-Shona
relations is a complex one where trade, alliances, cross-cultural exchanges all
interchanged with wars. Given this scenario, it would be a gross distortion to present
Ndebele-Shona relations as frosty for that was only one facet to a multi-dimensional story.
Finally it ought to be remembered that the Shona consisted of many groups that were
independent of each other hence it frequently happened that one group enjoyed a cordial
relationship while another was at war with the Ndebele

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THE NDEBELE-SHONA RELATIONS WERE IN THE 19TH CENTURY FAR FROM CORDIAL.

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