Ulundi, the legislative capital of KwaZulu-Natal, lies on the northern banks of the White Mfolozi River and its Zulu name is translated as ‘the high place’. Site of the royal village of the Zulu kingdom, Ulundi is inextricably linked to the history of the Zulu people and their resistance to British colonialism. To the north of the town is the grave of Mpande, who ruled Zululand as king from 1840 to 1872 and established his royal village at Nodwengu, just north of Ulundi, around 1845.
Following Mpande’s death, Cetshwayo established his military capital at Ondini, about 5 km southeast of Nodwengu. The village was burned by the British after the Battle of Ulundi, but has been partially reconstructed. The KwaZulu Cultural Museum in the Ondini Historic Reserve has a fascinating collection of beads and other craftwork, weapons and other items depicting Zulu culture.
A monument about 3 km west of Ondini marks the site of the final battle of the Anglo-Zulu War, fought on 4 July 1879. Here, a force of 2 281 British regulars and 465 black troops under the command of Lieutenant-General Lord Chelmsford, inflicted a decisive defeat on the 15 000 to 20 000-strong Zulu force. The Zulu losses have been estimated at between 950 and 1 500 killed, while three British officers and 10 men were killed and 69 wounded.
Source http://www.southafrica.org.za/tour-sa-heart-of-zululand.html
Hlobane, a Zulu name for ‘beautiful place’, is a coal-mining centre that witnessed the defeat of British forces by a Zulu impi (regiment) on 28 March 1879 during the Anglo-Zulu War. Ascending Hlobane Mountain from the east under cover of darkness, a 675-strong British force was eventually forced to retreat along the Devil’s Pass down the Ntendeka Mountain. The British lost 15 officers and 79 men killed, while over 100 irregular troops led by Colonel E Wood as well as followers of Hamu – Cetshwayo’s brother, who had joined Wood earlier in March – were also killed. The number of Zulu casualties is unknown.
Source http://www.southafrica.org.za/tour-sa-heart-of-zululand.html
Vryheid, an Afrikaans name meaning ‘freedom’, was established in 1884 as the capital of a Voortrekker republic proclaimed on 16 August of that year. The settlement of a group of Transvaal Voortrekkers in the upper reaches of the White Mfolozi River came after a commando led by Lucas Meyer helped Dinizulu (son of Cetshwayo) to defeat Zibhebhu, a headman who drove Cetshwayo out of power. The ‘Nieuwe Republiek’ (New Republic) was incorporated into the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR) on 20 July 1888 and at the end of the South African War it was transferred to Natal. Among Vryheid’s places of interest are the Old Raadsaal (Council Chamber), dating back to 1885 and now a museum, and the Old Fort at the rear of the Raadsaal, which accommodated a prison and the house of President Meyer. Other noteworthy buildings are the imposing dressed-stone Dutch Reformed Church and the Carnegie Library, built in 1908.
Source http://www.southafrica.org.za/tour-sa-heart-of-zululand.html
Zululand takes its name from the Zulu people. The name belonged to an early chief and translates as ‘heaven’. The largest cultural group in South Africa, the Zulu belong to the northern Nguni group of Bantu-speaking people inhabiting southeastern Africa. A fiercely independent and proud nation, the Zulu are popularly known for their beehive-shaped homesteads, iklwa (a short spear often called an assegaai), crafts and fear-inspiring dances. Zululand covers the area from the mouth of the Thukela River northwards to the border with Mozambique and to the north of the Phongolo River. The western boundary more or less follows the course of the Mzinyati or Buffalo River from its confluence with the Thukela River to its source in the Drakensberg.
In January 1879, British troops invaded Zululand after the Zulu King Cetshwayo refused to meet the terms of a British ultimatum. After the war, Zululand was divided into six districts, and was formally declared a British possession on 19 May 1887. The territory was incorporated into Natal ten years later. In terms of South Africa’s policy of creating bantustans, KwaZulu became self-governing in 1977, but unlike Transkei, Ciskei and Bophuthatswana it did not opt for ‘independence.
Source http://www.southafrica.org.za/tour-sa-heart-of-zululand.html
There are few other accurate reflections of the cultural diversity of South Africa which match its official languages. Eleven official languages make South Africa the country with the second-most number of constitutionally recognized languages next to Bolivia and India. All eleven languages are mandated to share equal emphasis and importance, in usage and in development. It is unavoidable that all the official languages have exerted influences on each other. However, their origins still separate the languages from being fully intelligible to native speakers of certain tongues.
English
English is considered the lingua franca of South Africa. It was originally brought in by British colonizers in 1795. Its adoption as a higher language to the local languages was prevalent even amongst the original Dutch settlers. Efforts to educate South Africans by sending them to study in English universities also helped its spread in South Africa’s colonial period. Today, despite being accepted as the language for government and education, English is only the fourth most prevalent home language for South Africans (at 8.2% of the population). The use of South African English is geographically widespread and is colored with a lot of words and phrases from the more prevalent languages like Afrikaans and isiZulu.
Setswana
Setswana ties with English as the fourth most prevalent home language in South Africa. Another language that is spoken widely in the country, Setswana is also a national language in neighboring Botswana and has a few speakers in Namibia. Setswana belongs to the Sotho subgroup of South-Eastern Bantu languages. It was the first Sotho language to be translated from its oral to a written form by early colonial scholars, in an effort to educate and spread religious teachings among the native South Africans.
Sesotho
Sesotho is also known as Southern Sotho, another member of the Sotho subgroup of South-Eastern Bantu languages. Setswana and Sesotho speakers will most likely understand each other. Sesotho was also one of the first African languages that were translated into writing by European missionaries. It is the fifth most prevalent home language in South Africa (with 7.9% of the population as home speakers). It is also the primary language of the Kingdom of Lesotho.
Tsonga
Tsonga is known by several names in South Africa, including Thonga, xiTsonga, and Shangaan. It was brought into the northern provinces of South Africa by the Vatsonga tribes. These same people also settled in southern regions of Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Thus, xiTsonga speakers are found here as well. xiTsonga and xiShangaan are linguistically the same language. However, cultural differences separate them owing to the differing clans that were subjugated and not subjugated by Zulu chieftain Soshangane back in the 19th century. Only 4.4% of the South African population speak Tsonga as their first language. The South African government intends to preserve its rich cultural heritage by utilizing and developing all its official and unofficial languages. This diversity and complexity doesn’t have to be at odds with the current trends of globalization. Competent language translation should enable South Africans and other people to create and maintain effective communication in an increasingly connected world.
By: Tim Keats
