THE ANGLO-NDEBELE WAR 1893-4
Q 1. ‘’ No one wanted war in 1893’’ What then caused the clash between the BSAC and Lobengula?
Ndebele causes
-Deprivation of raiding grounds
-No more tribute instead paying tax to the whites
-Killing of three Indunas in S.A
-Forced labour, white brutality
THE BSAC
-Failed to find gold rand in Mashonaland
-Rhodes’ Cape to Cairo dream
-The Gomara telegraph wire issue
-The shooting of the white scaulting party
-A claim by the whites to protect the shona people- Ndebele being a manace to progress.
ANGLO- NDEBELE WAR
1. ‘’ No one wanted war, however the situation was ripe that it only needed an event for its outbreak’’
Do you agree with this statement in relation to the outbreak of the Anglo-Ndebele war?
2. ‘’ The Anglo- Ndebele war was inevitable’’ To what extent is this statement true?
3. ‘’The Ndebele are largely to blame for the outbreak of the Anglo Ndebele war’’ Discuss
4. ‘’ It was not a war since there was no much resistance on part of the Ndebele, its proper to see it as
an attack to disposses on the part of the company BSAC. Asses the validity of this statement. Events.
Causes
-Failure to find a gold rand in Mashonalana
-Tempting pastures in Matebeleland and hope to find a second rand.
-Deprivation of raiding grounds on part of the Ndebele
-No more tribute to Lobengula , Victoria Incident
-Killing of Chief Mugandani
- Punishment of chief Chivi and complaints from Jamerson
-Gomara and the telegraph wire issue
-The BSAC ultimatum to Lobengula to vacate/ vamoose Gomara territories within 3hrs
-Killing of Lobengula reknowed warriors
-Killing of Lobengula indunas in South Africa because of Dawson’s tricks
-Ndebele warriors killing of the white scoulting part
NO MORE TRIBUTE TO Lobengula
Effects of the Rudd Concession were now being felt on the Ndebele. Lobengula had granted all rights
to the company thus the company had the control of Mashonaland. Due to this the Shona also started
to give their gold to the whites as tribute and not to the Ndebele. This led to decline in trade of the
Ndebele since they no longer received gold from the shona and at the same time the shona nolonger
paid tribute. Due to these effects the Ndebele felt offended and can be said to have got interested in
war with the company.
GOMARA AND THE TELEGRAPH WIRE ISSUE
A Shona chief Gomara and his people were suspected of stealing 500yards of telegraph wire and were
forced to pay affine with stolen Ndebele cattle. Lobengula got angry and he is said to have demanded
back the cattle from the company. Not wanting war the whites returned the cattle to Lobengula.
However Lobengula was not satisfied, still angry, in 1893 July sent his regiments to punish the chief.
THE BSAC ALTIMATUM TO LOB TO VACATE GOMARA TERITTORIES WITHIN 3HRS
After Lob had sent his regiment to punish the shone chief many shonas were killed on farms, mines
and in the houses of Europeans and many shone fled. The European settlers then decided that as long
as the Ndebele army was not broken it would continue to disturb the mining and farming. With the
impossible 3hrs altimatum the Ndebele were attacked on by Jameson’s men. Restrains of Lob men by
him showed that he did not want war with the British but instead the British were the ones who
wanted war. However they can be justified that they wanted progress in their farming and
mining.Nevertheless the 3hr altimatum in an invent that would take more than 10 days shows that the
British wanted war with the Ndebele. Many Ndebele warriors killed but still Lob restrained.
FAILURE TO FIND A GOLD RAND IN MASHONALAND
TEMPTING PASTURES IN MATEBELELAND & HOPE TO FIND A 2ND RAND
These two events can describe the whites as people who wanted war. Because of the writings of
writers and explorers they hoped to find gold in Mash, but they found it to be in exaggeration in both
Mash and Mat. The whites went on for pastures but one must bear in mind that the whites had once
cheated Lob in the Rudd Concession and there was no way they could cheat him the second time
except by conquest inorder for them to get pastures and gold claims. So they wanted war since they
could no longer approach Lob. However for them wanting pastures, this can be said that it created a
situation which was ripe for war to occur, thus it can be said they opted for war.
DEPRIVATION OF RAIDING GROUNDS ON PART OF THE NDEBELE
Without raiding the Ndebele state could cramble because the whites had settled in Mashonaland thus
the Ndebele are to blame for the Anglo- Ndebele war. It is said that before young warriors could
marry they could go on raiding spree in the shona states inorder to show their bravery. Then if no
raiding grounds could be found then no one would marry thus this led the Ndebele for blame on war.
However the issue of raiding was a myth and it was exaggerated by the whites. After all the Ndebele
had to be said to have a reason like punishing and not for fun. After all the Ndebele were good
herders-economy not based on raiding but raiding was just part of their economy. So raiding grounds
saying shows the Ndebele are largely to blame for the war is simply an overstatement.
-punishing of chief chivi and complains from Jameson.
-A shona chief chivi had failed to pay tribute to Lobengula and had to face some punishment from
Lobengula.
Killing of Lobengula indunas in South Africa because of Dawson’s tricks
Lobengula showed that he did not want war because he send his indunas with Dawson for peace.
Though scholars say it was Dawson who initiated the negotiations. So after the killing of the indunas
it can be said that Lobengula took it as trickery. Considering that Dawson worked hand in glove with
the British thus by this they wanted war.
NDEBELE WARRIOUS KILLING OF THE WHITES SCOUTING PART
Some scants from British had been moving and within Matebeleland viewing the area of some
Ndebele regiments and surrounded them before they killed them. Jameson wrote a note to Rhodes
and Rhodes is said to have simply replied by the bible verse luke 14vs30 meaning or telling Jameson
that he had to finish his business,thus recruiting men and launching war against the Ndebele.This
man began to build but cannot finish the job, they will say, the verse.
OTHER THINGS THAT SHOW LOBENGULA DID NOT WANT WAR
He sent a letter to the British Queen, but his messengers were killed before they moved very far.
Lobengula sent Izinduna with 2 bags of gold to his persuarers as a sign for his wish for peace- the
izinduna gave the gold to the mercenaries but they did not give it to Jameson. Allan Wilson was sent
with some soldiers to trap Lobengula but were out numbered by the Ndebele and killed, thus this
showed the ndex still wanted war. The trader Dawson even wrote to the Queen in his base in Byo
saying ‘’the King Lobengula does not want war with the British and will do so unless forced into it,
be in self defence.
