The Ndebele are an offshoot of the Zulu tribe, who broke away from Zululand in the 1820s, led by Mzilikazi. They were schooled in Zulu tactics, and had a strong warrior culture which they used to great effect in campaigns across the highveld, conquering the Sotho and Tswana clans that lived there. They were repulsed by the Basotho who lived in the mountains of Lesotho, and settled in the Western Transvaal. Their numbers grew rapidly, swelled by the absorption of the clans they had conquered, and by 1835 they were launching raids as far afield as Swaziland and the Northern Transvaal.
The highveld is some of South Africa’s most fertile land and in 1836 Boer Voortrekkers began to arrive in the area with the aim of establishing farms. The Boers went to war against the Ndebele, and after some initial skirmishes in which several Voortrekker columns were wiped out, Mzilikazi launched a full attack against the main Boer camp at Vegkop. The Ndebele tactics were no match for the Boer rifles, however, and Mzilikazi suffered a massive defeat. Pursued by the Boers and their Griqua and Tswana allies, the Ndebele fled to the Northern Transvaal. Near Pretoria they were attacked by a force led by Andries Pretorius, and Mzilikazi led his people northwards, crossing the Limpopo River into present-day Zimbabwe.
In Zimbabwe the Ndebele established a capital in the south-west of Zimbabwe which they called GuBuluwayo, meaning ‘Place of Slaughter’. They rapidly began to subdue the Mashona people in the area, and took control of the country. After Mzilikazi died power passed to his son Lobengula, and Ndebele dominance lasted until the 1890s, when the British invaded. Today the Ndebele in Zimbabwe are known as the Matabele, and make up around a quarter of the population, but the roles have been reversed and the Mashona are again the dominant tribe.
Although the majority of the Ndebele had followed Mzilikazi into Zimbabwe, some stayed behind in South Africa, mainly in the area around Gauteng Province. The Apartheid government had a policy of creating ‘homelands’ for the different tribes, and in 1981 declared that a site 100km north-east of Pretoria was to become KwaNdebele, the ‘homeland’ of the Ndebele people, with its capital as Siyabuswa – in present-day Mpumalanga Province. Ndebele people had their properties confiscated and were forcibly relocated to KwaNdebele. Like many other artificially created ‘homelands’, KwaNdebele is poor and overgrazed, with too many people struggling to exist on too little land. It was reintegrated back into South Africa in 1994 after the demise of Apartheid, but many people are still fighting to reclaim the properties that were confiscated from them prior to the relocation. The population is mainly rural, and many young men leave to seek work in Johannesburg.
Many traditions survive in KwaNdebele, including the painting of huts in colourful geometric patterns. The painting is generally done by the women, and draws inspiration from the intricate beadwork that many wear, with bright polygonal patterns. There is often a modern influence as well – telephones, aeroplanes, cars and swimming pools can all appear, usually reflecting the aspirations of the artist. Weaving is also common, with dried grass being used to make necklaces and bracelets, as well as mats. Traditionally Ndebele women used to wear their wealth in the form of thick brass rings around their necks and legs, and in a few areas this continues today. The heavy brass rings are added to over the years which can have the effect of elongating the neck. Despite the close ties to their South African relatives, the Matabele of Zimbabwe do not use the geometric patterns on their huts or wear neck rings – these are unique to the South African Ndebele.