Mpande's - University of Zululand Institutional Repository

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Mpande's adherents as the main instigators responsible for the murders on
Retief and at Bloukrans and Moordspruit during the reign ofDingane 77
The killing of Dambuza and Sikhombazana was something unequalled in
European legal or Western diplomatic terms. They were unarmed
emissaries whose mission was to conclude a truce. In Western society,
killing emissaries constituted a criminal act (though not necessarily
leading to prosecution)." Emissaries facilitated communication between
two combatants and in African tradition such killings were viewed as
cowardice. On the other hand Stander argued that the main prosecutor
was Mpande himself who was part of the court martial, named on
31 January 1840 near the Black Mfolozi (iMfolozi eMnyama) River. 79
Dambuza admitted guilt on all charges and in the light of all evidence, the
military court resolved to execute both emissaries, as there could only be
more murders should they go back and advise Dingane' o The fact that
they were killed on Mpande's orders had justification in his praises:
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so
"Usongo lwensimbi yakoNdikidi,
[An iron coil ofNdikidi]
£lidl' uDambuza beno Sikhombazana.
[That ate Dambuza and Sikhombazana]
lnzingelezi kaNdaba,
[The entanglement ofNdaba]
De Zuid Afrikaan, byvoegsel 10 April 1840. dagverhaal, 22 - 31 January 1840, p. 5.
R-RR- Dhlomo: UDingane !Ca Senzangakbona, p. 34.
H. Stander: Die Verhouding tussen die Boere en Zoeloe tot die dood van Mpande in
1872, p. 236.
G.S. Preller: Andries Prerorius, p. 125; A.J. du Plessis: Die Republiek Natalia. ef.
Archives Yearbook for South African History. Vol. I, 1942. p. 145.