Mpande's - University of Zululand Institutional Repository

-192-
plans for the Zulu country will go to the
wall. "145
On the other hand the would-be king had become SUSpiCIOUS of the
intentions of the British in Natal. His confidential emissary inquired at
Pietermaritzburg about the reports that Natal intended to seize some parts
of KwaZulu l46 The envoy expressed Cetshwayo's desire to remain on
friendly terms and asked for Shepstone to come to KwaZulu to arrange a
settlement between himself and Mpande. 147
It could therefore be argued that the British in Natal got into the ambit of
Zulu politics in May 1861 when a message was sent to Mpande advising
that he should take measures to formally recognise the succession of
Cetshwayo.l4S The historian RJ. Mann argued that the British Colonial
establishment had no wish to interfere with the internal arrangements of
the Zulu people, but conceived that time had at length arrived when a
better state ofrelations with the would-be king might be established to its
advantage. I" In the prosecution ofthis view Theophilus Shepstone was
145
146
147
I"
149
K.C.: Colenso to AIlnutt, 5 March 1861, Folio 5, Colenso Papers; Colenso, First Steps,
pasSIm.
S.P.G.: Robertson to Colenso, 31 October & 6 December 1860, Missionary Reports,
1860, V.E., p. 7.
S.N.A. 1/3/6, N.A.: Fynn's "Diary". 13 & 27 April 1862, C.O. 48/462, P.RO: Message
from Cetshwayo, II March 1861, encl. In Barkly to Kimberley, D.130, 29 November
1872.
RJ. Mann: The Zulus and Boers ofSouth Africa - a fragment of recent history, p. 45.
C.O. 179/59, P.R.O: Scott to Shepstone, 15 April 1861. encl. In Scott to Newcastle,
D.43, 5 July 1861; R.J. Mann: The Zulus and HOlirs ofSouth Africa - a fragment of
recent history, pp. 47 - 48.