Mpande's - University of Zululand Institutional Repository

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the Voortrekkers to proclaim Mpande's kingship under vassalage of their
established Republic ofNatalia. I '
Mpande began on a very precarious footing. His reign was restricted not
only by the Voortrekkers' terms, but also by the need to retain the
approval of the more powerful chiefs (amakhosi) who had assisted in
deposing Dingane. 15 Such move later gave rise to the notion of Mpande
as feeble-minded and vacillating, controlled primarily by subordinate
chiefs and external forces.'6 During Shaka's reign loyalty was to the
person of the monarch, not to the institution of the monarchy itself. On
the contrary, Mpande's era was marked by loyalty to the institution of the
monarchy; not to the person ofthe monarch.
The ambiguity about Mpande could also be attributed to the fact that this
study re-assesses his relegation to being a harmless and feeble-minded
potentate who exercised little real power. Mpande was king in KwaZulu
from 1840 until his death in 1872-" He maintained his position as head of
one of the most powerful states in Southern Africa. He possessed
considerable diplomatic qualities and succeeded in manoeuvring both
internal and external forces to his own gain. '8 None of Mpande's
I.
l>
16
17
18
M. Wilson (Ed): Oxford History of South Africa. Vols 1 - 2, pp. 370 - 374.
P.A. Kennedy: Mpande and the Zulu kingship, Journal of Natal and Zulu Historv, Vol. 4. 1981,
p.4.
S.NA 117/3, NA, Interviews with Mpande's messengers, 3 August 1847.
G.S. Pre1ler. Voortrekker Welgewing. Nolule van die Natalse Volksraad, pp. 4 - 42.
P. Maylam: History ofthe Mrican People ofSouth MriCa, p. 70.