Mpande's - University of Zululand Institutional Repository

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even reach the ears ... The Nguni,
who, when mixing food, held it in his
left hand and the spoon in his right
and had to hit the dog with his
head. "54
Thus, the subjugation ofthe Qwabes by the Zulus was a conquest of great
significance.
Shaka's taxing trials of strength came in 1818 when he encountered the
mighty Ndwandwe under Zwide." Zwide had vanquished Dingiswayo,
and Shaka's conquest was therefore both a revenge and triwnph, for
Zwide was, after Dingiswayo, the most powerful inkosi in the country.
The Ndwandwe onslaught saw the Zulu embark on a desperate tactical
withdrawal south, towards the forest fortresses of the eDlize and Nkandla
in the Qwabe territory, razing the ground as they went and burying grain
where they could." The scorched-earth policy which effectively
weakened the Ndwandwe amabutho (regiments), and the Zulu tactics in
the famous "kisi battle" enabled them to survive. The last mentioned
referred to the Zulus who slipped in amongst the Ndwandwe under cover
" 56
I.SA, Val. I, Evidence oflantshi., 11 February 1903, p. 180; l.S.A, Vol. 2, Evidence
ofMakuza, 6 March 1921, p. 168; I.S.A., Vol. 2, Evidence ofMandhJakazi,
22 May 1916, p. 177; J.S.A., Vol. 3, Evidence ofMmemi, 12 October 1904, p. 241.
J.S.A., Vol. I, Evidence ofBaleni, 10 May 1914, p. 17.
C. Webb and I. Wrigbt (Eds): lames Stuart Archives of recorded oral evidence relating
to the histOry ofthe Zulu and neighbouring peoples, Vol. I, p. 103.