Mpande's - University of Zululand Institutional Repository

While Mpande ruled during a period that was devoid of full-scale
conventional wars, he had to live through times when sporadic attacks
were the rallying point of relations between members of the Nguni-
speaking communities such as Xhosa, Swazi and Mpondo." Besides
being an umsizi, it was rumoured that king Shaka had given Mpande the
responsibility of fathering a son." This could be noted as an underlying
factor in his becoming a natural successor to the Zulu throne.
By 1837 Mpande had built up a substantial personal following living with
him at inkosi Senzangakhona's Mlambongwenya homestead in the
Eshowe district. Here he lived a peaceful life anticipating no invasion
from adversaries. It also precluded Dingane from embarking upon the
same kind ofpurges as he did against his other half-brothers and potential
rivals.'· Dingane's plots against Mpande were aborted by Ndlela Ka
Sompisi, his Ndunankulu (Prime Minister) and inkosi ofthe Ntuli clan.
Ndlela argued:
,.
27
"Your Majesty, why do you want to
denigrate yourself by killing a
weakling? "07
Minutes ofthe Natal Volksraad, 15 October 1839, Bird, I, Annals ofNatal, p. 539.
J.B. WrightandD.R Edgecombe: "MpandeKaSenzangakhona, 1798-1872." ef.
c.c. Saunders: Black leaders in Southern African History, p. 47.
RRR Dhlomo: Umpande Ka Senzaneakhona, p. 23.
Ibid., p. 23.