Mpande's - University of Zululand Institutional Repository

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amaMboza to accompany the most experienced amabutho like
umKhulutshane, inDabakawombe, isaNgqu, umDlenevu, iHlaba and
iziNgulube. Thus the campaign became known as the ukufunda
kwamaMboza (the experience ofthe amaMboza)30
Mswati took the precaution of immediately removing his cattle over the
border into Ohrigstad territory and ofwithdrawing Izinyathi into the caves
ofthe Mdimba Mountains. The amaMboza ibutho collected huge piles of
wood and old hide shields to fill the mouth ofthe caves and set the whole
on fire. 3 ! Few Swazi people were killed but a number of cattle was seized.
With this 1854 campaign Mpande's imbongi bellowed:
"lnzingelezi kaNdaba,
[An encircler ofNdaba]
Emabal' azizinge,
[Who wears spotted colours]
Sengath ' abekwe ngabomu;
[As ifdeliberately done so]
lnzingelezi kaNdaba,
[An encircler ofNdaba]
Ngokuzingelez' izinkomo zikaMswati kaSobhuza. "31
[For encircling Mswazi and Sobhuza's cattle]
Mpande's Swazi expeditions were terminated due to pressure exerted by
the colonial government in Natal. Zulu devastation in Swaziland instilled
fear of a massive in-flow of refugees into Natal." The Natal government
30
31
" 33
l.S.A., Vol. I, Evidence of Baleni, 12 May 1914, p. 34.
Ibid., p. 36.
C.S.L. Nyembezi: Izibongo Zamakhosi, p. 17.
K.C., Stuart Papers, File 81, otebook 42, Evidence ofNdukwana, I May 1903, p. 36.