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Mashudu Netsianda, [email protected]

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has said the Government will soon begin deliberations on the way forward following the recent discovery of King Lobengula’s tomb in neighbouring Zambia, over a century after his death.

For 130 years, it has been on public record that King Lobengula disappeared after the famous 1893 Battle of Pupu in Lupane District, Matabeleland North. 

There was, however, a narrative that the Ndebele monarch later crossed over to Zambia.

However, there is new information that King Lobengula went on to live in Zambia among King Mpezeni’s people in Chipata and was entombed at Sanjika Cave in line with Ndebele customs.

King Lobengula was last seen on December 4, 1893, when he rested under a Mutswiri (Leadwood) tree soon after the famous Pupu Battle during which his Imbizo Regiment under revered General Mtshane Khumalo killed settler forces’ commander, Major Allan Wilson and his fighters. Despite their superior weaponry comprising Maxim guns and cannons, Major Wilson and his forces were decimated by King Lobengula’s brave warriors.

The epic battle that was fought on the shores of the Shangani River, symbolised the beginning of a protracted resistance against the settler colonial regime.

Until recently, a tapering stone pillar with names of a 34-soldier unit of the British South African Company (BSAC) that was ambushed and annihilated by Ndebele warriors, was the only structure erected as a landmark by the Rhodesian government.

The obelisk has 34 names of Major Wilson’s patrol inscribed on it.

In telling the story of the Battle of Pupu, the colonialists deliberately overlooked the Ndebele perspective. The Government has taken a bold step to correct a one-sided narrative of the famous Battle of Pupu, which for many years deliberately overlooked the African perspective.

The Second Republic has made an undertaking to correctly portray and promote the country’s rich history and cultural heritage.

Addressing local and foreign delegates during a banquet hosted in honour of Kenyan President Willian Ruto last Friday at the State House in Bulawayo, President Mnangagwa said he deployed a team to Zambia led by the Deputy Chief Secretary for the Social Services Sector in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Reverend Paul Bayethe Damasane on a fact-finding mission.

The delegation comprised renowned historian, Mr Pathisa Nyathi, the Khumalo family and Government officials.

“It was here in this State House (in Bulawayo) where the great King Lobengula, the last King of the Ndebele people and his Royal Court, was settled. 

“When Rhodes came, there was a war between the British South Africa Company and our people here,” he said.

“When King Lobengula felt that our own army was losing the battle, he left. Recently, I assigned Reverend Damasane to research and locate where our King is buried and it is now over 130 years ago,” said President Mnangagwa. 

“We have now discovered where he is buried in Zambia and so we shall begin the discussions to deal with that issue.” 

From the latest information gathered, it emerged that it took King Lobengula four months to reach Zambia after the Battle of Pupu where he settled among King Mpezeni’s people in Chipata, about 100km from that country’s border with Malawi. 

His escape is said to have been aided by Chief Pashu Sianganza who helped him cross the mighty Zambezi River. 

They then decoyed the colonialists by killing General Magwegwe Fuyana and placed King Lobengula’s artifacts on his purported grave to trick the enemy into believing that he was dead. Another narrative suggests that General Fuyana could have volunteered to commit suicide to facilitate the decoy. 

President Mnangagwa said soon after Independence in 1980, there was a suggestion from the country’s top military commanders to exhume Cecil John Rhodes’ remains and repatriate them to the United Kingdom. 

“When we got independence and the late President Mugabe was still Prime Minister, there were three of us and that was myself, the late General Solomon Mujuru, and Air Marshall Josiah Tungamirai. We suggested that Rhodes’ remains be exhumed and repatriated to England,” he said.

“The one who was the spokesperson among the three of us was Air Marshall Tungamirai who said: ‘Can we blow up Rhodes’ grave?’ Our Prime Minister responded by saying: ‘No, we can’t do that’. “Cecil John Rhodes is an important person and for generations to come, people from Britain will be coming here to see the grave, so let them pay.”

As was requested in his last will and testament, Rhodes was buried in 1902 on top of a granite peak in the Matobo National Park, which he dubbed the “View of the World”. 

Mzilikazi Khumalo, the first King of the Ndebele, is entombed in a cave just a short distance away.

President Mnangagwa described Bulawayo as a captivating beautiful city with a rich cultural tapestry. “The captivating beauty of the city of Bulawayo is timeless, harmoniously blending the people with nature, heritage and rich cultural tapestry. This country was colonised by the British and the guy who colonised us was called Cecil John Rhodes. He never went back to Britain and wrote in his will that if he died, he wanted to be buried in one of our country’s most beautiful places called Matobo Hills and this is why he is buried here,” he said.