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Muzila the Survivor: Son of Shoshangana
South African Heritage Publishers
48 pages
R100
When Muzila got the news of the conspiracy between the Boers, Albasini and Mawewe’s supporters, he decided to act. Together with his brother, Mpisane, who had followed him with a strong army to the Spelonken, he hastily mobilised more Vatsonga volunteers and prepared for the return to the Gaza kingdom to take over the kingship.
This may sound like something that you young ones watch on TV. But this is not fiction; it is real. I hope you did not forget what I told you earlier on. Yes, I like kids who remember what I tell them! I said Albasini and the Boers under Kommandant-Generaal Schoeman had earlier promised to assist Muzila in his endeavour to take over the kingship from Mawewe.
However, this assistance never materialised, because both the Boers and Albasini were afraid to make Mawewe angry. They did not want anything to stand in the way of reopening the trade route from the Soutpansberg to Mawewe’s territory.
The withdrawal of the promised support did not deter Muzila from his march to his home. It took courage for him to return home because of the tension that existed between the conquering Gaza-Nguni aristocracy and the Vatsonga. The Vatsonga were said to be followers of Shoshangana, hence the name Machangana or Shangaan. However, the tension between them and their conquerors had never been satisfactorily resolved. The Vatsonga were crying out for Muzila’s return to his homeland. His benevolent nature, and the fact that he had Vatsonga blood flowing through his veins from his mother’s side, assured him of strong support among the Vatsonga.
So, in October 1861, after a stay of about two years in the Soutpansberg, Muzila set out for the east. First, he went through eKhoseni, Hosi Magudu’s territory, where he expected more support from his mother’s people. Magudu provided him with about 4 500 armed men. Muzila sent the women and children who accompanied him from the Soutpansberg to the Varhonga territories of Matsolo (Matola) and Tembe near Lourenço Marques (Maputo). Remember, Varhonga and Vatsonga belong to the same family.
As promised, the Portuguese provided him with 2 000 rifles and 50 000 rounds of ammunition in return for his allegiance. Together with warriors from the Maxakeni and Maputsu people, who paid tribute to Portugal, armed men from Hosi Mahuntsi of the Makwakwa, and his own supporters from his home territory, he prepared to launch an attack on Mawewe. It was a heavily armed and reinforced combined army. On the other hand, Mawewe had the support of his mother’s people, the Swati.
On November 27 1861, Muzila’s main army clashed with Mawewe’s armed forces, which had formed an alliance with the Swati at Vulolwane near Lourenço Marques. Muzila made it public that he was the rightful heir to the Gaza kingdom. He gained more and more supporters among the Vatsonga, and the war gained momentum. The armies fought along a line of nearly 20km from the beaches of Matsolo to Moamba in the Nkomati valley.
Meanwhile, a number of Mawewe’s Machangana regiments deserted him and joined hands with Muzila. Only a few half-hearted Mabuy’indlela men and Swati mercenaries remained with Mawewe. I can see now that you look confused by the name Mabuy’indlela. These were regiments that consisted of the Vatsonga and other ethnic groups that were considered inferior to the Nguni. They were seen as being expendable, and were always sent to the front as road openers by the Nguni aristocrats.
In a bloody battle that lasted two days, Mawewe lost about 7 000 men. He retreated towards the south with Muzila in hot pursuit. Despite having fewer men than Mawewe, Muzila and his combined army had inflicted a shattering defeat on his half-brother. This later became known as the Battle of Moamba.
The defection of a Moamba traditional leader, Mudlayi, who had been Mawewe’s ally, was bad enough. But the mass desertions of the Vatsonga men who joined Muzila and his allies made a crushing defeat a certainty. Mawewe was humiliated. He had no alternative but to flee to Swaziland to seek sanctuary from King Mswati, who was married to his sister.
On November 30 1861, Muzila showed up at a fort in Lourenço Marques to thank the Portuguese for their support in the war. He and his entourage had a friendly welcome from the governor. On December 2, he signed a treaty with the Portuguese in which he acknowledged Portuguese sovereignty over the land from the south as far north as the Nkomati River. In other words, he effectively became a Portuguese subject.
On December 16 1861, Muzila, with the support of the Portuguese settlers and 300 Rhonga men armed with rifles, advanced towards Bileni. They clashed with Mawewe’s armed forces along the Nkomati River and defeated them on the same day. Again, Mawewe retreated in the direction of Swaziland to seek assistance from Mswati.
We haven’t seen the last of Mawewe, as you will see.
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