iMvelaphi ya MaNdebele
Origins in South Africa
The Ndebele trace their roots to the Nguni of present-day KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. They were led by Mzilikazi kaMashobane, a general under the famous Zulu king Shaka Zulu.
Break with Shaka (1820s)
Around 1823, Mzilikazi broke away from Shaka after disputes over loyalty and cattle.
With his followers (the Khumalo clan and others), he moved northwards, away from Shaka’s power.
The Great Migration and Settlement
Mzilikazi led his people on a long migration known as the “Great Trek” of the Ndebele.
They moved through present-day Gauteng, North West, and Limpopo in South Africa, clashing with the Sotho-Tswana communities.
Eventually they crossed the Limpopo River into present-day Zimbabwe (then called Matabeleland).
By about 1839, Mzilikazi and his followers had settled in southwestern Zimbabwe.
They established the Ndebele Kingdom, centred around present-day Bulawayo.
The kingdom was organised along Zulu military lines (amabutho regiments) and absorbed many local Kalanga, Sotho, Venda, and Shona people.
King Mzilikazi (1817–1868) founded the kingdom.
• After his death in 1868, his son King Lobengula succeeded him.
• Lobengula ruled until 1893, when British colonial forces (BSAC) defeated the Ndebele kingdom in the First Matabele War.
Culture & Identity
The Ndebele of Zimbabwe retained much of their Nguni/Zulu culture: language (isiNdebele), military organisation, beadwork, and praise poetry.
But they also incorporated local traditions, creating a unique hybrid identity.
Today, the Ndebele are the second largest ethnic group in Zimbabwe.