|
|
|
Chief Cetewayo |
 |
Chief Cetewayo was in many ways a tragic figure. In 1873 Theophilus Shepstone arranged a farcical crowning of Cetewayo, complete with toy crown. He also laid down a series of haughty conditions aimed at curbing the power of Cetewayo. Cetewayo ignored these. The break up of the Zulu nation was imminent but he could not see it. The British High Commissioner in South Africa, Sir Bartle Frere (pictured below) was determined to find an excuse for an armed campaign against the Zulus in order to force the dismantling of the kingdom upon Cetewayo.
 |
What finally precipitated this was an obscure marital dispute, in 1878, where the adulterous wife of a chief was kidnapped outside of Zulu territory and brought back to Zululand and killed. Frere issued an ultimatum to Cetewayo, demanding the disbandment of his armies. Within a very short time the British army was mobilised and had crossed in to Zululand in January 1879.
Cetewayo was realistic enough to know that he could not defeat the British. He hoped to be enough of a nuisance for them to come to terms with him. After news of Isandhlwana he was pleased at the victory but frustrated by the actions of his men and generals. The Zulu army was incapable of following up their victory, as it had dispersed to various kraals to carry out purification ceremonies. The number of casualties also alarmed him and he was horrified when he discovered that Dabulamanzi had invaded Natal to attack Rorke's drift, against Cetewayo's strict orders not to enter British territory.
After the Battle of Ulundi, Cetewayo became a fugitive. He traveled across Zululand with a small body of retainers, seeking shelter wherever he could but already he found that his support was waning. Eventually he was captured in August 1879 and taken to the Cape as a prisoner with some servants and four of his wives (above). There he was treated well and became something of a celebrity. Cetewayo was shrewd and intelligent. He courted those who could influence his possible return to Zululand. Initially he was housed in apartments in the castle at the Cape but later he was given a farm at Oude Molen.
There was some sympathy for what had been done for the Zulus and Cetewayo was able to exploit this. In July 1882 he was allowed to sail to England and receive an audience with Queen Victoria. In 1883 he was allowed to return to Zululand. But this was a country that had been broken up into separate kingdoms. Cetewayo was given one but he was now surrounded by enemies in the form of British officialdom and rival chiefs. His fate was sealed. Cetewayo lost his kingdom to Usibebu and was forced to flee to a small hut. In February 1884 he was found dead by his servants. He may have been poisoned.
