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Zulu Tribe

Publishing date: 06.12.2004 06:28

Zulu Tribe, Zululand.
This is about the Zulu tribe.Descendents of King Shaka who moulded the Zulu nation and Zulu people.

Shaka Zulu

Location: KwaZulu Natal Province in South Africa.

Population: 7 million Language: Kwazulu (Nguni)

Neighboring Peoples: Sotho, Tswana, San

Types of Art:The Zulu are best known for their beadwork and basketry. There have also been some figural sculpture questionably attributed to them. Zulu architecture is quite complex, and the dress or fashion of the Zulu has been carefully studied.

Isilo

History:In the late sixteenth century, the Nguni people moved from the Congo Basin area southwards to Zululand. Among them were Malandela and his wife Nozinja who had two sons, Qwabe and Zulu (Heaven). They discovered the Mandawe Hill near Eshowe and built their new home there. He chose this place for its unrestricted and scenic view of the Nkwalini valley which was situated at the bottom of the hill. Malandela could not enjoy his new home for long as he died shortly thereafter. After Malandela’s death there was a rift in the family and his widow, Nozinja and her second born son, Zulu and faithful servant left. Qwabe, the first born was left behind to be the chief. Nozinja, Zulu and their faithful servant then set up home where the Black and White uMfolozi meet and it is here that Zulu grew up. He became a young man and went to look for a wife, on finding her, their marriage marked the beginning of a new clan – AmaZulu (people of the Heaven).

Two old Warriors

After Zulu came Punga, then Mageba, Ndaba and Jama. Not much is known about Zulu and his successors, our knowledge historically begins from Jama’s son, Senzangakhona was the chief. Senzangakhona fell in love with Nandi who was from the neighbouring tribe of the Elangeni who bore him an illegitimate son named Shaka Zulu in 1787. Nandi was eventually asked to leave the tribe with her son and mother and they lived in exile moving from tribe to tribe till they arrived at the Mthethwa tribe where they were accepted. In 1816, Senzangakhona died and his heir was to be Sigujana, but Shaka marched there, killed his half brother and proclaimed himself king. He led the Zulu to their greatness.

Maidens in Procession

Economy:Rural Zulu raise cattle and farm corn and vegetables for subsistence purposes. The men and herd boys are primarily responsible for the cows, which are grazed in the open country, while the women do most, if not all, of the planting and harvesting. The women also are the owners of the family house and have considerable economic clout within the family. In the urban areas of South Africa, Zulu, and in fact all Africans, are limited to labor intensive work and domestic duties. Even as Apartheid as an institution is beginning to crumble, it is still extremely difficult for Africans to compete for jobs for which they have not been trained, and the country is still entrenched in de facto racism.

Sangoma

Political Systems:Chieftainship and any position of power are based on genealogy. The eldest or favourite son becomes the heir to the throne or becomes chief. The head of the tribe acts as an arbitrator to any minor disputes, if need be, they would be referred to the ‘induna’ who had a seat in the Royal Parliament. The Zulu Supreme Court of Justice presided above all of the ‘izinduna’.
Nowadays the Zulu are officially ruled by the government of South Africa, but still refer matters to their tribal authorities.
At present, the Zulu king is King Goodwill Zwelithini and the political leader is Mangosuthu Buthelezi who is also the head of the Inkatha Freedom Party.

Religion:The Zulu people believe in a higher power called ‘uNkulunkulu’ (greatest of all great) but they also share their world with the spirits of their ancestors. Christianity was brought by the missionaries from America and Europe and was not accepted easily by the Zulus, nowadays however traditional beliefs and Christianity are generally combined.

A Zulu Maiden

Culture
Arts and crafts
Zulu people are very creative and this is seen in their artwork which is primarily beadwork, basketry and pottery.

Beads were used to decorate and adorn themselves. Bright colours were used and they were worked into wonderful geometric patterns. Beads not only decorate, they also convey messages, different colour beads mean different things.

Baskets were also woven from different materials, they were made from dried grass, thin rushes or lengths of telephone wire. These baskets were used for storing, transporting and as drinking vessels. They too were woven into wonderful geometric shapes with different colours achieved by dying the grass with berries, roots and flowers.

Overlooking Thatched Hut

Traditional Dress
Men
Traditionally men wear and skins and feathers. The type of feathers and skins worn indicate the person’s status. Men wear ‘ibheshu’ which is an apron worn to cover their rear and the length denotes maturity.

Women
Traditionally young unmarried girls do not cover their breasts and as they mature and become ‘engaged’ they start covering their bodies.

What a person is wearing can tell you a lot about them e.g. if a woman is wearing a head dress, a black, leather skirt and has her breasts covered, she is married, if a man is wearing a ‘headband’ he is married etc.

Handsome cock

Respect
The whole Zulu way of life is about respect, all married women are mothers, married men are fathers to all children within the homestead and as such may discipline any child that needs disciplining.

All children are taught respect and discipline from an early age and they also are taught they should be seen and not heard unless spoken to or invited to speak.

The Rolling Hills of Zululand

Economy
Rural Zulus are generally farmers, the chief crop planted is maize. Farming is generally for subsistence purposes. The men are responsible for the livestock, young boys herd the cattle in the open veld. The women look after the home and the fields. Nowadays they have had to seek employment in order to make money. As a result of South Africa’s old apartheid regime, most Zulu and African people did not receive good education, which limited them to labour intensive and domestic work, but with our new democracy, they are able to compete for jobs which previously they could not.

This is about the Zulu tribe.Descendents of King Shaka who moulded the Zulu nation and Zulu people.

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Eshowe
Zululand.
KwaZulu Natal. South Africa.
035 4744919
info@eshowe.com

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