Portal:Zimbabwe/Featured biography/January 2008

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lobengula Kumalo (d. 1894) was the second and last king of the Ndebele people, now known as the Ndebele (or, linguistically more correctly, the nDebele). Both names, in the sinDebele language, mean "The people of the long shields," a reference to the Matabele warriors' use of the Zulu shield and spear.

Mzilikazi (a.k.a., Umsaingaas), the first king of the Matabele nation, died in 1869 and the throne was to go Nkulumani, son of the king and his royal wife. But the young chief was mysteriously missing and this led the izinduna, or chiefs, to give the crown to Lobengula, another of Mzilikazi's sons but from an inferior wife. Several impis (i.e., regiments) disputed Lobengula's assent and the question was ultimately decided by the arbitrament of the assegai, with Lobengula and his impis crushing the rebels. Lobengula's courage in this battle led to his unanimous selection as king.