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| Mzilikazi,
the Ndebele and Christianity religion |
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Another blow to the missionaries cause was in July 1862
when Mzilikazi ordered the
execution of Manqeba, the most influential ally of the
missionaries in their quest to infiltrate Ndebele
society. Manqeba was to be executed together with one of
his interpreters, Siama. The two were staunch supporters
of the idea of opening up the Ndebele kingdom to the
missionaries. However it was alleged that Manqeba had
plotted to kill the king. Manqeba had allegedly
slaughtered a crocodile in the Mbembesi River, extracted
its liver, mixed it up with magic and then used the
concoction to poison his majesty. Thus he was executed
together with his close accomplice.
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Between 1860 and 1862, the London Missionary Society,
totally failed to penetrate the Ndebele kingdom. During
the years up to Mzilikazi’s death, the missionaries only
managed to maintain links with people to whom they tried
to impart their propaganda but they had little success.
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In the early years, the king
was willing to assist the missionaries in their quest.
He would call up the people to meet at Inyathi,
Zimbabwe, cattle
Kraal for Sunday services. However when it became clear
that the missionaries were bent on despising and
rebuking Ndebele tradition and culture, Mzilikazi was
unhappy and he even stopped listening to the
missionaries who by 1862 had been allowed to preach in
three towns. Soon the people’s willingness to learn
was dying but the persistent efforts of the missionaries
allowed them greater success during the latter years of Lobengula’s
reign.
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The problem with the
missionaries is that they sometimes went too far, as
they condemned harmless local customs such as mourning
rituals. The missionaries declared that such practice
was a clear indication that ‘they have no hope any
more than the gentiles’. Such assaults on the Ndebele
naturally alienated the people. The missionaries did not
manage to overcome Ndebele
resistance to Christianity, even by trying to identify
Christianity with western medicine. The Ndebele remained
perceptive enough to distinguish between the two aspects
of western culture. They eagerly availed themselves for
material benefits of the missionaries, but stood firm
against the Christian religion.
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failed to influence the Ndebele during Mzilikazi’s
reign as the people were not interested in a
Christianity which threatened their such feelings were
worsened by natural disasters which the Ndebele
continued to associate with settling of the whites. |
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| If you feel this is not an
accurate account and you have a more accurate one, or
you have a clarification , you can submit
your version of the account here |
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