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1/11. Yes the Cold War period had that fear as its underlying factor. But there was more to it. Remember of all the countries you listed, UK was the ‘key driver’ state; it had the power of determining how others related with her former colonies. But There was something more... https://twitter.com/XixuXaxa/status/1254694777070682112
2/11 Remember the British Empire is founded on the ‘Glorious’ narrative of conquest & gallantry in War. Yet at the centre of their hatred of the Ndebele lies 2 wars whose narrative continues to uncomfortably prick their history of Conquest.
3/11 First, the Battle of Pupu, which saw the total outclassing & annihilation of Major. Allan Wilson’s army on 3/4 December 1893 by the Mthwakazi Army. Of course,this includes other Battles of eGadade which stretched for a good 8 months. In all these our dignity remained intact
4/11 Let’s not forget the Battle of Isandlwana of 22 Jan. 1879, the 1st major encounter between the British Empire & the Zulu Kingdom - by extension, the Ngunis (of which the Ndebele were/are considered to be part of, & sharing that history as ethnic cousins). But there is more..
5/11. Remember the British have only had very few such losses in their entire history as an Empire. These Anglo-Nguni wars continue to be remembered with so much hate even to this day, and have left the British Empire’s history of conquest scarred & excoriated. As a result....
6/11 ..the entire planning of the Gukurahundi by the ZANU tribalists during the liberation struggle (as told to me by Dzinashe Machingura & Edgar Twoboy Tekere in 2004) fed into the British’s desire to settle old scores. Most people didn’t understand it then, others still don’t..
7/11 But only the British who felt the brunt of the ferocious Mthwakazi & Zulu impis understood the warrior spirit in those considered to be of Ndebele blood. Added to that is the knowledge of their criminality in the destruction of the Mthwakazi Kingdom. Remember...
8/11 ..they had first worked out a plan on the destruction of the Zulu Kingdom, leading to the incarceration of King Cetshwayo kaMpande on St Helena Island.They had hatched a plan to actually capture King Lobengula & incarcerate him on the Isle of Wight. Their plans failed, but..
9/11 They still managed to gradually destroy the Mthwakazi Kingdom. As a result in 1980, at the formation of the Zimbabwean state they couldn’t imagine the rebirth of the Mthwakazi idea. They then funded the Gukurahundi project to further their ends, while helping ZANU tribalists
10/11. Fortunately, the Zulu Kingdom rose from its ‘ashes’ following the Anglo-Boer War; which led to the capture of the State by the Afrikanners from the British. But from the 2 anecdotal events mentioned above; the Battles of Pupu & Isandlwana, two shocking things happened.....
11/11 Leander Starr Jameson who gallantry defended the Empire, was awarded the Highest order by the British Empire - the KCMG & the Order of Bath. Then in 1994, soon after overseeing the Gukurahundi Genocide, Robert Mugabe was awarded the same Order of Bath. Coincidence...eeehe?
