History of the Zulu war and its origin

by Frances Ellen Colenso

This is the concluding portion of the fourth message, received on June 5th, 1869 (1961, p. 9). The fifth, reporting fresh Boer aggressions, was received on December 6th, 1869.

In the course of the same year Lieutenant-Governor Keate addressed the President of the South African Republic on the subject, and suggested arbitration, which suggestion was accepted by the President, provided that the expenses should be paid by the losing party; and during the following two years repeated messages were sent by Mr. Keate reminding the President that being “already in possession of what the Zulu authorities put forward as justifying their claims,” he only awaits the like information from the other side before “visiting the locality and hearing the respective parties.”—(P. p. 1961, p. 24).

On August 16th, 1871, the Government Secretary of the South African Republic replies that he has “been instructed to forward to the Lieutenant-Governor of Natal the necessary documents bearing on the Zulu question, together with a statement of the case, and hopes to do so by next post; but that, as the session, of the Volksraad had been postponed from May to September, it would be extremely difficult to settle the matter in 1871,” he therefore proposed January, 1872, as a convenient time for the purpose.

Nearly eight weeks later (October 9th) Lieutenant-Governor Keate informs the President that the documents promised, upon the Zulu border question, have not yet reached him; but sees nothing, at present, likely to prevent his “proceeding, in January next, to the Zulu border for the purpose of settling the matter at issue.”

But the promised papers appear never to have been sent. The arbitration never took place. Lieutenant-Governor Keate was relieved from the government of Natal in 1872; and the next stage of the question is marked by the issue on May 25th, 1875, of a proclamation by Acting-President Joubert, annexing to the dominion of the South African Republic the territory, the right to which was to have been decided by this arbitration.

In this proclamation no reference is made to the (alleged) Treaty of 1861 (see p. 176), by which “what is now and was then disputed territory had been ceded to the South African Republic,” though it certainly annexes to the Republic all the country included in the Treaty, and seems to annex more. But no ground of claim is set forth or alluded to upon which the right to annex is founded, “with reservation of all further claims and rights of the said Republic,” nor any reason assigned for the act, except to “prevent disagreement” between the Boers and the Zulus. And Sir T. Shepstone goes on to say (1961, p. 5):

“The officers of the South African Republic proceeded to exercise in this annexed territory the ordinary functions of government, and among these, the levying taxes on natives. The Zulus, who had been persistent in repudiating the cession, and who have continued to occupy the territory as theirs, resisted the demand by Cetshwayo’s directions, and a collision appeared imminent, when the difficulty was avoided by the officers withdrawing the order they had issued.”

Nevertheless, in spite of the repeated disappointments with which they met, the Zulus continued to send complaints and entreaties to the Government of Natal; which messages, although they never varied in their respectful and friendly tone towards the English, show plainly how deeply they felt the neglect with which they were treated. The English “promises” are spoken of again and again, and the thirteenth message contains a sentence worth recording, in its simple dignity. “Cetshwayo desired us,” say the messengers, “to urge upon the Governor of Natal to interfere, to save the destruction of perhaps both countries—Zululand and the Transvaal. He requests us to state that he cannot and will not submit to be turned out of his own houses. It may be that he will be vanquished; but, as he is not the aggressor, death will not be so hard to meet” (1748, p. 14).

Sir Henry Bulwer’s answers to these messages contain passages which sufficiently prove that up to this time the Government of Natal had no complaints to make against the Zulu king. “This is the first opportunity the Lieutenant-Governor has had,” he says, “of communicating with Cetshwayo since his (Sir H. Bulwer’s) arrival in the Colony. He therefore takes the opportunity of sending him a friendly greeting, and of expressing the pleasure with which he had heard of the satisfactory relations that have existed between this Colony and the Zulus,” November 25th, 1875 (1748, p. 15).