MVELI,
Chief.
SITSHITSHILI,
Chief.
SIBINDI,
Chief.
MANKULUMANA,
Dinuzulu's principal induna.
SIYEKIWE,
Bambata's chief wife.
To show the people that the Government was alive to the necessity of preventing such crimes, the Police at Nkandhla magistracy immediately set to work to try and discover the murderer. Everything that skill or perseverance could accomplish was attempted. But these exertions did not escape the attention of specially interested parties. Sergeant Wilkinson, the officer who was in charge of the investigations, retired to his room about midnight on the 8th of September. Barely a minute after blowing out his light, two shots were fired at him through a hole in a window-pane with a revolver. One struck about eight inches above, and the other under, the bed. Being very dark, no clue could be got of the would-be murderer, except that the bullets closely resembled those fired at Sitshitshili. As, except in a very limited degree, Natives are not allowed to possess firearms, and, when permitted, almost invariably procure guns, the fact that a revolver was used on Sitshitshili and Wilkinson at once attracted general attention.
Orders were now issued by the Government for the country to be thoroughly patrolled by a strong Natal Police Force, with the object of restoring public confidence. Some such action was sadly needed, but, in the opinion of Native loyalists, far wide of the mark. These and many other people held but one opinion, namely, that Dinuzulu himself was the fons et origo of all the mischief. If not he, then puppets directly or indirectly instigated by him or his indunas.
The long dispensation or lease of immunity Dinuzulu had enjoyed was, however, fast coming to a close. Oppressed with the feeling that his misdeeds were gradually coming to light, in spite of all his profound and subtle influence on Zulus in general, in spite, too, of the terrorizing tactics above referred to or still to be described being traceable to his kraal, if not to his personal attendants and himself, he had done his best to enlist the Governor's sympathies on his own behalf. Those of Sir Charles Saunders he felt he could still count on, though he failed to give that officer credit for being able to see through his prevarication, and affectedly innocent pose.
For some months past, rumours to the effect that Bambata's wife and children were being deliberately harboured by him at his kraal had come to the notice of the Government. As, however, it was extremely difficult for any official Native messenger—a European one would have been hopeless—to obtain information on such point by visiting Usutu, all that could be done was to mark time and watch developments.
The opportunity came shortly after the return from his visit to Pietermaritzburg. He had been asked by Sir Henry McCallum to give orders for the arrest of any rebels who might find their way to Usutu and have them conveyed to the local Magistrate. On this Magistrate subsequently sending a list of eight rebels who had been recently seen in his ward, Dinuzulu caused five, and another not specially asked for, to be delivered two weeks later—3rd July.
On the morning of the same day, however, Siyekiwe, the wife of the notorious rebel Bambata, and two of his children, a girl (about 16) and a boy (about 14), turned up suddenly at Mahlabatini magistracy, having, as they declared, left Dinuzulu's kraal the evening before and travelled through the night. They had deserted, owing to a threat by Dinuzulu to remove them to a remote region in the north. As the Chief had led the Government to believe there were no rebels at his kraal, he determined to rid himself once for all of the woman and children. They had at length become a nuisance, although he believed, or professed to believe, his friend Bambata to be still alive. It was owing to Dinuzulu's not informing Siyekiwe of Bambata's death that she did not shave her head, as is universally customary among Zulus and other Natal tribes. The failure to do this was of the greatest importance in keeping alive the impression among Natives in general that Bambata was not dead, but roaming about somewhere. If his favourite wife, the one who had accompanied him in his flight to Usutu, did not believe in his being dead, no one else would, as she was not unnaturally looked on as the principal authority in such matter. Who, they argued, can know better than a woman if her husband be dead or not? Not the woman, but Dinuzulu appears to be responsible for the false impression that was circulated far and wide.
When Dinuzulu went to Pietermaritzburg, he had temporarily secreted the woman and children at a kraal a few miles off. That of a thoroughly reliable adherent was selected. But as the woman, quite young and rather good-looking, was not without male friends, she, on being recalled to Usutu, heard of the scheme, whereupon she made a plan and speedily got completely beyond Dinuzulu's reach. Then was the fat in the fire!
The fugitives were passed by the Magistrate to Sir Charles Saunders who, amazed to hear their numerous revelations, had them conveyed to Pietermaritzburg, where the whole story was carefully reduced to writing.