THE CAMP WATCHMAN (KUMURI)
But for nearly four hundred years the historical relations and the very existence of the Makalanga and their history were forgotten. From being a powerful and semi-civilised people (see The Ancient Ruins of Rhodesia, chapter x.) they have become a people of no account—mere “Makalaka,” as the people of the present Bechuanaland scornfully called them in reference to their present slavish position. To their successive conquerors they have always been but “dogs of slaves.”
So far as the purely local natives are concerned, the following notes, based upon a series of conferences of the oldest native authorities held at Zimbabwe during 1902 and 1903, at which Mr. Alfred Drew, Native Commissioner, the Rev. A. A. Louw, Dutch Reformed Mission near Zimbabwe, and Dr. Helm, Medical Missionary, and other admitted authorities on native language and customs, have taken part, will explain the local occupations for almost if not more than one hundred and fifty years. The local Makalanga, Barotse, and Amangwa are agreed upon the correctness of the statements here recorded, and the information so obtained has also been verified by the above-named gentlemen in other quarters.
(a) In this portion of Southern Mashonaland the Makalanga have formed, since long before 1570, the greatest portion of the population, especially in the Zimbabwe district. This is both history and also well-rooted tradition among the natives, going back for very many generations.
(b) The Makalanga have been subject to several successive conquerors, of whom the Barotse in Mashonaland and the Matabele in Matabeleland were the last. They have only very indistinct traditions as to their previous conquerors.
(c) The Barotse occupied both provinces, establishing central strongholds in all districts. They collected tribute from the Makalanga, and this was taken every year from all the centres to the Mambo or Mamba, the dynastic chief, for the time being, of the Barotse. And these Mambos resided at Thabas Imamba. Both Makalanga and Barotse were, and still are, most excellent builders with stones. [Mr. Drew minutely cross-examined the natives with regard to the situation or identity of Thabas Imamba]. This is the fixed belief of every Barotse who is questioned on the subject, and the old men say it is also within their own knowledge. Before this fresh evidence was obtained, the authors of The Ancient Ruins of Rhodesia had published a similar statement on the strength of evidences secured in Matabeleland. Mr. Neal also stated that no ruin in Rhodesia showed more evidences of extensive and prolonged occupation than did the ruins on Thabas Imamba.
(d) Jerri’s people (Barotse) never lived at or near Zimbabwe, as white men had believed they had, but they left what they called “The Great Buildings of Stone” (Khami) west of where Bulawayo now stands in 1836–7, and moved to Jerri Mountains, seventy miles south of Zimbabwe. They left Khami immediately before the Matabele arrived. On passing through Zimbabwe they encamped for one night only on a hill one mile west of the ruins. There are many old men who remember these circumstances, while the general local belief is that Jerri’s people lived at Khami Ruins, which are well known to the natives here. [It has always been contended that this tribe of Barotse resided at Khami for very many generations, but there are very many evidences in support of this established belief, which are now in hand, and are now forthcoming.]
(e) The head kraal of the Zimbabwe Barotse was at the foot of the south-east side of the Rusivanga Kopje, and not on the summit, where the walls and the remains of very substantial huts are old Makalanga. The Barotse also had a large kraal on the north-east side of the Bentberg overlooking the Elliptical Temple. [The present Barotse headmen claim the pottery in the débris at these places as having been made by their people some four or five generations back, if not earlier.]
(f) The Zimbabwe Makalanga did not reside in the ruins, as this in later generations was opposed to their traditions, but they used the ruins up to ten years ago as cattle kraals and places for carrying on their copper and iron-smelting operations, for offering sacrifices, and for burial-places. Once they occupied them as residences, but possibly the fear of the ruins at night caused them to desert them as residences, probably owing to the increased number of graves which they contained. The Barotse did not appear to have been inspired by this fear, for they have occupied ruins all over the country.
All the remains of native huts and many of the native articles found in the ruins must be at least six generations old, if not much older. When the present Mogabe Handisibishe took up his residence on the north side of Zimbabwe Hill, in the ruins of the Acropolis, there had been no Makalanga occupations for many generations previously. All the remains of Makalanga huts found on the Acropolis, and round the faces of the hill, and outside the area occupied by Mogabe’s kraal, belong to Makalanga, who had ceased to occupy them for very many years previously. When Mogabe arrived these remains were considered by his people to be exceedingly old.