King Sekhukhune: The British Nightmare

The region of Southern Africa had an impressive history of conqueror kings whose accomplishments include notable victories against African and even European foes, Shangamire Dumbo perhaps being the greatest. Going up against tremendous, nearly insurmountable odds, King Sekukune became one of the most dreaded names in the history of Southern Africa. Today, I wanted to speak about a little-known African ruler who gave two European groups a run for their money. What up African world, it's Home Team here and welcome back to another video of African History, Culture, and Worldview. And if you like this content, you can support the home team on Patreon.com. There, you can find sources and more in-depth courses on African history. And with a word from my sponsors, there's a new social media platform dedicated to educating and uplifting our people. No longer do we have to be censored for speaking our truth. Our Black Truth is black-owned and operated and a place where you can post your businesses and even monetize your content. You can download the app at Google Play or the App Store. And you can visit the website at ourblacktruth.com. Links to everything in the description box below. Before we speak about King Sekukune, we need to first tell a little backstory on the Bopedi people in general. In the 19th century, it seemed as though the Bopedi were on the verge of near-extinction due to attacks by the Matabele people, also known as the Northern Ndebele. Now, I'm aware that the word extinction is a slight exaggeration, but I use it to more so illustrate the feelings of desperation and loss by the Bopedi people. The Northern Ndebele overwhelmed the Bopedi people, killing just about everyone of their royal sons, except for a Bopedi prince named Sekwati. Sekwati fled with the remaining Bopedi people. They then became wanderers and survived by raiding small villages, capturing women and cattle. The Bopedi also faced an uphill battle against the Zulu and Swazi people. Despite these odds, the Bopedi successfully resisted these African ethnic groups via guerrilla warfare, refusing to meet the enemy in pitch battle. To appease the Zulu, the Bopedi opted to send gifts to remedy the persistent onslaught. Even though the Zulu viewed them as a sort of vassal, the Bopedi people did not see themselves as such. They were the underdogs, simply playing chess from their perspective. Troubles over land grants via Boer and Bopedi interactions escalated quickly. Sekwati initially allowed the Boers into the Eastern Transvaal, but issues over who actually ruled that area and whose right it was to give was a little blurry. This caused major friction between all parties involved, African and European. The rapid arming of the Bopedi alarmed their Boer neighbors, who decided that the tribe must be defeated and disarmed before it became too late. In September 1852, a 24-day siege was laid to Fering after an initial charge had failed to dislodge the Bopedi. Although the defenders were reduced to sucking the liquid from the stomachs of cattle that had died, the Boers retired without having captured the stronghold. The Bopedi were in survival against all foes, foreign and domestic. After King Sekwati's death, King Sekukune seized the throne. After having shown resilience and strength against Boer aggression, the Bopedi became more confident, especially under their new king. Given their journey as a people, constantly having to defend themselves just to survive, King Sekukune was intent on thriving. He no longer wanted his people to have the scraps left over by the Zulu, the Swazis, or the Boers. King Sekukune soon became very concerned about the growth of Christianity in his region. He viewed the new religion as an immediate threat to his authority, and so his first act of aggression against Europeans was to expel all the converts and the missionaries from his country. Over time, Sekukune became more popular amongst surrounding ethnic groups, and more of them began to declare themselves loyal to him. His empire was growing at a frightening pace. His power increased further as he welcomed Zulu and Swazi refugees. King Sekukune had momentum and the vision to build an even bigger and better empire. During this time, a Boer state was established, known as the South African Republic, and they were able to collect taxes from some surrounding African ethnic groups, but collection of taxes was decreased as other African ethnic groups claimed loyalty to King Sekukune. In May 16, 1876, the Boers declared war on the Bipedi. Sekukune kept the whole of the Leidenberg district in a state of tension by spreading rumors that he was about to attack Leidenberg, but the chief had no intention of waging an offensive war. He knew that his strength lay not so much in the number of his warriors, nor in their fighting quality, but rather in the inaccessibility of his strongholds, as well as in the fact that his men were well-armed. The Boers, though ambitious, were totally unprepared and simply could not get a stronghold over the Bipedi king. Once the commando started out, Sekukune sent small groups of his men behind the Boer lines to harry undefended farms. This demoralized the Boers and reinforced the feeling among many of them that their greater duty lay at home and not on commando. There were consequently numerous desertions and officers had great difficulty in enforcing obedience. The Boers eventually found success by shifting strategies into preventing the Bipedi from sowing and reaping corn. Even though King Sekukune's power was intact, it was still somewhat checked by the Boers. However, this was viewed as a failure by the British, and even though they initially condemned Boer's ambition as an act of aggression, they would eventually replace them. The British believed that King Sekukune's success could have repercussions, encouraging other African ethnic groups against European powers. Unless Sekukune's power was speedily crushed, other tribes would gain the impression that the Europeans were unable to control them. King Sekukune being informed of a transition of power in the region between the Boers and the British did what the former Bipedi ruler formalized with offering temporary tribute with the intention of gaining time and opportunity. It was only the chronic food shortage situation that kept King Sekukune at bay. This strategy actually worked, and the British were mostly under the impression that the Bipedi people would cause no issues, and thus the removal of volunteer troops were disbanded in areas important to King Sekukune. Sekukune conducted surprise raids on isolated farms, hoping that these small incursions would convince the British to seek quieter pastures in another part of the country. In August 1878, the British sent Colonel Hugh Rowland to the Transvaal for an assault on King Sekukune's main stronghold. This expedition failed to reach the Bipedi ruler and was retracted. The chief's prestige and status in the eyes of the surrounding tribes had increased greatly after the failure of Rowland's expedition, for he could then boast that he had withstood the onslaughts of both Boer and Briton. In 1879, General Garnet Wolseley came to the Transvaal to consolidate British authority in the region. Instead of violence, General Wolseley thought if he could capture the Zulu ruler at the time, he would be able to scare King Sekukune. After the capture of the Zulu king, the British general offered terms, and of course, the Bipedi king refused. General Wolseley decided to overwhelm the Bipedi by sheer weight and numbers. The attack on Sekukune's stat would be two-pronged. The Leidenberg Column, comprising 5,000-8,000 Swazis, 400 other Africans, and 400 Europeans, advanced from Fort Burgers and set up Fort George, five miles from the base of the hill overlooking Sekukune's stat. The main column, a total of 3,000 Europeans and 2,500 African allies. It's interesting to see a clear tradition during the period of colonization in which European forces would continually be reinforced and sometimes even spearheaded by African support and allyship. African diversity seemed to be the principal weapon Europeans indirectly used against the continent. But all in all, King Sekukune was defeated by this massive force of Africans and Europeans. In the face of terrible circumstances, the Bipedi people stood toe-to-toe against great odds under their leader, the great King Sekukune. Surprisingly, in rare form, the London Times spoke about King Sekukune glowingly. We hear this morning of the death of one of the bravest of our former enemies, the Chief Sekukune. The news carries us some years back to the time when the name of Sekukune was a name of dread, first to the Dutch and then to the English colonists of the Transvaal and Natal. Well I'm all out guys. If you like these videos and want to help in its continued production, consider supporting the home team on Patreon.com. The link is in the description box below. Know thyself. Remember your ancestors. Peace. you