THE ALLAINCE OF ZWANGENDABA AND ZWIDE EXPLAINED

 ZWANGENDABA'S ANCESTRAL HOME AND HIS 'MARRIAGE' TO ZWIDE.

Perhaps the most travelled Ngoni/Nguni leader, Zwangendaba's exodus is a glorious journey of many that has left many awed. His footprints and those of his people are all over Central, Eastern and Southern Africa. Its an epic journey and life of an extraordinary man which has glued itself onto the history pages of a generation. The songs and folktales of the Angoni have continued glorifying him to this day.
Today, let us look at where uZwangendaba hailed from and how did he become a vassal or is it an ally of Zwide KaLanga.
Born in 1785 in the St Lucia Bay area (others claim he was born nearer to Hluhluwe), Zwangendaba was the son of the Jele/Jere leader Hlasthwayo of Elangeni village. Thus, this was his tribal area!
Though not the eldest son of Hlasthwayo, Zwangendaba exhibited extraordinary military skills whilst still a boy and destiny had smiled at him and the leadership campus of the Jele clan had already pointed at him. Around the age bracket of 28-30, Zwangedanaba took command of the Jele army- a time when Zwide was also trying to consolidate his superior status among the Ndwandes nations.
Zwide surely heard of the military prowess of the Jeles under Zwangendaba and thus set forth to bring this nation under his control. It appears Zwide must have underestimated Zwangendaba and his army or simply Zwangendaba was better preapred for the ensuing battle, but whatever the case, Zwide was defeated and was even taken hostage by Zwangendaba.
When the other Ndwandwe Kingdoms heard the embarrassing tale of Zwides journey among the Jeres, they sent word to Zwangendaba to release Zwide as he belonged to the larger house. Zwangandaba did in fact release the angry Zwide and even generously gave him a large herd of cattle to cool his fuming heart.
Despite this gesture, Zwide vowed and plotted revenge.
When he reached his royal base, he started organizing his army to again attack Zwangendaba. His mother and some of his royal family members advised him against undertaking such a task, arguing that Zwangendaba was better off part of them than being their enemy.
Zwide would not however change his mind. He assmebled his generals and they set to attack the Jeles. His mother, Ntombazi soon heard this. She ran in front of the army and stood there naked, again forbidding her son from carrying out his plans. Zwide and his men then retreated back to their base interpreting the actions of the 'naked woman in the fields' as a sign of bad luck.
To cement the relationship between Zwide and Zwangendaba, it was advised that the latter marries from the formers royal compound. Zwide still furious with Zwangendaba refused this arrangement. In the end, it was his young brother's daughter, Loziwawa Nqumayo who was married off to Zwangendeba. This was the genesis of this alliance between the Jeles and the Nxumalos.
Attached: A map showing exactly where St Lucia Bay area is in the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa. Please note Hluhluwe is in fact a neighbor of the St Lucia Bay settlement.
May be an image of map and text that says '29°E 30°E 31°E Mpumalanga MOZAMBIQUE 33'E SWAZILAND 27's Free State LADYSMITH HLUHLOWE ULUNDI" 28'S SLucia MTUB TUBA LESOTHO KWAZULU-NATAL 29's PIETERMARITZBURG INDIAN OCEAN DURBAN Eastemn Cape Protected reas 30's Eastemn Cape PORT EDWARD 100 Kilometres 31's'

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