rorkesdriftvc.com :: View topic

Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2006 7:46 pm

I am trying to find out info about the Zikhali Horse, Natal Native Contingent who served at Isandlwana. My wife is a Zikhali and her ancestors were also members of the Mbonambi regiment who were the first to attack the column, so she has a unique history of having relatives who fought on both sides!

Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2006 9:12 pm

Roy

I can give you a little information about Zikhali. Zikhali died shortly before Christmas 1863, his son Ncwadi taking over the chieftainship. The pricipal role of his people in the AZ War was to provide foot and mounted men for the Natal Native Contingent. Zikhali himself had led a somewhat peripatetic life, his amaNgwane people having been driven out of Zululand in Shaka�s day, and finally settled near modern Dundee. He and his son had every reason, therefore, to wish to pursue the Zulu king and his army. He was originally asked to provide 300 foot men and 100 mounted men for the war effort.

Ncwadi particularly excelled himself: as well as the full complement of foot men for the NNC, he also provided an additional fifty mounted men to make up three of the six troops of the Native Mounted Contingent which were also with Durnford, and they were thus given the name �Zikhali�s Horse�. They were led by Captain William Barton with three lieutenants in command of the individual troops.
KIS

Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2006 11:28 pm

I wonder whether Ncwadi was disappointed with the simple red rag provided for him by the British in 1879, compared with the rather more grand Prussian officer's uniform which the Berliner Missionsgesellschaft had acquired for his father over a quarter of a century before?

According to Etherington, Zikhali always wore these elaborate togs whenever honouring the Germans with his presence, so perhaps his son recalled those times when handed his rather more prosaic version of "European" fighting gear!

Unless, being a leader of his men, he was allowed something more elaborate?

Peter

P.S. Roy, your wife wouldn't be quite unique, of course, as even Cetshwayo himself had very close relations fighting on each side.