The Anglo-Zulu War: When the Zulu army outwitted the British at Isandlwana

The Anglo-Zulu War was one of the great 19th-century battles that played out in what is known today as KwaZulu-Natal.

In 1879, British forces invaded Zululand to control the kingdom, which was then ruled by King Cetshwayo.

Refusing to submit to British rule and an ultimatum that Cetshwayo should forsake his sovereignty, the inevitable invasion of Zululand began.

While several battles took place, one of the main conflicts was the Battle of Isandlwana.

The Zulu army attacked a portion of the main British column, overwhelming the troops, defeating the first British invasion of Zululand

“Cetshwayo was prepared for the big war that King Shaka had prepared for,” says author and royal Zulu historian, Shalo Mbatha.

“The Zulu outnumbered the British, they were better organised and disciplined. The British forces underestimated the Zulu army,” she adds.

What ultimately destroyed the kingdom was the division among the Zulu and the undermining of the economic and social cohesion.

“The Zulu were hungry, they were tired, and there was no food,” Mbatha says.

To listen to Shalo Mbatha, author and royal Zulu historian, in conversation with 702’s Clement Manyathela, click the audio below: