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Prince Jongumsobomvu Maqoma died on this day in 1873. He died incarcerated on Robben Island. The first frame is of him and his wife princess Katyi, taken in 1869 the year of his parole.
: William Moore
: William Moore
This year marks the 170th anniversary of the 8th Frontier War (part of the 100 years Xhosa war of resistance in modern day Eastern Cape) the battle of Waterkloof in which Xhosa and Khoisan soldiers worked together was the longest lasting about 18 months. Maqoma led it.
Waterkloof is remembered as the iron mountain and "mount misery" by soldiers who fought against Maqoma's AmaJingqi. One of his praise names is The Leopard of Fordyce because he killed Harry Smith's best Lieutenant, John Fordyce.
Timothy Stapleton's biography of Maqoma is the only book we have on the Prince's life & fight for the land. Themba Ngada republished the book & corrected some of the spelling & also got rid of the term 'chief'- derogatory in that it reduced black royals to Victoria's subjects.
Maqoma is known to have struggled with alcoholism especially after losing his bid to usurp power from his half brother King Sandile (who succeeded Ngqika). But he quickly sobered up when he learned King Sandile had surrendered to the British in 1847, the year Kaffraria was born.
He had previously launched campaigns to get the land back particularly in the 1930s about 15 years since the arrival of the Settlers. But from 1850 on, he fought hard gaining prominence as a master tactician.
The Cattle Killing prophecy was a blind spot unfortunately. Its devastating aftermath would lead to his arrest. He was among the people sentenced to prison on Robben Island for incitement.
The moment he was released in parole, the Prince went back in his campaign to get back the land stolen from his people, that so-called neutral zone that formed part of British Kaffraria. He was arrested again and sent to Robben island where he died.
Stapleton's book reveals a bullet hole was found in his skull when his body was exhumed over a century later.
Let me add "allegedly" in case it turns out he wasn't shot.
Maqoma's death is exactly 5 years after the death of another prominent figure of the precolonial era, Mzilikazi kaMashobanw, the founder of the Ndebele Empire.
Mzilikazi's son Lobengula would succeed him in 1870. Lobengula had actually survived being murdered by his father along with his other brothers thanks to his mother, Fulatha.
Here's a summary of history of Mzilikazi KaMashobane https://www.sahistory.org.za/people/king-mzilikazi
