Introduction
An epic tale is a long, grand narrative, often a poem or story, that recounts the extraordinary deeds of heroes or pivotal events in a culture or nation’s history, often involving conflict and adventure on a grand scale.
Epic tales are typically long, spanning a significant period of time or recounting a series of events.
Epic tales often serve as foundational narratives for a culture or society, preserving its history, values, and beliefs.
(c. July 1787 – 22 September 1828), also known as Shaka Zulu was the King of the Zulu Kingdom from 1816 to 1828. He was one of the most influential monarchs of the Zulu Kingdom, responsible for re-organizing the Zulu military into a formidable force via a series of wide-reaching and influential reforms.
King Shaka was born in the lunar month of uNtulikazi (July) in the year of 1787 near present-day Melmoth, KwaZulu-Natal Province, the son of the Zulu chief Senzangakhona. Spurned as an illegitimate son, Shaka spent his childhood in his mother’s settlements, where he was initiated into an ibutho lempi (fighting unit), serving as a warrior under Dingiswayo.[3]
Shaka further refined the ibutho military system and, with the Mthethwa empire’s support over the next several years, forged alliances with his smaller neighbours to counter the growing threat from Ndwandwe raids from the north. The initial Zulu maneuvers were primarily defensive, as Shaka preferred to apply pressure diplomatically, with an occasional strategic assassination. His reforms of local society built on existing structures. Although he preferred social and propagandistic political methods, he also engaged in a number of battles.[4]
He was ultimately assassinated by his half brothers Dingane and Mhlangana. Shaka’s reign coincided with the start of the Mfecane (“Upheaval” or “Crushing”), a period of devastating warfare and chaos in southern Africa between 1815 and about 1840 that depopulated the region. His role in the Mfecane is highly controversial.
This Piece explores South African Epic of Chaka Zulu a legendary warrior King known for his encounters and gaining his powers through Witch Doctors and Dark South African Vodoo.
Significance of Study
I CHAKA MEETS ISANUSI
AT midday when Chaka was still in the bush, a pitiful wailing rose up from Qube’s village. Chaka saw crowds of people, both men and women, moving about, together with people from neighbouring villages, who had been summoned by the shrieking which they had heard in the night when the hyena had gone off with the girl; they had been summoned, too, by the second event which had happened before that night had ended. The wailing which Chaka heard came from wives weeping for their husbands, and from others weeping for their brothers and their betrothed. All these were weeping only for their dead and took no thought for Senzangakona, but others were mourning for Chaka, thinking that his father must have been bewitched by some one who hated him bitterly, since he had cast out his own son without reason and without cause.
At midday the cattle and the goats in the kraals cried out for lack of food. The calves and the kids also cried for the milk of their mothers, and the dogs, too, howled through the village for their dead masters. Even the cocks helped to swell the din, but these were only imitating the other sounds. The combined noise of all these animals became unbearable: everything was upside down and in disorder, as when the great chief of a tribe dies; for when the queen-bee is dead even the animals know of it. Chaka heard the cries of all these creatures, and longing as he did for the chieftainship he thought to himself, ‘All this has happened because of me, and I am only small and weak.
What will it be when I am a man and have the power of a chief?
I will have my revenge when my day dawns.’
In his mind he reviewed all his life since his childhood, and he found that it was evil, terrifying, fearsome. He thought of the time when he was herding the cattle and discovered that there was a plot against him, of how the boys attacked him in the fields, of his killing of the lion and the hyena, and he saw that on earth man lives by might and not by right. He saw that on earth the wise man, the strong man, the man who is admired and respected is the man who knows how to wield his spear, who, when people try to hinder him, setdes the matter with his club. He resolved that from that time on he would do as he liked: whether a man was guilty or not he would kill him if he wished, for that was the law of man. Chaka was always a man of fixed purpose, and was never in the habit of abandoning anything until he had brought it to an end in accordance with his wishes, however difficult it was. But until now his purposes had been good. Henceforth he had only one purpose—to do as he liked, even if it was wrong, and to take the most complete vengeance that he alone could imagine. When evening came he left the bush and wandered over the country, not knowing where he was going. He crossed the Umhlatuza, the Tukela, and the Umvoti rivers, keeping always to the south, and in his flight he forgot Dingiswayo, the chief who loved him. A few days later at midday, at the time when the shadows begin to grow small under their owners, he felt oppressed with the heat of the sun: the sweat poured down him, the ground burnt his feet, and he was obliged to look for some shade.
There w r ere many trees there but they were very scattered, and as he was looking around he saw one in front of him with broad branches, standing alone and far from the others, and he went up to it. It was a very tall tree, and from the ground to above where a man could reach with his hand, the trunk was smooth and without branches. The first branches began above this and bent downwards to the ground in streamers like a willow; the upper branches spread out flat like a man’s hand and made a broad shade. At the foot of the tree was a spring of cool refreshing water. Chaka was tired out when he reached it: his strength had gone because of his exertions and privations, his feet were swollen with the dew, his thoughts were confused and his head ached with much thinking. He drank at the spring and then ate a little of the meat which he had procured in the villages he had passed through, and washed it down with the spring water. Owing to his weariness he was beginning to doze, but he rose to his feet and looked carefully in
all directions; then he glanced into the branches of the tree and threw a stone up into them. When he saw that there was nothing about anywhere, he rested against the tree and fell asleep. He woke when the shadows were lengthening, and saw a witch¬ doctor standing by his side, regarding him with a strange expression. Chaka the man of action immediately became wide awake: he seized his spear, leapt back and stood away from the witch-doctor, for he was afraid that he had been nearly killed in his sleep. But he soon realized that this was no assassin, because the man must have been there some time before he woke, and could have killed him then had he wished. When sleep first left Chaka and his eyes lighted on the man he saw a mocking look on his face; his mouth was drawn down in a grimace, and in the depths of his eyes he could see unbounded malice and cruelty. He seemed to see a man far more evil than any sorcerer, more cruel by far than any murderer—the very father of malice, wickedness, and treachery.
Chaka’s body shuddered and his eyes quivered. When he looked again he found the man’s face full of pity and compassion and very sorrowful. And when he looked into the depths of his eyes he saw there perfect kindness, a sympathetic heart, and the truest love. The expression on his face which he had seen before had vanished entirely. He was a man of middle age, beginning to turn grey, and Chaka saw at once by the medicine bags, the skunk’s claws, the monkey skin, and the long plaits of hair that he was a witch-doctor. While Chaka stood there on his guard the witch-doctor put down his burden, sat down, took out his nose-spoon, cleared his nose, and then put the spoon back; took out his gourd of snuff, shook out a little and took it into his nose—sniff, sniff; then, finally, he spoke in a voice sweetened with the delicious flavour of the snuff, saying, ‘Good morrow to thee of the chief’s village. Come hither and let us hold converse.’ As he spoke his voice issued forth with a satisfying sound, full of truth. There could be no doubt it came from a heart which knew no guile; it was not the voice of a deceiver, but of an honest man.
Chaka drew near to him, saying, ‘Good morrow to thee, too, but I come not from the chief’s village, I come from a little village. I am a subject of those who are subjects of the chief.’ The witchdoctor laughed softly and said, ‘It were strange if thou wert not of the chief’s village, for thy form and thy speech tell that thou art. Moreover, thou art not a man of these parts.’
‘How canst thou see that I am not a man of these parts, since thou didst find me here?’
‘I can see it by many things. I can see by thy feet that thou hast travelled a long way, and that most of thy journey was performed running. I can see from thy brow that for many days thou hast not slept soundly, and that thou goest on thy way with a heart full of grief.
Thy tired eyes tell me that for as many days as a man can count on one hand thou hast not had sufficient food. Tell the truth. Is it not so?’ Chaka was loth to answer, for he was afraid that the man had been following him. ‘All that thou sayest is indeed so.
Whence dost thou come and whither dost thou go?
Where is thy home and how dost thou know my story?’ The way in which thou speakest tells me that not only art thou of the chief’s village, thou art the son of the chief. I will answer thy questions when I have ended my story. As I listened to thee I regarded thee with care, and I saw that thy right hand was wearied out with killing men, and that thou wast in flight. For that cause when thou didst see me thou didst leap up, because thou art afraid of all men.
Further, thy manner of speaking tells me that thine upbringing has been hard. Is it not so?’ And now Chaka was unable to answer for astonishment, and the witchdoctor said, ‘Look me full in the eyes while I speak with thee.’ They looked each other in the eyes. ‘What drove thee here happened at night. Thou didst fight with a wild beast and kill it, and the wild beast was a hyena.
I see that it is so by the hair that has remained on thy blanket. Some days before thou hadst killed another wild beast. Lo! I see it. Thou art disowned by thy father who is afraid of his women. To-day thou hast escaped from a great danger, for thou wast marked for death.’ When the witch-doctor had finished speaking Chaka drew aside his blanket, letting his belly appear and the scars upon it of his inoculation, and the witch-doctor saw them. Again Chaka asked the questions he had asked before, and the witch-doctor said, ‘It is human for thee to think I have heard thy story from another, but it is not so. But to satisfy thee I will tell thee a small matter that is known to thee alone. On the hair of thy forelock there is medicine, and it is to bring good luck and the chieftainship. When thou didst draw aside thy blanket I saw, I who have the gift of vision and perception, I the wise one, that thou hast been visited by a great chief coming from the dead, from those who are on high, and that chief rejoices in thee. Further, my eyes which can see the past, have seen that thou wast sore afraid when the chief was with thee, so that thou didst keep thy hand clasping this lock of hair as thou wast commanded by the woman witch-doctor who is now no more.’
The reader can imagine Chaka’s astonishment when secrets were wrested from him that were known to him alone, and at this point he leapt in the air for joy, and was like a man who dreams. He rejoiced that this light which had come from afar had dawned upon him; a sudden ray of it had fallen on his heart and lit it up. Joy and delight came then to him for the first time and soothed his wounded spirit. He thought that this man must doubtless be the diviner of whose coming he had been told, and he saw and believed that if it was really he his fortunes would change, for it was clear that this man could indeed divine out of his head. Then he again asked the question which he had asked twice or thrice before, and said, ‘I asked thee a question, but I perceive that maybe thou dost not wish to answer it. Whence comest thou and whither dost thou go?’
The witch-doctor took his stick and pointed to the sky above and said, ‘Ngivela kudele’ (‘I come from far away’). And he was silent for a long while, looking upwards to the sky where he had pointed, and then he sighed. Chaka said, ‘
What meanest thou by pointing upwards yonder? Dost thou come from the clouds?’
‘Nay, by pointing upwards yonder I would show to thee the distance I have come, for if I pointed to those mountains or were to say, I came from far beyond them, thou wouldst not be able to understand how far it is that I have come.’ Chaka’s brow cleared and his face lit up, for he remembered how it had been said that a witch-doctor would come from far, far away. And he went on with his questioning. ‘At this moment whither goest thou? Thou hast not answered all my questions.’ ‘At this moment I am going … I am going .. . Give heed, Chaka’— and now he called him by his name so that he might perceive that the man with whom he was speaking knew him through and through —‘Give heed, Chaka, I have not space to speak with thee on trifles, for there are many lands in front of me and broad expanses which I must traverse. Many are distressed and persecuted and cannot attain their hearts’ desires. Many chiefs wait for me to arrive and give them aid, the fullest aid, and I wish soon to return to my home, and my home is far.’ And again the witch-doctor was silent for a while as he gazed upward into the sky where he had pointed before, and then he said:
‘I have told thee thy story which is known to thee alone, and if thou dost not yet know me, or if thy thoughts have changed, thou must tell me, so that I may pass on and go to those who await me.’ When Chaka heard these words he was nearly mad with joy and said, ‘Art thou he who is to end my… ’
His voice trembled and he could not speak, for his heart was full, for he saw that there in the wilds, in the desert, in his abandonment, he had met with him whom he had long given up for lost—the man by whom all promises were to be fulfilled. While these thoughts were passing through Chaka’s mind the witch-doctor gazed fixedly at him and strove to penetrate his heart and read his deepest secrets. And for answer he only shook his head; but when he saw his distress he said, ‘Doubt no more. I am here.’
The tone in which he said these words showed that a real man was speaking, one who had the power to do as he had promised. Chaka was convinced and satisfied, and all his doubts fled away. He felt the heavy weight pressing on his heart to be removed and fall to the ground, and he was lightened. He felt, too, as if some ray of light had settled on the place where the burden had been on his heart, and he saw clearly that the chieftainship was for him—he had obtained it to-day, and it would never escape him now that he had it. Then the witch-doctor said, ‘First, before we go further in the matter, I would ask thee if thou wilt bind thyself to observe all my commandments to the full? I ask it because there is nothing I can do unless thou bind thyself in this way.’ It is the rule in cases like this or in prescribing medicines for sterility or disease that the witch-doctor should insist that his patient undertake to carry out his orders, although, if he thinks what he commands is too difficult, he can still refuse. The rule is thus, because if the patient leaves without having definitely refused to obey, the witch-doctor can claim his fee even if his services have been of no avail.
Chaka replied, ‘I bind myself to observe whatsoever commandments thou mayest give.’ ‘My commandments and my laws are hard, but since thou desirest the chieftainship, which is a hard thing, it is clear that the gaining of it must be hard and difficult, and must demand the greatest sacrifices.’ Again Chaka swore that if any man could perform them he would, however difficult they might be. Then the witch-doctor said: ‘It is well. I have told thee that thou shouldst take heart, for I am here. And now I say that all thy troubles and persecutions are a thing that is past, and the good fortune thou vast promised in thy youth will begin from to-day; thou shalt prosper in all thy acts. Now tell me the desires of thy heart and what thou dost wish most of all that I should lay my wand upon.’ ‘I have not many desires, but my heart longs for the chieftainship to which I was born and which is escaping me through my ill fortune alone. I bid thee, work upon me so that the chieftainship may return to me.’ ‘I understand thee. Thou desirest only the chieftainship of thy father; beyond that thou desirest naught. A chieftainship greater than that of thy father thou dost not desire.
Is that thy request or do I err?’ ‘Nay, that is what I desire. But if thou canst make me a mighty chief and independent, one to whom the smaller chiefs would do homage, great will be my gratitude. But, my witch-doctor, tell me truly what thou canst do. For often ye doctors promise men wonders that ye know well ye will not be able to perform.’ Trust in me, I will not deceive thee. Thou hast, I think, some knowledge of man’s life on earth, the injustice and the quarrelling, the hatred and the violence. And from to-day thou must put away from thee all mercy and compassion, for he who shows these qualities is lost. I will not stay long with thee. I will work upon thee and then I will go my way, and thou must remain behind and win for thyself the chieftainship thou desirest.
II. Struggle with the Witch Doctors:
ON his return to Bulawayo there was evil news for Shaka. Firstly a tekivane (hammerkop or hammerhead heron) had flown over the kraal; then a porcupine had wandered m. This had been followed by a crow perching on the kraal fence and uttering human words. Lastly two cows were killed by lightning at the kraal gate. Quite obviously witchcraft had been practised and the evil-doer, or doers, must be ‘smelt out’. Nobela, the renowned woman isangoma, or witch-finder, was immediately sent for, and after ‘throwing the bones’ she ordained a general ‘smelling out’.
Three days later nearly all the adult males within Shaka’s domain were marshalled at Bulawayo, including all the regiments. They were drawn up on the parade ground in lines, with wide avenues between them, and formed a rough horse-shoe with the opening facing Shaka, who was seated on a large man-made clay mound with his councillors around him, commanding a good view of all the gathering. A hush of fearful expectancy hung over all the motionless assemblage.
The silence was broken by eerie high-pitched shrieks and yells which came from a group of five grotesquely dressed female forms which approached from behind the clay mound, crouching and leaping as they headed for the opening of the horseshoe. Nobela was the leader of the group. Her face was an evil mask streaked with white clay paint, which also covered her arms and legs. An assortment of dried and inflated bladders and snake-skins adorned her head and arms. Claws and teeth of leopards and 90 The witch h1111t hyaenas, and goats’ horns hung from her neck, and over her shrwiken breasts grimaced the skulls of two baboons. A kilt of softened cowhide hung from her hips to above her knees. In her hand she carried the tail of a gnu, or wildebeest, which resembles that of a horse. Her four companions were similarly dressed. · The five isangomas, or witch-finders, arrived in front of Shaka and the gathering in an undulating and creeping line led by Nobela. They then formed a circle, which began to turn slowly whilst they kept up a constant, low, sibilant hissing, which increased in volume as the tempo of the turning increased.
The witch-finders’ eyes began to roll, and their bodies to pirouette whilst they still kept up the circling movement. Gradually they lashed themselves into a frenzy of gyrating, madly jumping, fiendishly grimacing and demoniacal creatures, emitting the most ghoulish, blood-curdling and cackling cries. The horror-stricken people were paralysed with fear as they gazed on the isangomas. No one except the chief was safe from ‘smelling out’ immediately followed by a brutally cruel death. The most atrocious feature of these ‘smellings-out’ was that all the inmates of the condemned man’s kraal-if he were a kraal-head, which he usually was-would also be slain, albeit mercifully with the assegai, whereas the condemned man suffered death by torture. His kraal was surrounded and every human being in it butchered, the huts set on fire, and all the stock driven off to augment the her
when the screams, howls and gymnastics had reached their climax, Nobela and her evil brood stopped dead-still with dramatic suddenness and in a group faced Shaka. Then with leering eyes each one started to sniff like a dog and Nobela commenced to chant: ‘There are evil-minded people in the land,’ and she paused whilst her four helpers repeated the sentence in unison. ‘We can smell their thoughts,’ continued Nobela, sniffing the air, and sentence by sentence the four repeated her words, with sniffs.
‘They would harm the chief by witchcraft, but we can smell their evil machinations.’ … ‘Yes, we can smell them in the smoke of their kraals and in the morning mist.’ …
‘We can smell them in the air and on the ground and in the earth.’ . . .
‘We can smell them in the rain and the running waters of the land.’ . . .
‘They cannot hide from us anywhere.’ …
‘We are the dogs of the chief’ … sniff, sniff, sniff. . . .
‘And we will find them everywhere.’ At the last words they jumped high in the air and with a turning movement landed on their feet facing the opposite way, that is, with their backs to Shaka; then shading their eyes with their left hands, they glowered at the spellbound gathering whilst assuming the crouching position of a beast of prey about to spring on its victim. Then Nobcla shrieked: ‘Chant ye people all, chant, so that we may smell the sweet breath of those who are innocent, and the foul odour of those tainted with witchcraft.’ The customary low chant rose from all those present, including all the councillors around Sluka, who alone, as chief, was not supposed to join in. Led by Nobela the five isangomas darted off swiftly through the middle of the horse shoe formation until they reached the arch, some 200 yards away, where every line showed a gap, expressly left open for the ghouls, to enable them to reach all the other lines.
As they ran they jumped at every ten steps or so, emitting frenzied shrieks and howls, and with madly rolling eyes. Sometimes the witch-finders would crawl on all fours, continuously sniffing the ground and the feet of the unhappy people. Sometimes they would move in a crouching position. Always they sniffed, and always their eyes would dart around, and with grimacing faces and leers 92 The smelling out petrify their beholders, who would almost choke with fear as they valiantly tried to keep up the chant. Then like scenting dogs they would sometimes return on their trail, questing and sniffing for a lost scent, and then partly raising the deadly gnu-tail, as if about to strike a person with it, to indicate that he had been ‘smelt out’ as a wizard.
With half a dozen slayers solemnly walking behind each of the two witch-finding parties, the agony of suspense became almost unbearable at times, but the five witch-finders knew that this was the hour of their power, and not lightly would they relax their grip on the minds of the people, by too speedy a judgment. They gloated in the agony they beheld all around them, and to their utmost they prolonged it. Only in the second round of sniffing each line would the gnu-tails strike the fore-doomed and forechosen victims. It was noticeable, whenever the divining ghouls approached an individual who for some reason or other was considered a possible culprit, perhaps because he was unpopular, the chanting of the people would unconsciously grow louder, and this invariably guided the diviners to make a popular choice, quite apart from those whom they might have on their own list.
Similarly when they approached a man who was universally popular the chant died down to almost nothing. Mdlaka, the commander of the Fasimba, who was second to none in bravery, quaked inwardly when Nobela sniffed at him and almost thrust her evil face into his, and then deliberately returned twice, but each time the chant sank to a diminuendo, and as far as the warriors were concerned, it fell to an almost inaudible undertone, for next to Mgobozi he was one of the most popular people in the country. Nobela, however, disliked him and Mgobozi, as she disliked all clever people, especially if their counsels were moderate and they failed to woo her power. Shaka frowned, for he felt that even his own power was curtailed when the witch-doctors held the stage, for the moment they struck their victim with the gnu-tail the slayers immediately marched him off to his grisly doom without any command from the chic£ Having completed the first preliminary round of all the lines,
Nobela and her associates now directed their attention to the councillors surrounding Shaka. They approached in a line, with their bodies almost bent double, silent except for the sniffing, but with the most frightening grimaces and rolling of the eyes imaginable. Even Shaka, immune though he was, felt the hypnotic spell of the witch-finders. As they passed along the line of paralysed and perspiring councillors he remembered Mbiya’s words, and with a deep hoarse growl muttered: ‘Seek not witchcraft among my tried friends. Leave them alone.’ With her face distorted with rage, but looking at no one in particular, Nohela gave her answer in a low chant. ‘Those closest and dearest are ever the most potent mediums of the wizard, even though they know not that they are being used. Take heed, Oh Chief, for our eyes can see what you cannot see, and our noses can smell the taint of evil as· surely as a dog follows the scent of a buck which is imperceptible to man.’ Shaka felt uncomfortable, for he still had a high respect for witch-doctors, ingrained in him through custom, although his innate intelligence made him suspect that a goodly percentage of their practices were based on fraud or self-interest, and some of them were certainly altogether humbugs.
‘I hear you, Mother of Fear, but what if your choice is against the popular will?’ said Shaka in a low undertone. Nobela continued to give a chanting reply. ‘There is too much interference already. Shall the children teach the mother?’ ‘Carry on with your hunting, but take care not to thrust your face into a hornets’ nest,’ Shaka replied with a low but ominous growl. With a malignant look of triumph Nobela now advanced on Mgobozi and pointedly hovered around him like a veritable angel of death, continuing to torment him with suspense, while the slayers behind her fingered the bundles of twelve-inch wooden skewers, each slightly thicker than a pencil. If he were found guilty he would be led away and the skewers would be driven into his rectum, and he would be left to die a lingering death in the veld, and of course all his brides would be massacred.
Led by Nobe!a the quintcttc formed into a winding file heading 94 Shaka breaks the spell of fear for the horse-shoe opening for the final and decisive ‘smelling out’. By this time the whole multitude was in a state of stupor. The dreadful suspense was broken for the first time when Shaka slowly rose to his full height and bellowed: ‘Ho! Mdlaka there! collect me a company of the best Fasimba lads and come and stand guard here around my person.’ Like a man awakened from a horrible nightmare, Mdlaka rubbed his eyes and with hope and joy in his heart carried out the order with smooth efficiency. The strangling grip ofNobela was broken-at least for a time and no one knew it better than she did. With a venomous intensity she now whipped up all the terror she could, and prancing along the outer line where she had commenced the ‘smelling out’ earlier in the day, she hovered around a luckless ring-headed man of some fifty-five years, who was obviously a well-to-do kraal-head. His eyes bulged with terror as she played with his feelings, now raising his hopes by leaving him and then tiptoeing back again. At last, with a diabolical shriek, she jumped shoulder high and struck him in the face with the fatal gnu-tail.
Almost immediately two slayers closed in on him and led him into the centre of the horse-shoe, where he stood in a state of stoical stupor. Here they guarded him and presently he was joined by another wretch. This went on till there were four. This apparently completed the ‘harvest’ in the outer, and less important, lines of people, foe Nobela and her colleagues now came running and vaulting into the central arena, where they pointed accusatory fingers at the victims and shrieked the manner of their doom at them. ‘Look at them, ye people. These are the abatagati (wizards) who would bewitch our chief and his people, but we have smelt them out, as we will smell out a great many more in this inner circle which stinks of witchcraft. Away with them, ye slayers, and see to it that they suffer before they die. Report their names to the military council so that the warriors may wipe out their kra:ils before their contaminated inmates can get any warning.’ During the five minutes or so whilst the first pair were being skewered the other two condemned men looked on in a state of stll por. The victims o~ a ‘smelling out’ were usually so overwhelmed with superstitious dread, and the enormity of being
unconscious mediums of witchcraft, that they became mentally and physically paralysed, and it was exceedingly r:i.re for any one of them ever to make even an attempt to escape. In any case they knew their families were doomed even if they should escape, unless they could reach the sanctuary at the chief’s feet. Otherwise, forsaken and shunned by all as polluted malefactors, and bringers of evil to the tribe, they would now die a lingering and horrible death, with their minds wra.cked as cruelly as their bodies. By the time the slayers returned to the central arena. Nobela had another batch of four hapless wretches a.waiting execution. They were all dignified and prosperous kraal-heads. One had opposed the Shaka regime. Another one was unpopular on account of his frugal hospitality, through which he had grown exceedingly rich. The third one believed in putting cattle-manure on his lands rather than pay Nobela for charms to grow his crops. When his crops were, therefore, outstandingly more abundant than those of his neighbours doctored by Nobela a whispering campaign by her a.gents soon convinced everyone that he must be employing witchcraft to obtain such exceptional results. When Nobela therefore approached him the chant rose, and reached its highest pitch when the gnu-tail struck him, thus indicating that the choice was a popular one. The fourth man was unlucky, inasmuch that good luck had always trailed him in his efforts at stock-breeding.
He selected the best breeding bulls and exercised every care to a.void stock losses, but the most uncanny feature was the prodigious growth of his herds through the fortuitous and phenomena.I number of heifercalves which were born. Envious neighbours began to mutter, and when predatory beasts like lions chose to break into their· less palisaded kra.als instead of the rich man’s better-protected ones, it became apparent to a.II that he must be relying on witchcraft. These four men were now hustled off to their terrible death, and presently were joined by another three who were also ‘smelt out’ in the inner circle. With eleven thus disposed of, Nobcla. now turned her final attention to the councillors and guards surrounding Shaka.. This would provide the climax of the day. She would strike hard with the authority of tribal law, sanctified by immemorial
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References
https://www.suneo.mx/literatura/subidas/Thomas%20Mofolo%20Chaka%20(en%20ingl%C3%A9s).pdf