By Lungani Zungu
This past weekend, Nquthu residents enjoyed a fun-filled 144th commemoration of the historic Battle of Isandlwana, when a small Zulu fighting force defeated a well-armed British army garrison.
But now it is back to reality for residents, who face grinding poverty and unemployment – which are the order of the day for most people who stay in this rural town in northern KwaZulu-Natal.
Among them is Musa Mthikhulu, who made a desperate plea for the commemoration to be used to uplift Nquthu.
“This is an important event that I think should be used to make a permanent change in people’s lives instead of being a once-a-year-event that does not benefit the residents,” he told Scrolla.Africa.
Another resident, Thabile Ngema, bemoaned the lack of jobs that she said has left many families in ruins.
“Many families here are unable to put food on the table. We are pleading with the government to change this. We are holding big commemorations here yet people are starving. It just doesn’t make sense,” she said angrily.
Also infuriating Ngema is that the residents have waited in vain for the museums, B&Bs and other marvels to woo tourists into Nquthu that were promised years ago by the KZN government. These would have created much-needed jobs.
Speaking at the event, AmaZulu King Misuzulu KaZwelithini urged the government to prioritise rural development.
“We must fight to make rural areas a better place to live and work in,” he said, speaking in IsiZulu.
Since taking the throne in 2021, the king has vowed to take off where his father, the late King Goodwill Zwelithini KaBhekuzulu, left off by improving the lives of rural residents.
The first indication that he meant business came when he intervened in a water crisis in Mkhanyakude, in the north of KZN.
He said the commemoration must be used to forge unity among different races.
“This event must be opened to all South Africans, not just the Zulus and the British, because it belongs to all of us,” he said.
Apart from the Zulus, Nquthu is also home to scores of Sotho- and Tswana-speaking people.
The Battle of Isandlwana in 1879 during King Cetshwayo kaMpande’s reign saw the Zulu army, armed with only spears and sticks, defeating the well-equipped British army, leaving thousands dead.
During the commemoration, the battle was recreated with new Zulu and British armies; dressed respectively in traditional gear and redcoat military uniforms.
The battle was a great spectacle as well as an educational opportunity for the youngsters in attendance.
Pictured above: People purporting to be the Zulu and British armies displaying how the battle was fought
Image source: KZN Provincial Government
