Biography of King Dinuzulu ka Cetshwayo

Article by Mlungisi Zwelihle Gumede

Source: google

Dinuzulu was the son of king Cetshwayo, He was born in 1868. He succeeded his father Cetshwayo ka Mpande ka Senzangakhona who was the last king of Amazulu to be officially recognized as such by the British. King Dinuzulu had eleven children including Solomon who succeeded him as the king. His head wife was Silomo ka Ntuzwa. Zululand had been divided into 13 smaller territories by British After the Anglo Zulu war and Dinuzulu administered one of them. In 1884 after the death of Cetshwayo Dinuzulu was too young to become the king because he was only 15 years old. After Zibhebhu ka Maphitha had tried to kill Cetshwayo, there was a big possibility that he could also kill Dinuzulu to claim power. Dunuzulu was taken into safe place in Transvaal by his uncles. On 05 July 1884 Dinuzulu and Usuthu allied with the Boers and they defeated Zibhebhu at Etshaneni in Lebombo Mountains. In Return the Boers received 800 farms

King Cetshwayo ka Mpande had three sons. The first son was born to a daughter of Sekwayo and was named Maseyana, the second son was born to a daughter of Madwala and was named Mkebeni. The third and the last son was born to a daughter of Msweli and was named Mahelana (Dinuzulu).  Cetshwayo haf a dream, in his dream he dreamt of Dingane and his wife. In a dream Dingane told him that he is going to give him only one son to become the king of Amazulu because if there are many of them they would be always fight for kingship. That son would be light (Mpofu) in complexion and should be named Dinuzulu. The child that they were refering to was the son of Mamsweli Mahelana. Soon after the other two sons felt ill and died.

Before Cetshwayo died he instructed his brother Dabulamanzi to raise Dinuzulu because he was the only son he had after the death of other two sons. Dinuzulu grew up at the Ndwandwe district which was formed by the British. King Dinuzulu ka Cetshwayo married about Seventhy 70 wives. He had three daughters including Zakomunye, Magogo and Mpapho. He also had eight 8 sons and those were Nkanyishana; David Nyawana; Mshiyeni; Mdlenevu; Mgunywana; Magangeni; Mpembeni; and Nkunzi. Total number of his children were eleven, However there maybe other who were not known. He had five homesteads (palaces) 1.Osuthu( Mkhontweni)
2.Mahhashini
3. Kwa Nengwa
4. Mpisedlendlini
5. Esikhaleni senyoka

Inkosi Mnyamana and prince Ndabuko who were acting as guardians of Dinuzulu formed an alliance with the Voortrekkers from the Transvaal. In may 1884 they concluded an alliance with the Voortrekkers who recognized Dinuzulu as the king of Kwazulu Natal north reserve. They were to be compensated with an unpecified number of farms in Kwazulu natal. Thus at the Battle of Etshaneni on 05 June 1884 the Osuthu Voortrekker Alliance defeated Zibhebhu. After zibhubhu's vanquish Dinuzulu was then installed as the new king of Amazulu.

Bhambatha ka Mancinza Zondi led an uprising against the British imposition of poll tax which was to be paid by every zulu man. King Dinuzulu harboured inkosi Bhambatha's wife and his children in his palace. His prestige was enhanced by visit of men from other chiefdoms to Osuthu. There were accusations of indirrect support for Bhambatha and attempt to restore the zulu kingdom. British troops destroyed the imizi of suspected rioters and others who refused to pay tax. Bhambatha was caught and executed.

After the controversial trial, king Dinuzulu was found guilty of harbouring rioters during the Bhambatha Uprising and in 1909 he was sentenced to four years of imprisonment. After the establishment of the union of South Africa in 1910 king Dinuzulu long standing friend Louis Botha released him and he died in the Transvaal in 1913. The cause of his death was not known but they suspected that he was poisoned. Before his death he instructed British that he must be burried at Mpembeni river in Zululand. Dinuzulu was burried at Emakhosini Valley the burrial place of early zulukings of which is close to Nongoma.