Shaka’s Rise to Power
There is some debate as to when Shaka became the Zulu chieftain after his father died. A lot of sources say 1816, but Wylie believes it was closer to 1812. Shaka’s half-brother, Sigujana, became the new chief but Dingiswayo had other ideas. He lent his protégé a regiment, so Shaka was able to kill Sigujana and stage an otherwise bloodless coup. Shaka remained a vassal of the Mthethwa Empire until Dingiswayo died in battle a year later against Zwide, the leader of the Ndwandwe Nation.
The beginning of Shaka’s reign was far from smooth as he suffered several military setbacks. The Ndwandwe was a real thorn in his side, and they launched an enormous series of attacks in 1815. They defeated the Ngwane and felt confident enough to take on the much larger Mthethwa. Shaka’s forces suffered a couple of early defeats, and soon, the Ndwandwe burned the Zulu heartland’s imizi to the ground.
The deeply concerned Shaka elected to call on the Qwabe for help, and he ensured his protégé, Nqetho, became the leader of these new allies. It was at this time that Dingiswayo died and his demise left a large power vacuum in the Mthethwa nation. It disintegrated as some switched alliances and joined the Ndwandwe while others joined Shaka. It was a complete mess, but soon enough, Shaka would solve the problem in a crucial encounter with the enemy.
Supreme Power
The Ndwandwe invaded the Makhosini area in 1819 or 1820, and while Shaka retreated at first, it was all part of his plan. He hid his main force near Mvuzane stream and waited. According to legend, Shaka began pumping up his warriors by shouting “victory or death.” Suddenly, he went to the top of a hill and waited. Soon, Zwide and his men appeared, and Shaka’s men attacked. Day one of the fight was little more than a skirmish, but on day two, the two armies fought until sunset and finally, Shaka unleashed his reserves which overpowered the enemy and forced an all-out retreat.
The victory gave Shaka the freedom to begin forging more alliances with groups down south. Zwide survived the battle and was far from beaten. Despite earning a major victory, Shaka showed no inclination to expand at this time. Contrary to what some anti-Zulu sources say, the group had no involvement in the notorious violence that occurred between St. Lucia and the Phongolo River.
Instead, Shaka took the sensible step of consolidating. He appointed a man named Maphitha as the chief of Ndwandwe territory; Maphitha ruled this region independently long after the death of Shaka. Overall, the Zulu leader was intent on ensuring he could balance power blocs against each other.