When it comes to colonialism in Southern Africa, no name is common than that of Cecil John Rhodes. His ambition was to colonies Africa from Cape to Cairo. To this day there is street corner in Bulawayo that points to Cape town and to Cairo. Matebeleland was at the very center of his plan. Upto this very day his grave lies in Matopo hills. Matopo hills is just a few hours away from Matabeleland capital Bulawayo!
Despite the severe defeat that Ndebeles suffered around 1896, "the man of the long spears" are warriors by nature. This would see the Ndebele kingdom collapse, and old Bulawayo was later abandoned. To this day nobody knows what happened to King Lobhegula. Some says he crossed Zambezi and migrated to Zambia. There is a lot of myth, and stories on his whereabouts. (This is not a history account)
The use of home made tools and weapons like knives, clubs, axes and spears is still common in most Southern African villages. For most people these are the most basic tools every household often posses. Africans are natural known for hunting gathering and farming. We all know that the previous centuries were dominated with wars. Many cultures and tribes defended and expanded this way. This was the time prior to the missionary age in the early eighteen hundred century. Missionary expansion period and colonialism happened almost at the same time. This dealt a terrible blow to the messengers of the gospel to this very day. This is because most people of African descent still see the white men as a thief who stole their land, and natural resources using a gun and the Bible
Knives has always come in handy for butchering both game and cattle meat. It is an encouraged culture that every boy must have a knife, and a club when ever going hunting. This is because in case you find a people need who help cutting meat after butchering a cow beast. These two convenient tools makes the young man feel complete. At home is one expected to have at least one spear for security. Its kind of like a guns to westerners. Americans will go down fighting if you want to strip them of their guns rights. They understand the need for self protection.
Coming to the point, it seems that in every age, the Ndebele people like any other nation have a dire need protect themselves. There is nothing worse than a nation defeated and disarmed. Well, the Ndebele people have existed as a defeated nation for a long time. In the early eighties, we saw the Gukurahundi sweep across the whole region of Matabeleland and Midlands killing thousands of people. A lot of people still live in fear, they know that the government is still capable of repeating the same thing it once did.
The need to for individual and family security is desperate. Every where one goes, he or she has to be careful of pickpockets and thugs especially in the cities. I remember growing up in the eighties, my own father used tell me of countless stories on how he survived dangerous encounters with thugs at night because of his three star pocket knife. Residences can be easily broken into and people can be brutally murdered. The only problem is that we are living in a grey area period security wise. Time and again the government has embarked on operation "disarm the people". Weapons abuse is obviously rampant. Those who have knives are using them to settle score and grudges. Almost all Zimbabwean police agents are on the road looking for money. Its been said that where ever there is a Policeman there is money.
The rest of the people are left unprotected. One has to protect themselves since police protection is not always available. Bad guys are usually armed to teeth. Is the so called "knife culture of Matabeleland" exaggerated!
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