LOBENGULA

The Ndebele were a warrior caste that had captured the land of the Shona and enslaved them. When the whites came there was antipathy to the Ndebele and great fear that they would have to farm and do manual labor, things which they had always required their slaves to do. At the same time the king was a vicious despot who killed many of his subjects at his whim and who was resented even by the Ndebele. The king took poison rather than be captured by the whites. Ironically, the king anticipated the great dissatisfaction of the Ndebele when they could no longer own slaves and had to do their own manual labor.

After failing to buy off the whites, the king and has chief minister, took poison, thus ending the Ndebele kingdom. See his last speech.

The Ndebele were a warrior caste that had captured the land of the Shona and enslaved them. When the whites came there was antipathy to the Ndebele and great fear that they would have to farm and do manual labor, things which they had always required their slaves to do. At the same time the king was a vicious despot who killed many of his subjects at his whim and who was resented even by the Ndebele. The king took poison rather than be captured by the whites. Ironically, the king anticipated the great dissatisfaction of the Ndebele when they could no longer own slaves and had to do their own manual labor.

After failing to buy off the whites, the king and has chief minister, took poison, thus ending the Ndebele kingdom. See his last speech.