The tragedy of 'Zimba the Arsonist' who torched King Mzilikazi's gravesite

Zimba of the Shilwa clan was part of the Inqama regiment that guarded the grave of King Mzilikazi at Entumbane hill at the Matobo National Park. Sometime in the early 1870s when King Lobhengula was still based at old Bulawayo on the Fort Usher road, there is a mysterious fire that ravaged the sacred grounds around the cave where the remains of King Mzilikazi's remains were interred.

One night around 10pm, Sopeju of the Mnkandla clan , who was the chief guard of King Mzilikazi's grave saw flames at the grounds near the sacred cave. He made a clarion call to the Inqama regiment who rushed to put the fire out.

When they had finished putting the fire out, the Amhlophe regiment who had heard about the incident travelled from Mhlahlandlela to ascertain the ominous fire. When the Amhlophe arrived, the fire had not yet reached the cave.

In the night, when everyone had gone to retire, a man by the name of Zimba of the Shilwa clan secretly set the fire again. Again, the Inqama were there first and the Amhlophe followed. The fire was very hard to put out and it engulfed the whole area surrounding the cave. When they failed to put the fire out, four men were elected from the Inqama and Amhlophe regiments to go and report this serious incident to King Lobhengula. King Lobhengula was livid and infuriated by the report.

The story is that there was trouble between an Inqama soldier called Zimba and his brothers. They were quarrelling over seniority and inheritance issues. Zimba hatched a plan to torch King Mzilikazi's tomb. Since the tomb was close to his brothers' homestead he had hoped that his brothers would be suspected and blamed for the fire. He knew that they would suffer capital punishment for the sacrilegious crime thus leaving him in control of the family estate.

King Lobhengula sent out some executioners to wipe out the Shilwa people living in the area close to the tomb. It would seem that the original cause of the fire is not known or it may as well have been caused by Zimba. The isanusi , Gulukudwane "enquired from the bones" and got a revelation that Zimba had indeed set both fires. Zimba's homesteading was however, far away from the king's tomb.

The king was acting on the advice of isanusi Gulukudwane who recommended that a summary decree be made to order the execution of the entire Shilwa clan in order to cleanse the kingdom from the dark ominous cloud brought by Zimba upon the king and the nation.

So, the executioners were divided into two sections, one to Zimba's kraal and one to the kraal of Zimba's brothers. All were killed with assegais.

After this execution had taken place, a great impi and a spiritual delegation went to Entumbane and there was a five day cleansing and libation ceremony. Many cattle were killed and a lot of beer was prepared. About five special black oxen and five bucks (male goats) were killed and put near the grave on the first night.

There was dancing and spiritual singing the whole night. The five goats and five oxen were untouched. The following day the soldiers and delegates ate the five goats and five oxen, and the rest of the cattle that were slaughtered. The meat had to be eaten and finished. The soldiers were not allowed to take the meat home. At the end of the ceremony they collected and gathered the bones and burnt them to ashes. On the fifth day the soldiers were then dismissed and went back to their respective regiments.