Zulu Statements

A few of the more obscure statements.
"For every man they killed, they fired a great many shots without hitting anybody" Vumandaba ka Nthathi

"There was one soldier who alone killed very many of our men. There were heaps of dead bodies in front of him, he was taking shelter behind two aloe trees which were growing together, when spears were thrown at him he dodged behind one of these aloe trees. A lot of us were attcking him, when they saw the others dropped down by the firing of this soldier they hesitated and the onward rush checked. I pushed them aside, flew at him and stabbed him at close quarters, praising myself and killing him. He was wearing a red jacket and a cap with a tuft of wool on it" Mlamula Matebula.

"The uKamdempemvu climbed up the hill at Isandlwana and killed a few white men up at the very top of the hill and threw them down off the top of the rock." ``Sofikasho Zungu

"The green grass was red with running blood and the veld was slippery, for it was covered with the entrails and brains of the slain." uNzuzi Mandla.

“Some seized their rifles and smashing them up the rocks hurled them. They helped one another too; they stabbed those with the bayonet who sought to kill their comrades. Some covered their faces with their hands, not wishing to see death . Some ran away. Some entered into the tents. Others were indignant; although badly wounded they died were they stood, at their post”
Muziwento


“My feeling towards the soldiers was very angry for them coming with their guns to kill us, but I thought they fought like cowards; they shot at us when we were far away but they wanted to run away when we arrived”
Mgelija Ngema uVe Ibutho.


“There was just one big shout of “Usutu” as we fell upon the White men… Many of whom said to us in our own tongue, “Have mercy on us. Spare our lives. What wrong have we done Cetewayo?” “How can we give you mercy,” we replied, “when you have come to us and want to take away our country and eat us up? How can we give you mercy? Usutu!”
uNzuzi Mandla uVe Ibutho.


“During the first phase of the battle our eyes were dark, and we stabbed everything we came across. But when we got light into our eyes again we spared what stock was left”
Nzuzi Mandla uVe Ibutho.


“I remember one incident I heard a lot of talk of that occurred at Isandhlwana. Near where the highest point is, one of the soldiers was chased up the rock by a member of the Nokenke regiment, who was transferred to our regiment as an induna, called Muti Ntshangase. This soldier could speak Zulu and appealed to Muti, saying “Do not kill me in the sun, kill me in the shadows” I imagine he wanted to get into a place to hide. Muti stabbed him to death. It was a funny thing that we all talked about that Muti went mad soon after. Cetewayo was told of this incident. Muti was taken down Isandhlwana to Ulundi under control and Cetewayo, who thought a lot of him, sent for some Shangaan doctors to make him right again, and they succeeded…”
Mangwanana Mchunu.


“I saw a white man hiding in the long grass in the water’s edge and I crept up to him and stabbed him in the neck. Other [Zulus] were annoyed and stabbed at me, saying “Why put your assegai into our meat”
Sofikasho Zunga. Ingobamakosi Ibutho.


“I saw a man on a white horse who was hiding behind Isandhlwana and the Manzimnyama… He was surrounded and I could see he had no escape. He dismounted and I saw him do something to a wallet on his horse, I thought he was sending.a message for help and he hit his horse, hard and it ran through in the direction of Vant’s Drift. This white man had no gun only a stick, and he was soon killed. I saw no-one get across the Manzimnyama, I saw many stabbed and many sank in the water…”
Mangwanana Mchunu.


“One of our big Indunas told those men who had cut off the bearded chins of the English to thrown the trophies away. He told them the mighty Zulus did not get their strength by cutting up dead bodies and carrying bits around with them”
Kumpega Qwabe.


Sources:
The Zulus: Ian Knight.
Zulu Rising: Ian Knight.
The Zulu War: Angus McBride.
The National Army Museum Book of the Zulu War: Ian Knight.
The Washing of the Spears: Donald R Morris.
Zulu Warriors: John Laband.
History of the Zulu war and its origin;. London, Colenso, Frances E. (Frances Ellen), 1849-1887. 1880.