Zulu Warfare

When the Zulu army moved at ease , marching to their objective, it moved in extended regimental columns, with scouts in advance and on the flanks, and communication scouts in the rear . These columns were called Izifufufulu ( like the the undulating swells of the sea, which the moving army imitated ). However when the army had to traverse broken country with gorges to negotiate it marched in deeper sectional columns. These were called Umdhlovu ( likening the movement to that of a Elephant , ie heavy, steady and slow).
When moving in open country , which lends itself to this maneuvre, the army moved in an extended skirmishing order, something after the manner of wild dogs, ie Amankentyane. These animals do this when hunting in a pack and is used to raise the game and then drive it into a centre, so as to unitedly kill and devour it. This maneuvre was called Ukukhenkesa.
When the Zulu scouts had located the enemy, the army halted, formed into the formation known as ImpondoZankomo ( horns of the beast formation); and then when it has been fully ordered what to do, it moves into the attack and is said then to be moving in the " beast- horn" formation, Yaya Phambili Izimpondozankoma.
This formation was one which derived from its name from the fact that when the army was marshalled up for the attack, it was drawn upin the shape of a bull, with it's forehead represented by the main and centre part of the army, which was called the Isifuba sempi ( chest of the army) and the extended flanks of the army curved as in the horns of a bull , which was called izimpondo Zempi ( the horns of the army).
The horns were employed for the initial attack, circumventing and driving the enemy into the Isifuba ( its chest)
The marshalling up of the army into this formation was done in a twinkling . When the final assault was launched , it was quick, furious and relentless and none of the enemy was spared during the fight until they, had given in or scattered and fled .

Zulu names in italics with English in parenthesis. Acknowledgement to Samuelson.


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