New Content Writings with Mfihlakalo

New Content Writings with Mfihlakalo New Content Writings is a place where we can learn about our history, landscape and heritage.

Ezikhathini ezedlule bekuthi uma ngigibele phezu kwalentaba ngilula amehlo ngiwabhekisa olwandle ngilubone kahle. Ngize ...
17/04/2026

Ezikhathini ezedlule bekuthi uma ngigibele phezu kwalentaba ngilula amehlo ngiwabhekisa olwandle ngilubone kahle. Ngize ngibone nemikhumbi impela kanye namagagasi. Amehlo awela umfula ugcwele ngempela ngoba akushaya indiva ukuthi uma umi kuleligquma ulwandle likude cishe ngo 29km.

Phela lapha kuse kuntabeni iMbomboshane, Eshowe. Nakhu nje eZiNdophi lapha phansi bayabona abaziyo. Ungalula amehlo adlule eGingindlovu aze avinjwe ulwandle. Uma uphenduka engathi ubuka eNyakatho ubona ihlathi lasoNgoye lihleli esichongweni sezintaba! Ngapha ngaseNtshonalanga amahlo akho avinjwa amagquma aseShowe nehlathi iDlinza.

Kulentantshana iMbomboshane ngomhlaka 2 kuMbasa (April) ka1879, ngezikhathi zasekuseni kwakumi uCharles Pearson owayehola ingxenye yempi yamaNgisi. Wayemile nje umfokaPearson ebuka impi yaseGingindlovu ngezipopolo njengesihlwele. Eyibuka yenzeka ngaso leso sikhathi leso eyenzeka ngaso. Kwamjabulisa ukubona amaButho kaZulu eholwa ngumntwana uDubulamanzi kaMpande ehlehla empini enqontshwa ngamaNgisi. Phela naye uPearson wayewazi kahle uZulu uma usuhlomile ukuthi kusuke kungasadlalwa.

Nguye uPearson owayehola impi yamaNgisi ebhekene namaButho kaZulu empini yaseNyezane eyenzeka ngosuku olulodwa nempi yaseSandlwana. Bathi amabutho kaZulu aqhamuka ekuseni amaNgisi esadla ibhlakufesi, amaButho kaZulu abonakala egcwele intaba iWombane. Ehla amabutho eqonde phansi emfuleni eNyezane lapho kwakumise amaNgisi. Saqhuma isibhamu, wama isibindi uZulu kodwa kwaphoqa ukuba uhlehle. Wanqoba kanjalo umfoka Pearson nebutho lakhe lamaNgisi. Wanyukela eShowe namabutho amaNgisi bahlala esontweni kaMondi. Lempi ayibuka ngezipopolo yayizokhulula yena maButho amaNgisi!

Isigodlo sasONdini. Umuzi weSilo uCetshwayo kaMpande oNdini (oLundi)Wakhiwa iSilo uCetshwayo kaMpande!Washa ngezikhathi ...
23/03/2026

Isigodlo sasONdini.
Umuzi weSilo uCetshwayo kaMpande oNdini (oLundi)

Wakhiwa iSilo uCetshwayo kaMpande!

Washa ngezikhathi zempi namaNgisi.
Wavuselelwa nguHulumeni, uZulu kanye nezinhlangano ezivuselela ziphinde zivikele amagugu akwaZulu.
Namhlanje ubizwa ngokuthi - KwaZulu Cultural Museum.

Zonke izithombe zithwetshulwe yi- New Content Writings with Mfihlakalo ngonyaka ka 2023.

Umuzi weNkosi uDingane kaSenzangakhonauMgungundlovu oNduku Zibomvu!Esigodini saseMakhosini.
22/03/2026

Umuzi weNkosi uDingane kaSenzangakhona
uMgungundlovu oNduku Zibomvu!
Esigodini saseMakhosini.

22/03/2026

Umuzi weNkosi uShaka kaSenzangakhona

Then vs Now.The grave of Princess Nandi kaBhebhe Mhlongo! Then: For decades, the gravesite of Princess Nandi lay in a st...
18/10/2025

Then vs Now.
The grave of Princess Nandi kaBhebhe Mhlongo!

Then: For decades, the gravesite of Princess Nandi lay in a state of quiet neglect—overgrown, weather-worn and overlooked. What should have been a dignified resting place for the mother of King Shaka kaSenzangakhona instead stood as a silent reminder of a chapter in Zulu history deserving of greater care. 

Now: Today, the site has been thoughtfully restored. The grass is trimmed, the memorial marked, and respect-paid to the lineage she represents. It’s more than a facelift—it’s a reawakening of honour for a woman whose legacy helped shape a nation.

Would you like to join us for our next visit to any grave of the members of the Zulu Royal family? To pay homage and remember their names?

09/10/2025

Zulu War Cry!

Our Visit to ShakaLandLocated on the outskirts of Eshowe, Shakaland has always been a point of interest and a great tour...
13/09/2025

Our Visit to ShakaLand

Located on the outskirts of Eshowe, Shakaland has always been a point of interest and a great tourist attraction site regarding Zulu history. This is where the original Henry Cele’s Shaka Zulu series was shot in the late 80’s. After the completion of the series, ShakaLand was converted into a great hotel and one of the fewest places that offered the real Zulu experience for tourists from all over the world.

Over the last few years this place was deserted and was no longer operational. I had always wondered about it’s current state. Over the weekend I took a friend and we headed to ShakaLand. On our arrival the gates were locked and we could not get inside. We decided to jump the fence since we were not going to turn back without going in. Just after we forged our way inside, the security guard approached us. In my mind I thought “Oh No, we are going to jail” 😅.. however the security personnel turned out to be very nice and friendly. After we introduced ourselves he was happy to show us around so we can witness for ourselves the decaying state of this great place.

Yes it is true, the place is just a former shadow of it’s former self. The thatched roofs of the huts were decomposing, there was overgrowth everywhere. Old beer pots, broken glasses, utensils were all over the place. This place was just being consumed by it’s surrounding vegetation.

Towards the end of our trip we went to the kraal where, atleast there was still hope for this place. Some new huts were being rebuilt and some of them finished. They were very beautiful and well built. Rumour has it that they are rebuilding to shoot new episodes of the current Shaka iLembe series season 3. In my mind I thought atleast there is still hope for this great place. We spent sometime being amazed by the beauty of Phobane lake which lies below in the valley.

What I noticed is that ShakaLand is still fresh in people’s memories and most people would love to see it’s recovery back to it’s glory days as the site of the ultimate Zulu experience! Heeebe uSuthu!

More pictures on the comment section!

I took this picture at the back of Princess Nandi’s grave right before the summer ended. Princess Nandi Mhlongo who gave...
14/05/2025

I took this picture at the back of Princess Nandi’s grave right before the summer ended.

Princess Nandi Mhlongo who gave birth to the 19’th Century Zulu King, iNkosi uShaka kaSenzangakhona lies here. The Princess is not alone but with her maidens. As part of the Nguni culture in the old Zulu Order, the remains of the late royal member would be interred with that of their maidens to ‘accompany’ them to the land of their ancestors. So was the case with Princess Nandi Mhlongo.

What is interesting about this picture is that at the center of it all, on the horizon, stands uNgoye Mountains. The grave of the Princess is facing straight towards uNgoye. UNgoye has always played a role in the lives of the Zulu people. It has been a place used by many chiefsdoms including abakwaMhlongo, abakwaMzimela and others. However, for abakwaQwabe uNgoye has always been their base and their home. King Phakathwayo of the Qwabe who was executed under the instructions of iNkosi uShaka Zulu, is said to have asked his council and his subjects the name of uNgoye mountains repeatedly and in a mockery way. He would ask’ “What is that mountain?”. His subjects would answer “It is uNgoye Gumede”.

INkosi Sigcwelegcwele kaMahlekehleke, the grand son of uMadlokovu of abakwaMngadi once fled his home to hide in uNgoye forest. Sigcwelegcwele led the young ibutho iNgobamakhosi (Benders of kings). After INgobamakhosi had a conflict inside the palace of King Cetshwayo in uLundi, Sigcwelegcwele as iNduna(leader) of ibutho, was in hot waters. He fled to Ungoye for his life. INkosi uCetshwayo did not find him guilty. Sigcwelegcwele made his return and would later forge his name as of the greatest warriors in Zulu military warfare.

The UNgoye mountain stands as a foundation for a 4000 hectare ancient coastal scarp forest, uNgoye forest. The UNgoye forest hosts a range of flora and fauna which at some point included one of the rarest plant ever found, the Woods Cycad / IsiGqiki somkhovu. This IsiGqiki somkhovu is usually termed the lonliest plant in the world as it is the only one of it’s kind that has ever been found. The first white botanist to see this Cycad was John wood in 1895. John Wood would later be famous just for seeing this plant in King Phakathwayo’s uNgoye. The lonliest plant in the world was removed from uNgoye and it was replanted in Durban where it is today, in Durban Botanic gardens. Clones of this plant have been made and they were planted in CapeTown, London and other places. This IsiGqiki Somkhovu is highly protected and guarded, disturbing it anyhow would be a criminal offense.

All these UNgoye stories happened right in the front of the Princess and her maidens.

The Size of King Dingane’s Personal HutUsually referred to as the biggest hut ever to be built in Zulu traditional manne...
25/01/2025

The Size of King Dingane’s Personal Hut

Usually referred to as the biggest hut ever to be built in Zulu traditional manner, King Dingane’s private hut built around 1829 along the uMgungundlovu palace, was very huge and very much open. This hut was said to have a 6meter diameter, it’s height was estimated to be about 6meters too and it had 22 pillars supporting it. The pillars themselves were covered in glass beads and can still be found on the ground if one looks hard enough.

The hut’s regularly polished floors were described as shiny as a marble. Piet Ritief who once travelled to uMgungundlovu on his final journey with his party, wrote:

“The King occupies a beautiful habitation. The form is sphearical, and it’s diameter is 20 feet. It is supported on the interior by 22 pillars, which are entirely covered by beads. The floor is perfectly smooth and shines like a mirror”

George Champion who also visited uMgungundlovu in 1836 and in 1837 wrote:

“The king’s house stands in the centre, well constructed and very large, perhaps 20ft. The house has 22 poles which have lately been covered by beads of different colours”.

uMgungundlovu royal palace was burnt down at the end of King Dingane’s reign, only to be partially rebuilt recently. The King’s private hut was rebuilt on it’s original stand, so we, people of today, can feast our eyes on what history has stored on it’s long forgotten pages.

The picture below reveals the true scale of how big the king’s hut was on the inside.

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