1st ZULU-NDWANDWE WAR (1818)
During the 1st Zulu-Ndwandwe War, Dingiswayo was defeated and murdered by Zwide, chief of the Ndwandwe. An incompetent half-brother followed Dingiswayo on the Mthetwa throne and the clan's power declined. There were three potential contenders for the rich prize of paramountcy:
Choice of terrain and deployment
Zwide sent a large force against Shaka, who at once snapped up the buffer clan and moved to meet the threat. Shaka abandoned his usual tactics, because the Dwandwe was far too large to think of encirclement. He took a strong circular defensive position around the summit of Gqokli Hill, thus avoiding dangerous exposed corners. The hill was topped by a deep depression within which he hid his reserve, with the result that only 1600 of his total fighting strength of 3600 was visible to the enemy. They were drawn up in five lines, with the four rear lines packed closely behind the leading one, and it gave the impression that the hill was thinly held.
Shaka sent the Zulu cattle off with an escort of 700 men, deliberately leaving the herd visible to draw off a portion of the enemy in pusuit. Nomahlanjana, commander-in-chief of the Ndwandwe forces, detached four regiments in pursuit of the Zulu cattle. The remaining eight regiments (each 1000 men strong) formed up in a semi-circle on the north-eastern base of Gqokli Hill.
Phase I
The battle opened shortly after 09:00 when the Ndwandwe made the first of a series of frontal attacks. As the attackers advanced to within 92 metres from the Zulus, their circular front narrowed until the lines buckled and a great confusion arose.
They finally drew up in badly dove-tailed formations before resuming the advance. Again the shrinking of the circle caused an evergrowing congestion in their lines. By the time they halted 23 metres from the Zulus, they were jammed together so tightly that they could not use their throwing assegais.
Shaka, who was commanding the edge of the plateau, had a clear view of the front and he launched his two front lines at the enemy. The Ndwandwe were no match for the Zulu skill at close quarters and in less than ten minutes well over 1000 Ndwandwe were killed. Nomohlanjana ordered the withdrawal of his regiments. Shaka ordered his two front lines to form up behind the others, so that the third line now became the front line. All Ndwandwe assegais were collected, the badly wounded Zulus helped up the hill, and those past any hope of recovery were mercifully despatched.
Phase II
After a pause the Ndwandwe advanced again, but this time with only half of their army and they were appropriately spaced. They halted within 23 metres from the Zulus and hurled their assegais at them. When they had nearly divested themselves of their weapons, Shaka's two front lines rushed forward. The engagement lasted somewhat longer than the preceding one before Nomohlanjana ordered the withdrawal of his fighting lines to the foot of the hill. At least three Ndwandwe had died for every Zulu.
Phase III
The fresh rear half of the Ndwandwe army were now to advance to within 46 metres of the Zulu front line, and then they were to rush in. Whilst the front line was engaged, the second line were to throw their assegais through the gaps in the first, at any exposed portion of the Zulu warriors fighting in the front rank. Their plans were upset by Shaka, for as they approached to within 23 metres he sent his two leading lines crashing into them. The impact hurled the first enemy rank into the second, and they were jammed so close together that the third rank were unable to throw their assegais between the contemplated intervals. The Zulus pressed forward with the weight which their downward progress gave them, and vaulted at the Ndwande with their shields. In the meantime Shaka sent in his third line, leaving himself with one line in reserve. The strategic reserve on the plateau, was as yet untouched. The Zulus eventually drove the Ndwandwe back.
Phase IV
Two more frontal attacks were equally unsuccesful and, by mid-afternoon, the Ndwandwe were exhausted. In addition to heavy casualties, they had suffered the loss of scores of men who had wandered off in search of water. [Shaka, well supplied on the summit, had carefully chosen a location some kilometres from the nearest spring.]
Phase V
The Ndwandwe now staked everything on a last endeavour. They left about 1000 men in a semi-circle at the southern foot of the hill and formed the rest of the men into a column, with a front of 183 metres. They launched the column at the Zulu ring from the northern side, hoping to drive the defenders over the top and into the arms of the men waiting beyond.
When the head of the column was almost at the top of the hill, Shaka sent two parallel columns (each 750 men strong, eight warriors abreast) down on either side to envelope and annihilate it. He kept 500 reserves on the hill to serve as a "chest". Having destroyed the column, Shaka circled the hill and attacked the remainder of the Nwandwe, whose view of events had been blocked by the summit. This group broke, and managed to rejoin the regiments returning from the cattle chase.
The surviving Nwandwe were now together, totallling about 3500. Shaka was outnumbered and was forced to retreat to KwaBulawayo. There he was reinforced by the last scrapings of his reseve and small parties streaming in from their pursuit of the Ndwandwe defeat on the hill. Shaka had approxiamtely 1000 men to his immediate disposal. He diverted some of them to the rear of the force attacking him. Shortly afterwards the Belebele brigade, having completed the mopping up of the water-seeking parties of Ndwandwe, arrived on the enemy's right flank. Less than 1000 Ndwandwe escaped encirclement and eath. The Ndwandwe finally withdrew, taking all the Zulu cattle with them.
Although Shaka lost upwards of 1500 killed and 500 seriously wounded, he was well pleased with the results of the first real test of the Zulu army. He had beaten off and killed about 7500 warriors of a tribe more than twice the size of his own.
2nd ZULU-NDWANDWE WAR (1819)
The Ndwandwe was still a force to reckon with. When the Ndwandwe army
eventually returned, they found the Zulu valley completely deserted - all
crops had been destroyed and all sign of life - human and livestock - had
vanished. They came upon a few Zulu decoys who led them to kwaNomveve,
where the Zulu army overpowered them during the night. In the next year
(1819) Shaka defeated the Ndwandwe convincingly.