Mkabayi kaJama

The trailblazer, kingmaker and infamous mother of the Zulu nation

It is the middle of the night. Dark, cold, so cold that the sparsely dressed warriors standing guard inside the circle of reed huts, can see white smoke coming out of their mouth and noises as they march around warily. It is silent, well, except for the consistent, slow-rising moaning coming out of one of the huts. Short bursts of loud grunting, keening, suddenly, a piercing scream fills the pitch-black, desolate night. All the warriors come to a complete standstill. Glances, loaded, are exchanged without saying anything. A woman, short and frail-looking stumbles out of the hut. She disappears into the darkness. A minute. Two. Three. She appears again. Followed by an even frailer, older version of her lugging a large, tattered bag-like object. Both disappear into the same hut. Just before another loud, alarming shriek almost has the guards colliding into each other. It is the year 1750. The humungous homestead belongs to the king, the stern Jama kaNdaba. It is his wife, the queen, wailing in pain.

One more haunting scream then a hearty and strong cry seems to rip apart the dark sky. Mkabayi kaJama has just been born. A few minutes tick by, then there is another cry. Unexpected and less forceful. It’s a complete surprise. This is Mkabayi’s twin sister, who is later named Mamma. Tension pervades the little hut as the two little babies kick and cry on the cowhide laid on the floor. No one looks the queen in the eye. The women start murmuring inaudibly to each other. Soon, one of them, resigned yet wary of her assignment, slinks out of the hut. The warriors outside are gawking at her. Eyes cast on the red earth; the woman comes to a stop outside another hut. Bigger. Impressive. She whispers something to the tall man standing guard there. The man bows at the waist, enters the hut. It doesn’t take long, the sound of roaring echoes into the night. You see, the king, Jama kaNdaba has just been told, the queen, instead of the long-awaited heir, has given birth to twins. Twin girls to be exact. This is taboo. A bad omen. In the Zulu culture of the day, the birth of twins means someone must die. And by someone, it is meant the twins themselves. Of course, the king knows this. At the same time, he is the king. The mouth that never lies. He loves his new-born girls. He ignores all expectation and counsel. Decide both his daughters will live.

This is the first time Mkabayi defy all odds and redefine taboos. She grows. Alongside her twin sister. They might be of royal descent but because of how they came, no one trusts them. No one likes them. They’re considered a form of bad luck. Which is unfortunately proven true to many when their mother suddenly dies not too long after their birth and leaves the kingdom without an heir to the throne. The people are not only disappointed, they are also angry. In their anger, they condemn the twins. The king should have seen them for what they are. He should have done the right thing. As the stronger one of the two, Mkabayi takes to this with her fighting spirit. She is discerning too. She sees the people are not settled. That they are keen for the rightful heir who would continue leading them after King Jama is gone. The strategist that she is, Mkabayi takes the opportunity to match his father with another woman. And therein, comes Mthaniya. Who goes on to give birth to the king’s rightful heir, Senzangakhona. We do as we should. The people are finally happy. Start seeing Mkabayi with a new eye. She is capable. Decisive. Unafraid.

As is the way of life, this balanced state of things does not last long. A few years pass, Jama, joins those who’ve already gone. Senzangakhona, still young, is not yet ready to take over as king. There’s too many warring voices. Men who consider themselves more fit and entitled to the throne. But not if the courageous and visionary, Mkabayi has anything to say about it. She steps in. Making sure both her half-brother and the throne are protected until he is of age and fit enough to be king. Tongues wag. She is a woman. She is supposed to marry. She has no business in what is considered men business. If this is all she has to deal with, it would be a breeze but as it happens, it’s not that easy. As a self-appointed protector, she must thwart attack after attack. When she hears of the late king’s illegitimate spawn possibly planning to claim the throne, she must mount a defence. On top of what the Zulu people already call her meddling, she is also now known as bloodthirsty. Too much so for a woman. It doesn’t faze Mkabayi much. She sees something bigger. She has a good sense of things to come. Tenaciously, she continues doing what she has to do to make sure the kingdom is stable. Until her brother is in a position to take his rightful place. As King Senzangakhona kaJama.

He rules. He imposes. Like all men who are in power, he also makes unwise choices. A big one, at least according to popular opinion, is getting an unmarried girl called Nandi, pregnant. Many of the people see a potential scandal. Leading to the shunning and displacement of the girl and her son. Mkabayi is the one who sees what can be. She imagines light in what many perceive a dark space. It ultimately pays off. Years and years later, when Senzangakhona kaJama passes on to the other world, the throne is ripe for the picking again. Mkabayi is at the forefront once again. She sees the people. She knows what they need. She has a picture of what the Zulu people can become. With stealth and decisiveness surprising to many, she helps bring in the son of Nandi, the girl impregnated by the late Senzangakhona as the king of the Zulu people. UShaka kaSenzangakhona. Shaka, the boy who was alienated and mistreated becomes the daring man who will make history and build the Zulu people into a strong, invincible nation. Mkabayi is seemingly in the background of all this but to many, it’s quickly becoming clear how cunning she is.

As it soon crystallizes when the king’s mother, Nandi, later dies and inconsolably, Shaka begins to abuse the same people and system he helped built. Mkabayi will not sit idle. She will not look the other way. She chooses to act. Approaching the king’s brothers and one of his closest attendants, she convinces them that it might be time to get rid of the king. What happens after tells its own tale. Shaka is killed and ascended to the throne by Dingane. But then again, this is not the story of how the Zulu people came to be, it is the story of one-of-a-kind type of woman. The story of uMkabayi kaJama. A fearless, bold, calculating trailblazer never spoken about enough in the history of her people. As no doubt, many students of history will attest years later, praises accorded to brave warriors is part of the Zulu culture. A way to honour and commemorate those who conquer. Mkabayi is accorded the same respect. Called a father of guile. Cunning. Someone who would devour a person while tempting him or her with a story. Of note, none of these praises refer to her looks. Or a sweet nature. They describe a strong woman. A kingmaker who wrote and surely, deserves her place in history. To Mkabayi.

This is a first in a series of stories meant to honour and shine a light on black, African she-roes. The characters, the story itself is true but some of the events as depicted are not factual but dramatized.