February 06, 2023 – Rorke’s Drift, South Africa

When I saw the movie Zulu in 1965, it started a yearning for Africa. I always dreamt that someday I would travel to KwaZulu Natal.  I imagined visiting the sites of the Battle of Isandlwana and the Battle of Rorke’s Drift firsthand, to absorb details of the clash of British and Zulu empires. I expected that I would learn more about those conflicts, probably from a British perspective.

Fifty-eight years later, we are at Rorke’s Drift.  The highlight of our stay so far has been meeting a descendent of, not the British, but Zulu heroes.  

Mphiwa has been a guide at Islandlwana for fourteen years. He has relayed the stories of the battle of the kingdoms hundreds of times, yet we could sense the raw emotion and enormous pride Mphiwa feels for his ancestors, the entire Zulu nation, and somewhat surprisingly, his empathy for British losses as well.

I can’t do justice to re-telling the stories here. Numerous books have been written about the epic conflict between the British empire and the Zulu Kingdom. A 500-word summary won’t cut it. 

I will say that the outcome of each of these battles was very different, but studying the history from a local viewpoint, it seems to me that, …

… none were victorious.  

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Mphiwa, with Isandlwana in the background, describing the sacrifice made by his family in 1879.  

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