Dingane's Kraal

In 1828, Dingane murdered his half brother, Shaka at Dukuza (present day Stanger). He decided to build a huge kraal in the Emakhosini Valley on a slope of the Ntonjaneni hills.

The site was well chosen because the top of the hill offered excellent views for miles and there was a perennial water supply from the two streams, the Umkhumbane and the Nzolo. Moreover, the entrance to the kraal pointed towards the grave of Zulu, the founder of the Zulu dynasty.

Umgungundlovu has been given several meanings - 'the secret meeting of the king' (the plot to kill Shaka) or the 'place of the large elephant', taken from the shape of two tusks placed together and also referring to Dingane as the elephant.

Across the Umkhumbane stream is another spur of the Ntonjaneni hills. On the higher slope of the spur is the place known as Hlom' amaButho or 'arm the warriors' hill where the impis would gather before missions. It was here that the Reverend Owen was given permission to establish a mission and from here that he witnessed the deaths of Retief and his men.

Below Hlom' amaButho is a small rise on the spur before it descends to the Umkhumbane stream. This was kwaMatiwane - the place of Matiwane - where all who had displeased Dingane were put to death.

The kraal was oval, stretching down the spur with two concentric palisades of mimosa stumps enclosing some 1700 huts. Its diameter was one kilometre and its circumference, 5 kilometres.

Above and outside the main kraal were three small kraals known collectively as the iBheje. The central kraal had 8 huts and the other two, 4 huts. Only members of the Royal family lived here.

The upper part of the main kraal was called the isigodlo or Royal quarters. These were divided into two sections, the black and the white. The black isigodlo was nearest the Umkhumbane stream and was the personal quarters of Dingane and consisted of several large huts including his ilawu or sleeping hut and his hall of audience.

Between these huts was a mound of earth on which Dingane would sit an virew the entire kraal. In the black isigodlo were the huts of his favourite wives and their maid servants.

The white isigodlo was much larger and extended 100 metres towards the Nzolo stream. Here lived the king's three hundred concubines or Ndlunkulu under a headwoman or Nkosikasi. The huts were located in groups of three and separated from adjacent groups by palisade fences that formed a maze. Outside the kraal was a great midden.

Running down each side of the hill were the two horns which accommodated the warriors. Each of the horns had its own commander ('induna') - Ndlela commanded the right horn and Dambuza the left horn.

Within the barracks were storage places for shields on stilts, to keep them away from the ants.

A huge cattle kraal occupied the central area but was further subdivided. At the top was a small kraal for the king's own cattle and cattle for slaughter. In this kraal, the king bathed alfresco several times each day and also held his council meetings.

The largest space was called the isibaya which was also used as a paraded ground for the troops.