The AmaZulu Royal Family is pinning its hopes on the relationship formed between their late King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu and Britain’s King Charles III for the return of the traditional weapons and artefacts said to have been taken by the British army during the Anglo-Zulu war.
The two kingdoms reportedly reached an agreement for the retrieval of the collections during the late King’s visit to Wales in 2019.
The artefacts have been kept in British Museums.
Isandlwana is the infamous battleground where the Zulu army defeated British soldiers in the Anglo-Zulu war in 1879.
The victory was short-lived as the British, in an act of retaliation, annihilated AmaZulu five months later and captured the then AmaZulu King Cetshwayo kaMpande. His Ondini Palace was razed to the ground.
It’s then that historians say artefacts included traditional weapons were stolen.
A non-profit cultural organisation is spearheading the project to build Isandlwana cultural museum and war memorial in honour of the soldiers.
The organisation oversaw engagements between AmaZulu and British monarchies in 2019 in which the return of artefacts and King Cetshwayo’s attire were discussed.
The CEO of the KwaKulture Organisation Gugu Ngcobo says collections of spears and shields were taken by the British army to show Queen Victoria weapons that conquered them.
“We also had collections of spears and shields which were taken by the British soldiers sent to them for their Queen Victoria so to say ‘these are the weapons that conquered us’. They are kept so well, and are shining. His majesty looked at them and said ‘yes they represent real weapons and they come from us’. There was only one shield that his majesty said this one doesn’t look like ours. When we enquired why they are preserved in a strong room for all the years and we were told Queen Victoria placed so much honour on them.”
The organisation says the agreement was to have the collections officially handed over upon the completion of Isandlwana cultural museum.
“The king was part of the delegation that went to Windsor. He was allowed to have them but there was a proposal that said let them not be taken now but let them be at a ceremony that will be put in place to hand over some of the things that the king picked he would want to have.”
The AmaZulu Royal Family spokesperson, Thulani Zulu says it has forged good relations with British monarch King Charles III.
“I hope, because now is the time of King Charles things will be easy we will sit down as a Zulu Royalty and find one another so that we get things that we were supposed to get. Of course there are also their things here in our museum they should be that mutual relationship,” adds Zulu.
In 2017, eleven mass graves of the soldiers who died at the Battle of Isandlwana were uncovered.
AmaZulu King Misuzulu KaZwelithini at the commemoration of the Battle of Isandlwana | Jan 22, 2022
These traditional weapons and artefacts will form part of the Isandlwana Heritage Precinct.
