The Mole meets a Zulu Prince
Meet Prince Macqawe Biyela, a descendant of a great Zulu warrior who inspired the Zulus to win the Battle of Isandlwana in 1879.
The Mole was greeted with a traditional Zulu handshake on his first day at Indaba by Prince Macqawe Biyela, and learnt all about the Simunye community deep in the heart of Zululand.
The Prince is a direct descendent of Mkhosuna Biyela, who ‘reminded’ the Zulus around him (who were lying down avoiding British gunfire) that Zulus stand up to fight. This resulted in the Zulu victory at the battle of Isandlwana in January1879 where the British forces were annihilated by 24,000 Zulus.
Immediately after the Battle of Isandlwana, occurred the battle of Rorke’s Drift where 139 men held off 4,000 Zulus (Picture Michael Cain in the movie!!) resulting in 11 Victoria Crosses.
The British thought that the then independent Kingdom of Zululand posed a threat to colonialist expansion and subsequently invaded Zululand. Though Isandlwana ended in complete defeat for the British, six months later they prevailed at Ulundi and that was the end of the Anglo-Zulu War.
Prince Macqawe Biyela is proud of his ancestral heritage and you too can meet him and listen to stories of Zululand at the Simunye Zulu Lodge. The hosts of the Lodge are the Simunye community and the Biyela Clan, who have lived in the surrounding areas their whole lives. The Biyela are blood relatives of the Royal house of the Zulu nation.
Simunye Lodge offers the proverbial Weddings, Parties, Anything for couples, groups and particularly families. The lodge is located deep in the heart of Zululand, three hours drive north of Durban.
A conference/function centre has been built into a cliff, complete with views over the Mfuli River. Accommodation includes 6 unique rock lodges, 5 contemporary Zulu rondavels and traditional beehive huts.
Corporate customers include major blue chip companies, with lodge exclusivity for groups of 25 and over. Breakaways include secluded waterfalls and thatched decks, and all sorts of activities are on offer including a Zulu cultural programme, attending community functions such as coming of age, Zulu sports, visiting the surrounding famous battlefields (there are actually 63 in this area known as the ‘Battlefields Region’ of the Zulu Kingdom) and of course having a yarn with Prince Macqawe!
In fact, the father of Mkhosuna Biyela (Prince Macqawe’s ancestor) was a bloke by the name of Mvundlana, who was Shaka’s most trusted warrior. Mvundlana single-handedly removed the last, er… thorn in King Shaka’s side when Shaka united the Zulu nation, prior to the wars with the British. How Mvundlana achieved this feat is a great story, so you’ll have to ask the Prince yourself, or do something that might have come in very handy at Rorke’s drift…. Email him at [email protected] !
A report by The Mole
