South Africa’s Zulu

The fabled Zulu, the largest South African ethnic group, (10-11 million), live mainly in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and remain the most numerous ethnic group in South Africa. The Zulu formed a powerful state in 1816 under their Zulu King, Shaka, who united what was once a confederation of tribes into an impressive empire. During the Anglo-Zulu War with the British in 1879, the Zulus defeated the British at the Battle of Isandlwana, but the British won the war when they defeated Zulus at the Battle of Ulundi on July 4. The British divided the Zulu Empire into 13 "kinglets", with subkingdoms fighting. Each other until Zululand was absorbed fully into the Cape Colony. Under apartheid, the homeland of KwaZulu (Kwa meaning place of) was created for Zulu people and in 1970, the Bantu Homeland Citizenship Act provided that all Zulus would become citizens of KwaZulu, thus losing their South African citizenship. Hundreds of thousands of Zulus living on privately owned land outside of KwaZulu were forcibly moved and by 1993, approximately 5.2 million Zulu people lived in KwaZulu. Their struggle for freedom and the end of apartheid is well-documented. Zulu is the most widely spoken language in South Africa, while English, Portuguese, Shangaan, Sesotho and others from among South Africa's 11 official languages are also spoken. The rural Zulu economy is based on cattle and agriculture and the main diet consists of cow, corn, yams, vegetables and fruits. Their traditional beer is a staple food and source of nutrition as well as ritually important to their culture. Zulu beadwork is a national source of pride and is a symbolic language that includes warnings, messages of love, and encouragement. Most Zulu claim to be Christian, yet retain ancestor worship along with their Christianity. Offerings and sacrifices are made to the ancestors for protection, good health, and happiness. These ancestral spirits are believed to visit in the form of dreams, illnesses, and sometimes snakes. Happy or angry spirits sometime mean the difference between life and death.