Times Of Swaziland: THE MOZAMBIQUE, GAZA EMPIRE HISTORIC CONFLICT

THE MOZAMBIQUE, GAZA EMPIRE HISTORIC CONFLICT
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Sabelo Gabs Nxumalo on 26/11/2024 07:59:00


THE Bantu people settled in Mozambique about 2 000 years ago, setting up the
great Mwenemutapa Empire. By about 900 AD trading links had been forged with
India, Persia and China and above all, the Arab world, with gold being the major
lure for the merchants. It was this precious metal that first attracted the
Portuguese to Mozambique. Vasco da Gama landed on his way to India in 1498. The
Portuguese then set up their first trading post in 1505, exporting gold and
challenging Arab domination. By the late 17th century, ivory had replaced gold
as the main export, while some 50 years later, copper and slaves became the
major attraction. The Macua-Lómué populations were the most affected victims
of the slave trade. Many of the victims were exported to the Mascarenhas
Islands, Madagascar, Zanzibar, Persian Gulf, Brazil and Cuba until circa 1850.
Cuba was the main market for slaves of Zambezian origin.  Mozambique trading was
governed by Portuguese India (Goa) a Company until 1752, when it was brought
under control from Lisbon. In the early part of the 20th century, vast tracts of
land were rented to and administered by private companies. Agriculture became
the main activity, creating huge numbers of poor, rural black workers, while a
policy of white supremacy was pursued, which would last for many decades under
Portuguese Colonial rule.
The great Gaza Empire
In 1821, Soshangane, a son and army general of King Zwide KaLanga of the
Ndwandwe Kingdom led a small group of the Ndwandwe, which had been defeated by
King Shaka’s army north, towards present-day Maputo and would later form a
nation. The name eMashangane comes from Soshangane.  Eventually, they settled in
the lands of the Tsonga among others, in what is now present-day Mozambique.
Having fought Shaka, the Ndwandwe had superior fighting techniques and were able
to early defeat and bring under their authority the Tsonga, Chopi, Shona and
Tonga. They settled and created the great Gaza Empire in present-day Mozambique.
In Gaza society, there were three classes; descendants of the beNguni (Ngoni),
the Ndwandwe or Nxumalo  (Nxumalo), who formed the ruling class, the conquered
groups who assimilated into Nguni culture, and the lowest class were the
captured Chopi and Tsonga people who were part of the slave class.
The Tsonga and Chopi people became slaves to the Nguni because they refused to
accept their dominance. As a result, the Gaza army raided, captured, and made
them slaves who were even more oppressed than the other captured tribes. Some of
the conquered people were also sold to Portuguese traders at Maputo and
Inhambane as slaves. (They later became a strong part of the opposition RENAMO)
These slaves were taken to work in sugar plantations in Mauritius while others
were conscripted to fight in Nguni armies. The Gaza Empire, a strong trading
nation maintained close ties with Portuguese traders as they sold, copper, salt,
ivory and unfortunately also slaves to them. Within the Gaza State, there were
many wars between Soshangane, Nxaba and Zwangendaba. In addition, the Gaza state
was constantly attacked by the Zulu until 1833, even though they never succeeded
at defeating them. For a while, Soshangane moved his capital away from the
Limpopo River until the end of Dingane’s rule. Soshangane died in 1858 and,
thereafter, his sons Mawewe and Mzila fought for the throne. Eventually, Mzila
became King in 1862 and moved to the southeast highlands in present-day
Zimbabwe.
He signed a treaty with the Portuguese in exchange for their support and with
the Ndebele King, Lobengula. After Mzila died in 1884, his son Ngungunyane
became King and moved the capital back to Limpopo in 1889.  Under his
leadership, the Gaza Empire fought many wars against the Portuguese before they
were finally defeated in 1895 and became a colony of the Portuguese in
Mozambique. On December 28, 1895, Ngungunyane was imprisoned by Mouzinho de
Albuquerque, the Portuguese governor of the Gaza military district. Deported to
the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, the Nguni, who had been known for their strong
African magic, could not prevail against the Portuguese such that Ngungunyane
was killed after his forced conversion to Christianity in Portugal. They claimed
he died from choking on a fish bone. Some claim it is the reason the Nguni
stopped eating fish.
Independence movement
Portuguese oppression and exploitation provoked a backlash, which led to the
growth of the independence movement and the founding in 1962 of freedom
organisations like Frelimo which was led by the predominantly Nguni (Shangan).
The Mozambique Liberation Front, (FRELIMO), fought for independence and
prevailed. Ngungunyane was always seen as a hero and a source of inspiration
during the liberation war and then during the civil war. Many prominent figures
of Mozambican politics came from Ngungunyane’s Gaza province including Eduardo
Mondlane, the co-founder and first president of FRELIMO, and Samora Machel and
Joaquim Chissano, the first and second presidents of Mozambique.
The armed struggle that led to independence on June 25, 1975, would be
short-lived as a 17-year-long civil war broke out between Frelimo government
forces and Renamo which was mainly from the other including northern tribes
which had been enslaved during the Gaza Empire. Capitalist Renamo and Communist
Frelimo would fight a brutal proxy war sponsored by America, apartheid South
Africa, and Russia, fuelled by the Cold War with the long-held tribalistic
hatred dating back to the slave trade when the Gaza Empire sold slaves to the
Portuguese. The Ngungunyane legacy has not been loved by all Mozambicans such
that when his remains were brought back from Portugal, not all are celebrated.
The conflict was resolved in 1992 by the Treaty of Rome. The first multi-party
elections were held in October 1994, with Frelimo emerging victor.
2024 general elections
In Mozambique’s 2024 General Elections, the ruling party FRELIMO candidate,
Daniel Chapo, has been declared the winner of the country’s presidential
election amid claims of rigging by the opposition. Chapo, from the Frelimo
party, which has been in power for almost half a century, secured more than 70
per cent of the votes, according to the National Election Commission (CNE). His
main opponent, the independent candidate Venancio Mondlane, came second with
more than 20 per cent, while the candidate of the opposition party Renamo,
Ossufo Momade, came third with just more than five percent, according to the
CNE. Even though there has been great economic growth, improvement, and
development in Mozambique, the people still suffer greatly. The rich are very
rich, and the poor are still very poor. The Frelimo government has fought
corruption, but corruption has continued to fight back. Economic hardships have
partly fueled the political unrest. Comment septembereswatini@gmail.com