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Sondoda Ngcobo CHAKIJANA, ZULU FREEDOM-FIGHTER (ZULU) Sondoda Ngcobo, the storyteller, now becomes Sondoda Ngcobo, the historian. During the evening of February 10, 1968, Mr. Ngcobo related an account of the historical Chakijana, a freedom-fighter who was active during the Bambatha Rebellion. The performance took place in a home in Mahlabatini District, Zululand, before an audience of six men, six women, and three children. (3750; tape 73; side 1) He is Ndaba of Chakijana! Chakijana was, here in the land of the Zulu, a clever, crafty rebel, a resister . His way of life was resistance, as was that of some army regiments. He was involved in the wars against the whites. When the Boers fought against the English, Chakijana was there too. And, because at that time the land of the Zulu was in a state of rebellion, when the Anglo-Boer War ended Chakijana became a rebel in his own land. The Zulu had not yet given up their resistance. Guerrilla warfare of the type that Chakijana engaged in is similar to war: it involves people eager for combat, people who are prepared to fight at any time. It was his artfulness that distinguished this rebel. Like the Chakijana of old,t this Chakijana was remarkably resourceful, able to respond effortlessly to a variety of challenges: it was as if he used magic. But Chakijana's Wizardry was his cunning. This gaudily provocative trickster taunted the whites, disquieting them. Though the whites tenaciously pursued him, they were unable to apprehend him. Even when they watched his movements scrupulously, their efforts failed: he would no longer be where they had thought him to be. This canny guerrilla always eluded them. Men like Chakijana were closely watched and feared in the land of the Zulu. "The guerrillas are here!" When such a warning came, a woman might fling herself into a barrel, and hide. A man might throw his garment to one side when the guerrillas appeared, certain that liThe sun has set for me, Child of my father!" When he saw the renegades appearing with such suddenness, he knew that they might abduct him and take him off to their hideout. But frequently they would merely be passing by, going to whatever place their chief had sent them. Their leader had possibly instructed them to go to investigate something, and so they would go off, making people anxious wherever they went. During the entire period of hostilities following the Anglo-Boer War, after the Boers had been defeated, Chakijana distressed these people. He 334 Chakijana, Zulu Freedom-Fighter 335 did all sorts of things to the Boers. He rustled their cattle, and generally outwitted their forces. He became very nettlesome. And the whites continued to seek him; they doggedly persisted in their efforts to capture Chakijana, but always they were unsuccessful. Because he was constantly agitating, unsettling things, they wanted to kill him. He ceaselessly created disruptions in this land at a time when the land was finally moving towards peace, when tempers were at last cooling, when bloodletting had finally been arrested. Chakijana, it is evident, was fostering further carnage in the land. But whenever the Boers thought that they had surrounded Chakijana in his homestead, they were unable to seize him. He simply used his wit, and escaped. He had only to hear the words, "They're here!" He seemed to be endowed with a supernatural sense; it was uncanny the way he obtained his intelligence that the enemy was approaching . It was more than simple vigilance, it was beyond genius and eloquence. It truly seemed that there was something enchanted about him, something that enabled him to sense that the Europeans were almost upon him, about to ambush him. He would invariably find a means of escape. Chakijana's craftiness was varied. He even changed himself into a woman once when he realized that "The white men are here!" almost upon him! and he had no opportunity to escape. He merely took his wife's garments and put them on; he took a blanket that belonged to his wife, and tied it around his head. When the white men entered and said, "Where's Chakijana?" his wives and his people said, "He's not here! Since he left this homestead, we no longer know where he's operating." But during this discussion that was taking place between the white men and Chakijana's family, Chakijana was himself right there. He had disguised himself as a little...

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