The Zulu

The Zulu are the single largest black ethnic group in South Africa.The Zulu are about 9 million in number and linguistically and culturally related to the Xhosa and Swazi tribes.The Zulu live mainly in the province of Kwazulu-Natal in South Africa.Bantu is the chief language of the Zulu but Swazi and Xhosa are also spoken by a few of the Zulu. The Zulu cultivated millet and raised cattle for a living.They made millet beer and hides.The Zulu were exceptionally good at beadwork.They made jewelry and other accessories of traditional designs The traditional architecture of the Zulu consists of 'beehive' houses constructed using a layer of thatch.The houses were usually arranged in a circle.The Zulu literature consists mainly of historical and religious works. The Zulu were armed with shields and spears during battles like the other clans .Their battles were short and without much loss of lives.The clan which was outnumbered wisely accepted defeat before intense fighting occured.The first signs of white colonialism appeared in 1834 when the Boer migrants attempted to cross the Orange river.This was called the 'Great Trek'.The Battle of Blood river which took place in 1838 and resulted in the slaughter of 3,000 Zulus,marked the onset of a definite struggle between the Zulus and Boers. The effect of the white colonialism can still be seen in the lives of the present-day Zulu.A majority of the Zulu are urbanised and depend on day wages for survival.

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