256 XATIXI-; SUIi.RSTITroX AX I) CKJME. 



\vh(i was I 'rime Minister of tlie Zuhi nation under Cetshwayo. 

 and the fighting Commander-in-Chief against us in the Zulu War. 



Bulawa died, and thereafter some of his children became 

 ill. A diviner was called in. and smelt out one of the widows. 

 Kayakonina, as the cause of these misfortunes. Knowing that 

 her fate was sealed, Kayakonina fled t(^ the Chief Tshaniliezwe. 

 her late husband's brother, to seek for protection. This was 

 readily accorded, and a man was detailed off to guard her until a 

 kraal could be built for her : and in the meantime her safety 

 was further secured by sending iter to her brother. On the com- 

 pletion of this kraal it was named Godhlekwapani (preserved 

 under the arm-pit), in signification of its being under the Chief's 

 protection. She was (.lul}- installed therein, and two men were 

 .sent to guard her. Notwithstanding this precaution, within a 

 week, eight of the widows of Bulawa came to a field in which 

 Kayakonina was hoeing, near to her kraal, and set upon her with 

 their hoes and with stones. Having killed her, they buried her 

 in an antbear hole. These women, the same day, the deaths in 

 the family being avenged, shaved their heads, anointed their 

 bodies, put on their ornaments, and went out of mourning for 

 their husband. There was no attempt at secrecy ; the facts must 

 have been widely known : even the deceased's brother, with whom 

 she had taken refuge. ])laced stones round her grave in the ant- 

 bear hole. Yet no word of this reached the authorities until 

 after the lapse of some 12 years, when a son of the murdered 

 woman voluntarily told what he knew, and pointed out the grave. 

 The skeleton was exhumed and examined by the District Sur- 

 geon, and the women implicated made a full confession. Two 

 native men were also convicted in this case as being accessories 

 after the fact. 



To point the consequences which may attend the disregard 

 of an accusation of witchcraft, reference will now be made to 

 a case in which indeed the intended victim escaped with his life, 

 but which resulted in tragedy for two young men not under the 

 ban. and against whom no vengeance was contemplated. 



The death of a nati\c woman caused suspicion to fall on 

 one .Msoinbuluko, and he was regarded as an iiiiitakati. This 

 was made clear to him. and social estrangement followed his 

 previous friendly relations with his neighi)ours. I^ossiblv be- 

 cause he was living in a Ruropean community, and close to a 

 town in Natal, he made no attempt to leave the district. He was 

 a man of .standing, and had a large kraal. Active steps to injure 

 him were then decided upon. I^ight huts, five of which were used 

 as dwelling InUs, and three as grain huts, were burnt to the 

 ground one night, the inmates narrowly e.scajjing. Realising the 

 danger he was in, Msomboluko. while still determined not to 

 leave, sle])t outside with his wives and family, .\nother hut was 

 burnt, but still undaunted he held his ground. His one remaining 

 hut was. a night or two .afterwards, set fire to. Being on the 

 alert, and sleeping outsiik-. he was able to extinguish the flames. 



