Many at first were sceptical of Nongqawuse's claims and deeply worried about a policy that in their hearts they knew to be sheer madness. One person's ego trip of horrifying proportions. But the spoken word mesmerised and cast its insidious spell. And a whole nation opted for suicide. The amathamba or "soft" believer cadres convinced the majority and even Sandile, the principal Ngqika chief, was won over.
Rather like today's Zimbabwe where bishops can be frightened to speak out and church-going Christians can persuade themselves that it is alright to steal a farm as long as the leader says so.
It was an era when there was a self-professed prophet to spit out blood and thunder around every kraal, campfire and candelabra tree. If you were not for the new movement, you were an enemy of the state, a coward "who feared hunger".
And thus the slaughter began. Accompanied by a frenzy of singing, dancing, burning and mass hysteria, the messianic bloodletting, arson and destruction reached an appalling crescendo at the new moon of February 18, 1857.
Four hundred thousand cattle were killed. And 40,000 people subsequently died of starvation.
Like the half-a-million bright young Zimbabweans who have fled the country for Britain (and the many more hiding in South Africa), 33,000 Xhosa peasant farmers and rural workers migrated to the towns and farms of the Cape colony.
Rather like today's Zimbabwe where bishops can be frightened to speak out and church-going Christians can persuade themselves that it is alright to steal a farm as long as the leader says so.
It was an era when there was a self-professed prophet to spit out blood and thunder around every kraal, campfire and candelabra tree. If you were not for the new movement, you were an enemy of the state, a coward "who feared hunger".
And thus the slaughter began. Accompanied by a frenzy of singing, dancing, burning and mass hysteria, the messianic bloodletting, arson and destruction reached an appalling crescendo at the new moon of February 18, 1857.
Four hundred thousand cattle were killed. And 40,000 people subsequently died of starvation.
Like the half-a-million bright young Zimbabweans who have fled the country for Britain (and the many more hiding in South Africa), 33,000 Xhosa peasant farmers and rural workers migrated to the towns and farms of the Cape colony.