The Battle of Bembezi (1 November 1893) was an engagement of the

First Matabele War The First Matabele War was fought between 1893 and 1894 in modern-day Zimbabwe. It pitted the British South Africa Company against the Ndebele (Matabele) Kingdom. Lobengula, king of the Ndebele, had tried to avoid outright war with the company ...

, between the

British South Africa Company The British South Africa Company (BSAC or BSACo) was chartered in 1889 following the amalgamation of Cecil Rhodes' Central Search Association and the London-based Exploring Company Ltd, which had originally competed to capitalize on the expecte ...

and the

Ndebele Kingdom Mthwakazi is the traditional name of the proto-Ndebele people and Ndebele kingdom and is in the area of today's Zimbabwe. Mthwakazi is widely used to refer to inhabitants of Matebeleland Province in Zimbabwe. Etymology The word ''Matabele'' i ...

Battle

The Battle of Bembezi took place on 1 November 1893. This was the most decisive battle won by the

in the

of 1893. The British South Africa Company went over to Ndebele positions and were almost ambushed, yet due to command issues they went another way with Ndebele spearman waiting for them. Though thoroughly outnumbered, (10,000 men to 700), the BSAC Maxim guns proved superior to Ndebele numbers. After sustaining heavy losses, the Ndebele began to retreat. Roughly 2,500 Ndebele were killed by the time the gunfire was over. After the stunning defeat, King Lobengula fled the battle; the end of the First Matabele War was near.

Memorial

A memorial was erected by the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe in 1961. The monument contains a plaque in both English and Ndebele reading:

Music

John Edmond John Edmond (born 18 November 1936) is a Rhodesian folk singer and retired soldier who became popular in the 1970s for his Rhodesian patriotic songs. He reached the height of his fame during the Rhodesian Bush War where he was sometimes known ...

wrote the song ''Battle of Bembezi'' in 1979 about the events of the battle.

References

Sources

1893 in Matabeleland Wars involving the states and peoples of Africa Conflicts in 1893 November 1893 events

Bembezi Bembezi is a small town in Matabeleland North, Zimbabwe and is located about 43 km north-east of Bulawayo. History The Battle of Bembezi took place nearby on 1 November 1893. References

Populated places in Matabeleland North Province ...

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