Editing History of South Africa (section)

====Wars against the Zulu====
[[File:Cetshwayo-c1875.jpg|thumb|200px|King [[Cetshwayo kaMpande|Cetshwayo]] (ca. 1875)]]In the eastern part of what is today South Africa, in the region named Natalia by the Boer trekkers, the latter negotiated an agreement with Zulu King [[Dingane kaSenzangakhona]] allowing the Boers to settle in part of the then Zulu kingdom.  Cattle rustling ensued and a party of Boers under the leadership of [[Piet Retief]] were killed.

Subsequent to the killing of the Retief party, the Boers fought against the Zulus, at the Ncome River on 16 December 1838. The Boers took a defensive position with the high banks of the Ncome River forming a natural barrier to their rear with their ox waggons as barricades between themselves and the attacking Zulu army in the clash known historically as the [[Battle of Blood River]].<ref>Ngubane, Jordan K. ''An African Explains Apartheid''. New York: Praeger, 1970. pp.40–41</ref><ref>Donald R Morris, ''The Washing of the Spears'', London: Cardinal, 1973, p.148-50 {{ISBN|0 351 17400 1}}</ref>

In the later annexation of the Zulu kingdom by imperial Britain, an [[Anglo-Zulu War]] was fought in 1879. Following Lord Carnarvon's successful introduction of federation in Canada, it was thought that similar political effort, coupled with military campaigns, might succeed with the African kingdoms, tribal areas and Boer republics in South Africa.

In 1874, Henry Bartle Frere was sent to South Africa as High Commissioner for the British Empire to bring such plans into being. Among the obstacles were the presence of the independent states of the South African Republic and the Kingdom of Zululand and its army. Frere, on his own initiative, without the approval of the British government and with the intent of instigating a war with the Zulu, had presented an ultimatum on 11 December 1878, to the Zulu king Cetshwayo with which the Zulu king could not comply. Bartle Frere then sent [[Frederic Thesiger, 2nd Baron Chelmsford|Lord Chelmsford]] to invade Zululand. The war is notable for several particularly bloody battles, including an overwhelming victory by the Zulu at the [[Battle of Isandlwana]], as well as for being a landmark in the timeline of imperialism in the region.

Britain's eventual defeat of the Zulus, marking the end of the Zulu nation's independence, was accomplished with the assistance of Zulu collaborators who harboured cultural and political resentments against centralised Zulu authority.<ref>Dacob Dlamini, [http://www.rdm.co.za/politics/2015/07/27/jacob-zuma-a-spawn-of-collaborators-trying-to-right-old-wrongs "Jacob Zuma a spawn of collaborators trying to right old wrongs"], ''Rand Daily Mail'', 30 July 2015. Accessed 31 July 2015.</ref> The British then set about establishing large sugar plantations in the area today named [[KwaZulu-Natal Province]].