Willingly laying down arms in respect of custom - can cost you dearly. An SA story.

[P35]

"Bulalani abatagati"

They took little notice of a 15 year old white boy named William Wood happened to be visiting the capital at the time and since he knew Zulu well; had been listening to the warriors' talking.

Young Wood suspected Dingaan's real intentions, but when he tried to warn the Boers about his fears he was brushed aside with assurances that Dingaan `was a man with a large and good heart' and `We are sure the king's heart is right with us, and there is no cause for fear'.

Two indunas explained that it was an offence to come armed into the king's presence on the parade ground and the trekkers obligingly stacked their guns in a heap outside the gate.

On Kwa Matiwane most of the Boers were clubbed to death; for that purpose, the warriors used a wagon-load of sticks which chanced to be standing there. But some died when their skulls were broken with rocks. A few of Dingaan's victims it seems were skewered and left on the hill to a more lingering death.

After observing his men being murdered, Retief's chest was ripped open, and his heart and liver wrapped up in a cloth and taken to the king.

- February 1838

Source. “An Account of Rev. Mr Owen’s Visit to Zululand in the Year 1837”, in G.E. Cory (ed.),
The Diary of the Rev. Francis Owen, M.A. Missionary with Dingaan in 1837–38. Together with Extracts from the Writings of the Interpreters in Zulu, Messrs Hulley and Kirkman (Van Riebeeck Society,Cape Town, 1926), p 177.


In late 1837 William Wood was serving as Dingane's interpreter at Mgungundlovu, where he became Rev Owen's interpreter in December 1837, during Hulley's absence, and he remained in that capacity until Hulley returned on 9 February 1838. W. Wood witnessed the Retlef Massacre, which he had predicted. He returned to Port Natal with Owen and Hulley, February-March 1838. W. Wood, his mother and her other children took refuge in Comet at the Bay of Natal to escape the Zulus, 17 to 24 April 1838.

The Wood family moved back to Grahamstown. The men who laid down their firearms died at Kwa Matiwane.

[wrm]

[Gunservant]

Andries had the right idea methinks.

[P35]

Moral of the story and a lesson from SA history - don't lay down your firearms just because an induna says so. ;)

[Ds J]

Some questions:

1. Why do people tend to be friendly and respectful to an armed person?

2. A government is actually the subject of the people/nation/voters etc and is employed by them.
- Shouldn't an employer be trusted by the employee?
- Shouldn't the employer have the right to protect himself if need arises, or when the employee can't do the job?
- Shouldn't - in a free country - the average sane person be able to decide for him/herself?

3. Where in Africa has disarming not been followed by abuse, massacre etc?

[P35]

All good questions. Makes no sense - especially in Africa - for the state to disarm reasonable citizens - as you stated, a good state has nothing to fear from its citizens.

Its usually in African countries tipping towards dictatorship status where citizens are disarmed by proxy through foreign influence or by a dictator's strong men.

From, well since ever, Africans have always lived with a weapon of some kind, mainly for self defence and for hunting. And if this is the cradle of mankind, then it should follow that disarming civil society is a poorly conceived and European idea forced on Africa.

That said, I do understand the issue about the proliferation of heavier military arms other than ordinary semi auto rifles, shotguns and handguns.

No normal person needs an RPG or a 23mm auto cannon in their home.

[OCP]

No normal person needs an RPG or a 23mm auto cannon in their home.

Sooooo... i'm not normal then if i want to mount these on my car? ;-)

[Paul]

No normal person needs an RPG or a 23mm auto cannon in their home.

Are you trying to imply that I am abnormal?

[Sean Murphy]

Moral of the story. If someone wants to disarm you, it is probably because they want to attack you.

Sean.

[Paul]

Moral of the story. If someone wants to disarm you, it is probably because they want to attack you.

Sean.

Pretty much sums it all up, Sean!