Makana Nxele: The Xhosa Prophet-Warrior who Sacrificed Himself for His People

When discussing South Africa’s fight for freedom, the name that comes to the fore of most people’s minds is the great Nelson Mandela. However, over a century before Mandela was born, there was another man who fought to liberate his people from the jaws of oppression and was detained in Robben Island because of it, Makhanda Nxele.

Makhanda Nxele, or simply Makana, is most popularly known for leading the Battle of Grahamstown during the Fifth Xhosa War (1818-1819). In 1819, he surrendered himself for the sake of his people and was subjected to a form of solitary confinement at the Robben Island prison.

Makana’s Rise to Prominence

Makana was born to a Xhosa father who was part of the amaCherwa clan, and a Khoi mother whom he is believed to have inherited his divine spiritual proclivities from. When Makana’s father, Gwala died, his mother moved him and his siblings to the home of Balala, a Khoi commoner who worked for a Boer farmer.

It was likely in Balala’s home that Makana became acquainted with the Dutch language and European culture. Although, his relationships with missionaries such as Johannes van der Kemp may also be credited for his familiarity with the ways of the Dutch.

It was said that Makana was a solitary and mysterious child who often wandered off by himself. As he grew older, he would often retreat to the bush for extended periods, during which he would fast. Even at home, he would occasionally fast because he claimed the food had been tainted by the sins of his people. These supposed sins weighed heavily on Makana, causing him to behave strangely.

On one occasion, he seemingly attempted suicide—having tied a rope around himself—but a man named Qalanga stepped in and took him to Chief Ndlambe because he believed Makana showed signs of being a diviner. By this time, Makana had earned the name Nxele for his left-handedness—nxele means ‘left-handed’ in Xhosa.

In the Xhosa community, diviners, or iinyanga, were charged with communicating with the ancestors on behalf of the living, while the ancestors in turn served as intermediaries between Qamata (God) and the living. Diviners also handled matters relating to illness, disease epidemics in both humans and livestock, lost property and various forms of natural calamity. In addition, they were the only ones who could seek favour from the ancestors for important tribal interests. Thus, they were highly esteemed members of the community.

Consequently, Makana’s encounter with Qalanga was the major turning point of his life. From then on, he was trained as a diviner and would later become a close adviser to Chief Ndlambe. In fact, he was widely regarded as chief amongst diviners due to his leading role in the mourning ceremony of the deaths of Chief Rharhabe and his son Mlwawu. Makana was estimated to have only been in his early 20s when he led the ceremony, of which King Khawuta was in attendance. Makana became a spiritual leader not just for the amaNdlambe but also for the amaXhosa as a whole.

Interestingly, Makana’s sense of spirituality also extended to Christianity. Johannes van der Kemp and another British-South African minister called James Read had set up a mission station near Zuurveld, the dwelling place of the amaXhosa. Thus, Makana had regular relations with them and got introduced to the God of Christianity. He, alongside Chief Ngqika, even went as far staying with another missionary called Joseph Williams for a week to study the tenets of the Christian faith.

Makana would incorporate certain Christian elements into his doctrine, preaching against witchcraft, adultery, blood shedding, theft and polygamy. Moreso, it was because of him that the Xhosa received the missionaries so well.

However, he would later have a falling out with the missionaries upon realising that they did not afford him the same respect he afforded them as spiritual leaders. It also dawned on him that they were trying to use Christianity as a tool to bring the amaXhosa under the Europeans. He then developed a theory about a cosmic war between the God of the Whites and the God of the Blacks.

The Xhosa Frontier Wars

Between 1781 and 1879, the Xhosa fought a series of wars, known as the Cape Frontier Wars, against the British Cape Colony. The first five wars (from 1781-1819) were fought over the Zuurveld. In 1777, Dutch Governor Joachim van Plettenberg declared the Fish River as the new boundary between the Xhosa and the colony, as part of an alleged treaty between himself and the Xhosa chiefs. However, the king rejected his claim and led his people to fight over the land.

In 1819, tensions between some Xhosa chiefs and Chief Ngqika, who had been interacting with the colonial authorities beyond his scope of authority, culminated in the Battle of Grahamstown. British Lieutenant Thomas Brereton carried out an utterly devastating raid on the amaNdlambe. In response, Xhosa chiefs, excluding Ngqika, united to wage war against the Europeans.

Makana, who was now tied to royal lineage through his marriage to Chief Ndlambe’s niece, galvanised the Xhosa masses and united them in preparation for war. It was said that Makana promised the troops that the British bullets would turn to water upon impact, however, some historians believe this story to be baseless propaganda.

On April 22, 1819, some 5-10,000 Xhosa warriors went into battle in the town of Grahamstown, in what is now the Eastern Cape province of SA. Chief Ndlambe’s son Mdushane led the commanding forces while Makana led the second column of plumed warriors. Even though the amaXhosa came tactically prepared for battle, their bundles of towering spears were no match for the British cannon and artillery. The former suffered a harrowing loss, with over 1000 Xhosa killed and only 3 British killed.

Makana’s Legacy

Thereafter, the amaXhosa lost more of their territory to the British and suffered immense persecution. The chiefs had to negotiate to ensure the survival of their people. During one of such negotiations at the Camp of Anders Stockenström in July 1819, Makana came in and surrendered himself, thinking that it would put an immediate end to the conflict.

However, Makana would soon be captured and sentenced to life imprisonment in Robben Island, and the British would continue to chase the amaXhosa away from their land. Makana was kept away from other prisoners as the officials feared that he would instigate a revolt. Interestingly, he was treated with some level of respect in prison as all instructions for his stay and provision came directly from the governor’s office and he was allowed daily walks on the beach.

In August 1820, Makana, alongside some slaves and Khoi convicts, escaped from prison. They were able to outmanoeuvre the soldiers, but unfortunately, the boat on which Makana and his party fled capsized in the tumultuous water and he did not make it.

There was no autopsy performed and the colonial authorities did not formally announce his death or return his body to his people. And so for fifty years, his family held off on throwing a burial ceremony in hopes that Makana would one day return.

Finally, in April 2013, a ceremony was performed to retrieve and repatriate Makana’s spirit, since his body was never found. Many government officials and traditional leaders gathered as a descendant of Makana, Notaka Mjuza, performed the retrieval of the spirit and laid it in a coffin. The coffin was then sent to Eastern Cape and buried in Tshabo village.

Makana is still dearly regarded amongst the Xhosa and revered as an icon of resistance in South Africa’s history.