Northern and central KwaZulu Natal has some of the most beautiful landscapes in South Africa, it all looks so peaceful, yet it was only between 100 and 130 years ago, that this area was engulfed in fierce battles, some between the British and the Zulus,

others between the Boers and the British – all were to shape both South African and British history.

I am not sure why, but when I was at school, I was never particularly interested in the history of my country, it just seemed boring.  So, when I first visited the Isandlwana  Battlefield area about 11 years ago as part of my job as a tour operator, I was still of the opinion that I would really need to try and conjure up some interest in the battlefield tours on offer.

Well, that all changed when I found myself absolutely spellbound by the stories of the ferocious battles between the Zulus and the British.  I did not feel the hot sun baking down on my head as I sat on the hill of Isandlwana.

I hung onto every impassioned word of our guide.  I really was completely enthralled and felt like I could envisage the Zulus roaring over the mountain – it left me with tears in my eyes and astounded that I could be so touched by something that I had always thought “boring”.

Imagine 25 000 Zulu warriors in all their finery, screaming battle songs

coming over the horizon….the British soldiers, caught totally unaware, were demolished.  It gave me goose bumps.  For the British, this was a total defeat but for the Zulus, it was a great victory where King Shaka famously used a battle tactic which he had formulated called the “horns of the buffalo”. This was the ISANDLWANA BATTLE of 22 January 1879.

On the same day, a short distance away, a small supply depot which included a hospital was attacked by 4 500 Zulus – here though, the 139 British soldiers, of whom 36 were sick or injured bravely repulsed the Zulus in an eleven and half hour battle.  This was the Great BATTLE OF RORKE’S DRIFT. 

Then there were the ANGLO BOER WARS, that took place between 1899 and 1902 -  at the start, the British confidently said that the war would be over by Christmas – alas, for the British, it proved  to be the longest, most costly and bloodiest war for Queen Victoria’s proud army.

You certainly do not need to be a history buff to visit the Battlefields, just someone who is interested in the stories that really make a country, stories that are peppered with incidents of bravery, military intelligence, formidable Zulu warriors, humour, sorrow and love – some of the famous footsteps that you will follow in are King Shaka, Winston Churchhill, Mhatma Gandhi and General Louis Botha.

Love it or hate it, there are battlefields in everyone’s country – just wish they could all be “history”.

Which reminds me, they say we should learn from our history; do you think that the countries that still wage wars in this day and age have learnt anything from their history?