Lobengula - leader of the Ndebele

Lobengula, also known as Lobhengula Khumalo, was the second and last king of the Ndebele people, also known as the Matabele, in present-day Zimbabwe. He was the son of Mzilikazi, who was the founder of the Ndebele kingdom.

Lobengula is best known for his role in resisting the European colonization of southern Africa and in particular the British South Africa Company led by Cecil Rhodes. He was able to maintain political stability in his kingdom and promoted economic development by encouraging trade and agriculture.

Lobengula was a skilled warrior and military leader and he inherited his father's skills of maintaining political stability and well-disciplined and well-trained military force.

In 1888, Lobengula signed the Rudd Concession, which granted the British South Africa Company the right to mine and exploit mineral resources in his kingdom, but Lobengula's interpretation of the concession was different from the British interpretation. This led to the First Matabele War between the British South Africa Company and the Ndebele people, which ended in defeat for the Ndebele and the colonization of present-day Zimbabwe.

Lobengula died in 1894, in the aftermath of the war, and his death marked the end of the Ndebele kingdom and the beginning of the British colonization of southern Africa.

In summary, Lobengula is remembered as a powerful and influential leader of the Ndebele people, who played a significant role in the resistance against European colonization of southern Africa and maintained political stability and economic development in his kingdom.