Mandume Ya Ndemufayo
Encyclopedia
Mandume Ya Ndemufayo was the last king of the Kwanyama
, a subset of the Ovambo people of southern Angola
and northern Namibia
. Ndemufayo took over the Kwanyama kingdom in 1911 and his reign lasted until 1917 when he died of either suicide or machine gun fire while the Kwanyama kingdom was under attack from South African forces.
(now in Angola). Ndemufayo expelled Portuguese
traders from Kwanyama territory to denounce price inflation. Internally, he issued decrees prohibiting the picking of unripened fruit to protect against droughts and the unneeded use of firearms, an important commodity obtained from European traders. Significantly, he also issued harsh penalties for the crime of rape and allowed women to own cattle, which was previously illegal. Overall, King Ndemufayo sought to restore previous Kwanyama wealth and prosperity against a decaying system of local leadership.
kingdom of the Ovambos to flee his persecution. Ndemufayo also had problems with Portuguese Roman Catholic missionaries as well as German Rhenish Missionary Society
Protestants.
which coincided with a massive local drought. During the battle of Omongwa, Ndemufayo and the Kwanyama's resisted a Portuguese attack for three days. Simultaneously, the South African forces peacefully conquered the portion of the Kwanyama kingdom formerly located in German South West Africa. Due to heavy losses, Ndemufayo was forced to relocate the Kwanyama capital to the area of South West Africa. In February 1917, after Ndemufayo refused to submit to South African control, he died in battle against the South Africans. The cause of his death is disputed; South African records show his death from machine-gun fire, while oral and popular history described his death as suicide.
Kwanyama
Kwanyama or Oshikwanyama is a national language of Angola and Namibia. It is a standardized dialect of the Ovambo language, and is mutually intelligible with Ndonga, the other Ovambo dialect with a standard written form....
, a subset of the Ovambo people of southern Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
and northern Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
. Ndemufayo took over the Kwanyama kingdom in 1911 and his reign lasted until 1917 when he died of either suicide or machine gun fire while the Kwanyama kingdom was under attack from South African forces.
Background
The Kwanyama kingdom was split by the 1884 Berlin Conference into the areas of Portuguese West Africa and German South West Africa.Childhood
Ndemufayo grew up during a time of significant upheaval in the Kwanyama kingdom due to the presence of European merchants and missionaries. Third in line for succession to the Kwanyama throne, the prince lived in fear of assassination from an early age.1911-1915
Ndemufayo took the throne peacefully by Kwanyama standards and immediately moved the royal residence to OndjivaOndjiva
Ondjiva is a town located in southern Angola. It is the administrative capital of Cunene Province.- Transport :...
(now in Angola). Ndemufayo expelled Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
traders from Kwanyama territory to denounce price inflation. Internally, he issued decrees prohibiting the picking of unripened fruit to protect against droughts and the unneeded use of firearms, an important commodity obtained from European traders. Significantly, he also issued harsh penalties for the crime of rape and allowed women to own cattle, which was previously illegal. Overall, King Ndemufayo sought to restore previous Kwanyama wealth and prosperity against a decaying system of local leadership.
Relationship with Christianity
Ndemufayo had a reputation as a persecutor of Christians within the Kwanyama kingdom. Numerous Christian families fled to the OndongaOndonga
Ondonga is a traditional kingdom of the Ovambo in what is today northern Namibia. Its capital is Ondangwa. Its people speak the Ndonga dialect....
kingdom of the Ovambos to flee his persecution. Ndemufayo also had problems with Portuguese Roman Catholic missionaries as well as German Rhenish Missionary Society
Rhenish Missionary Society
The Rhenish Missionary Society was one of the largest missionary societies in Germany. Formed from smaller missions founded as far back as 1799, the Society was amalgamated on 23 September 1828, and its first missionaries were ordained and sent off to South Africa by the end of the year.The...
Protestants.
Battle and death
No European colonizer challenged the well-organized and well-armed Ovambo kingdoms until 1915 and the beginning of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
which coincided with a massive local drought. During the battle of Omongwa, Ndemufayo and the Kwanyama's resisted a Portuguese attack for three days. Simultaneously, the South African forces peacefully conquered the portion of the Kwanyama kingdom formerly located in German South West Africa. Due to heavy losses, Ndemufayo was forced to relocate the Kwanyama capital to the area of South West Africa. In February 1917, after Ndemufayo refused to submit to South African control, he died in battle against the South Africans. The cause of his death is disputed; South African records show his death from machine-gun fire, while oral and popular history described his death as suicide.