Why the Ngoni invaded and settled in parts of Zomba, Chiradzulu, Cholo and Blantyre.

Why the Ngoni invaded and settled in parts of Zomba, Chiradzulu, Cholo and Blantyre.

When Kalimakudzuru the Nyanja Chief in Mangochi then,, asked the Ngoni to attack the Yao.. The Ngoni went further to attack all the tribes north of Zomba and  Matope area North of Blantyre then. The tribes fled to lowershire to seek refuge to the Makololo Chiefs.

Chikumbu,, another Yao notorious slave capturing trader descended on Blantyre and settled at Nguludi capturing the Mang'anja at will in the Shire highlands selling them to the Arabs.

The Ngoni reacted by sending troops to drive the Yao out of Blantyre. The Yao then moved east driving the Nyanja/Mang'anja owners of the land into the hills.

Kasisi and Mlauri..  Makololo Chiefs sent Gwaza and Mpimbi to settle on the uppershire Matope  area to control the natives and the turmoil.

The upper shire victims were comprised of the Nyanja originals, Chipeta and Mang'anja.

In 1884 the Ngoni left the Mangoniland and descended on the Shire highlands in what was taken to be the biggest Ngoni attack on the Shire Highlands including Zomba,Blantyre,Chiradzulu and Thyolo.

A Ngoni commander who was nicknamed Nyamuka led the attack. Nyamuka was a commander of Chikuse. Nyamuka crossed Shire at Matope attacking Zomba,Chiradzulu and  settled at Limbe near  Malabvi and launched  attacks on the Yao as far as Mulanje.

They had ravaged Chingale Zomba, Chiradzulu on their way to Malabvi burning every village in their  wake.

John Moir was alerted of the Ngoni invasion and left on his horse and met them at Mapanga.

When the Ngoni commanders heard John Moir...King of Blantyre was coming on his horse...  They were not prepared to meet him. They sent their subordinates. The commanders Nyamuka, Mpalale and Kanono never met him. Mpalale and Kanono were the Chikuse Ngoni commanders who kept their South African names.

With issues escalating in Blantyre...

the legendary Dr David Scott who built the St Michaels and All Angels, the great Henry Henderson who founded Blantyre, the famous Alexander Hetherwick with Chief Kuntaja whose village was located at Old Town Hall then left to meet the Ngoni warriors at Malabvi Limbe.

Nyamuka, Mpalale and Kanono never showed up.. Dr Scott, Henderson and Hetherwick believed to have negotiated with them in the truce.. Only to be told by the observing Kuntaja that these leaders they were negotiating with were not Nyamuka, Mpalale or Kanono. They were their juniors. 

Dr Scott, Henderson and Hetherwick had struck a deal with their King Chikuse...  not to attack Blantyre. 

The Commanders... Nyamuka, Mpalale and Kanono were out attacking Blantyre without the sanction of their great King Chikuse in 1884 and therefore... didn't want to meet the Missionaries who were friends to their king.

Nevertheless... Blantyre and surrounding areas were under siege by the Ngoni for months camped at Malabvi... And there was more to come.,