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Origins Centre explores chapter of Anglo-Zulu WarOrigins Centre07/28/2010 15:34:42 
Battlefields fans will be interested in an Origins Centre talk this month by Anthony Coleman, a national tour guide/ specialist in SA military history Coleman's talk is headlined "The Disputed Territory, an overlooked, but serious cause, of the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879" and deals with the Utrecht district of KwaZulu-Natal. Explains Coleman: "The causes of the war are often simplified, and indeed even overlooked, in the pursuit of the broader agenda - that of the actions of the Zulu warriors and the British redcoats. Much emphasis is placed on the Battle of Isandlwana and of course on the defence of Rorke's Drift, events which influenced much of the military activity that followed. "But we tend to ignore the greater political challenges facing the British Foreign Office by the end of 1878, and the very serious threat of a war with the Transvaal Boers, over an area blithely referred to as ‘The Disputed Territory'. "The Utrecht District, which had been part of the Transvaal since 1869, had proved to be an extremely poor farming area and the Boers residing there had no option but to encroach on Zulu territory, causing a major border dispute. The annexation of the Transvaal by the British in April 1877 brought about a very real possibility of a war involving the Transvaal, the Zulus and the British Colony of Natal. "This disputed territory became a major issue which the British-appointed Governor of the Cape and High Commissioner of South Africa, Sir Henry Bartle Frere, had to tackle. He consequently gave the amaZulu an ultimatum to disband their military social system, with which they could not comply. War broke out on 11th January 1879." Anthony Coleman is one of only two badged members of the International Guild of Battlefields Guides in South Africa, and was awarded the KwaZulu-Natal Service Excellence Award , Best Tourist Guide in 2009. Here are details of the lecture: Date: 10 August 2010 Where: Origins Centre, Wits University Time: 18h00 for 18h30 Cost: R35/R25 Wits staff and Wits students RSVP: e-mail ask@origins.org.za / tel 011 717 4700 Please note: Booking essential Artslink.co.za Account: Michelle Colman michelle@origins.org.za 011 717 4700 082 379 1941 Origins Centre Web site: http://www.origins.org.za
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