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The NATIONAL SUICIDE of The XHOSA

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." Proverbs 14:12

Economic Suicide

The “cattle killing” national suicide of the Xhosa in 1856 in Transkei, now the Eastern Cape of South Africa, was one of history's strangest socio-economic disasters. Within twelve months the population of Xhosaland plummeted by 80%, mostly through starvation. This bizarre episode was initiated by the niece of a witchdoctor. Through mass hysteria the Xhosa convinced themselves of the need to kill all their cattle, destroy all their food and sow no crops for the future. It was economic suicide and it led to mass starvation.

Evil Spirits

In April 1856

, two young Xhosa girls, 15 year-old Nongqawuse and 10 year-old Nombanda, were sent to chase birds from cornfields near the River Gxara. The elder girl, Nongqawuse, reported that while they were drinking at the water's edge two mysterious figures materialised alongside them. They told the girls to take a message back to their kraal that a great event was about to take place. All the people should kill all their cattle as these would no longer be needed. Once the great day came there would be no shortages of

 any kind, so they must tell their people that there must be no sowing or cultivation of crops and all stored grain must be thrown away. Once this had been carried out, the strangers told the girls that no further work must be done. When all the cattle had been killed the Russians would come, sweeping all the whites into the sea. (It was known that the British were fighting the Russians in the Crimean War “up North”, so it was generally assumed that the Russians were black people).

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