Magema Fuze

Magema Magwaza Fuze (c. 1844–1922) was the author of Abantu Abamnyama Lapa Bavela Ngakona (The Black People and Whence They Came), the first book in the Zulu language published by a native speaker of the language.

Born near Pietermaritzburg, Colony of Natal, he was brought up from about 12 years of age by Bishop John William Colenso and was baptized into the Anglican Church of Southern Africa. Following his education at the mission, he trained as a printer and compositor on Bishop Colenso's press before starting his own printing business. He wrote for a number of Zulu newspapers and in 1896 travelled to the island of Saint Helena to be the secretary to Dinuzulu kaCetshwayo, exiled king of the Zulus, before returning to Natal in 1898.

Abantu Abamnyama was published in 1922 and in an English translation in 1979. It has been described as one of the principal sources for the history of the Zulu people.

Early life Magema Magwaza Fuze was born near present-day Pietermaritzburg in Zululand around 1840 to Magwaza, son of Matomela, son of Thoko. The amaFuze were a sub-clan of the amaNgcobo. Nothing is known of his mother. His birth name was Manawami but he was given the nickname Skelemu, possibly derived from the Afrikans word skelm for rascal or trickster. He told his parents that he would not be raised at home but would work for an important white man.

Career In the 1850s, Fuze trained as a printing compositor on Bishop Colenso's printing press. He was writing in Zulu from a young age and chose to write only in that language. His first piece was an essay describing the daily activities at Ekukhanyeni. Another early piece was an account of day to day dialogue in Zulu, Amazwi Abantu (The People's Voices). He first appeared in print in J. W. Colenso's, Three Native Accounts (1860) telling his experience of Colenso's visit to King Mpande in 1859. His account of his solo visit to Zululand in 1877 was published in MacMillan's Magazine in 1878 as "A Visit to King Ketshwayo". He also wrote letters to and articles for newspapers such as Ilanga lase Natal and Ipepo Lo Hlanga. It was published in English in 1979 by the University of Natal Press in the Killie Campbell Africana Library as The Black People and Whence They Came: A Zulu View in a translation by Harry Camp Lugg edited by professor Trevor Cope. A selection of his papers is held in the Campbell Collections of the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Selected publications "Indaba Ka'Magema" & "Magema's Story" in John William Colenso, Three Native Accounts of the Visit of the Bishop of Natal in September and October, 1859, to Umpande, King of the Zulus &c. 1860. pp. 1–13 & pp. 107–121. "A Visit to King Ketshwayo", MacMillan's Magazine, 1878. Abantu Abamnyama Lapa Bavela Ngakona. Privately published, 1922. The Black People and Whence They Came. Translated by Harry Camp Lugg and edited by Anthony Trevor Cope. University of Natal Press, Pietermaritzburg, 1979. (Killie Campbell Africana library. Translation series, No. 1)