Zibhebhu kaMaphitha

Zibhebhu kaMaphitha Zulu (c. 1841–1904) (also called Usibepu/Ziphewu) was a Zulu chief. After the defeat of the Zulu Kingdom by the British, he attempted to create his own independent kingdom. From 1883 to 1884, he fought the Zulu king Cetshwayo, inflicting a series of defeats on him.

Life Zibhebhu was a son of Maphita, son of Sojiyisa, son of Jama, son of Ndaba. He belonged to Mandlakazi Royal Homestead. Zibhebhu was induna (chief) of the Mandlakazi.

Zibhebhu was made chieftain of one of the thirteen chiefdoms resulting from the First Partition of Zululand after the Anglo-Zulu War, The chiefdom was in northern Zululand, a hotbed of uSuthu, and the British General Wolseley thought that Zibhebhu's rule there would help suppress them.

In March 1883, Zibhebu undertook to secure the kraals in his new territory, which were held by the local uSuthu. Despite some resistance, there were all successfully seized. The USuthu in the south took exception to this, and Makhoba kaMaphitha marched north with some 5,000 warriors to retake the kraals. The defending Mandlakazi, 1,500 warriors assisted by five or six Boers under Johannes Wilhelm Colenbrander, set an ambush in Msebe Valley near Nongoma. This confrontation became known as the Battle of Msebe, and over 1,000 of the uSuthu were killed, with estimates running as high as 4,000. The Mandlakazi suffered minor casualties, with only ten dead. The uSuthu there were surprised, some attempted a defence but were soon routed, and Zibhebhu's forces destroyed the king's kraal as well as the surrounding uSuthu kraals. Though wounded, Cetshwayo managed to escape to the White Mfolozi river and then took refuge with Sigananda in the Nkandla forest. After repeated pleas from the Resident Commissioner, Sir Melmoth Osborn, the king moved to Eshowe, where he died a few months later, possibly by poisoning. an area set aside by the British for Zulu not loyal to the Zulu royal house.