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The 146th anniversary of the Battle of Isandlwana, a pivotal moment in African and British colonial history, was commemorated last week with a re-enactment in KwaZulu-Natal.

Participants, including history enthusiasts and local community members, honoured the legacy of the Zulu warriors who delivered a resounding defeat to British forces on January 22, 1879. Bill Williams, an architect and military history enthusiast who portrayed a British soldier, described the experience as a mix of historical education and cultural bonding.

“The Battle of Isandlwana is iconic in world history, being the first major defeat of the British Colonial Forces by a local native army in the history of the British Empire. It was a slap in the face to a very arrogant organisation,” he said.

Williams’ involvement stemmed from a fortunate discovery during his doctoral research on British military structures in KwaZulu-Natal. Overhearing a request for more participants at the AMAFA offices in Pietermaritzburg, he rallied volunteers from The Ark homeless shelter near Durban. “There was a great bunch of guys I could call upon to help swell the numbers,” he added.

While costumes were provided by the Dundee Diehards Club, accuracy remained a priority. Participants used Lee Metford rifles, adapting their techniques to mimic the single-shot Martini-Henry rifles used during the Anglo-Zulu War.

18:T574,The 146th anniversary of the Battle of Isandlwana, a pivotal moment in African and British colonial history, was commemorated last week with a re-enactment in KwaZulu-Natal. Participants, including history enthusiasts and local community members, honoured the legacy of the Zulu warriors who delivered a resounding defeat to British forces on January 22, 1879. Bill Williams, an architect and military history enthusiast who portrayed a British soldier, described the experience as a mix of historical education and cultural bonding. “The Battle of Isandlwana is iconic in world history, being the first m

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Battle of Isandlwana: Honouring the Zulu Triumph over colonial forces