Browsing by Author "Mmutlana, Rufus Mokgotlha."

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    A historical survey of the abakwaMzimela tribe of the Mthunzini district
    (1988) Mmutlana, Rufus Mokgotlha.; van Jaarsveld, F.A.
    In the past a historical survey of' an African society was a very rare endeavour, because this field of historical research was erroneously regarded as being out of the scope of the historians. At the moment historians have no excuse, for there is an enormous amount of primary source materials waiting to be explored. These sources have been available, but they were not utilized due to the lack of knowledge. Due to the slowness of the South African historians in responding to the challenging demand of writing about the history of African societies, non-academic writers pioneered the process. With particular reference to this research, works of earlier historians like A. T. Bryant cannot be overlooked. In reviewing Bryant's work, "Olden Times in Zululand and Natal", Shula Marks pointed out that it is full of "unscientific assumptions and strong prejudices" As a result of this discovery Bryant's work had to be used with caution. It however remains the most valuable written source on early Zulu history.