This Day in History: March 20, 1896
The second Matabele war, also known as the Matabele Rebellion or the second Chimurenga broke out on 20 March 1896 in Matabeleland Zimbabwe. The war broke out when a spiritual leader by the name of Mlimo convinced the Ndebele that the draught and a plague of locusts destroying croplands were as a result of the presence of the British South Africa Company (BSAC), led by Cecil Rhodes.
The objective of the war was to drive the British out of the country. However, when Mlimo was assassinated after his hiding place was found by the British, through an informant,Rhodes easily persuaded the warriors to lay down their arms. In the end, hundreds of British soldiers lost their lives, but the war did very little to change the lives of the indigenous people.