How did the death of lobengula in Zimbabwe occur?

King Lobengula of the Ndebele people in Zimbabwe did not die in Zimbabwe, but in present day Zambia. Following his defeat in the First Matabele War, Lobengula fled north with a small group of followers. In 1894, he settled in the Namunana area near the Zambian border.

In October 1894, Lobengula attempted to resist the approaching column of the British South Africa Company with a force of 1,500 men. However, his army was defeated in the Battle of Mbembesi. Lobengula retreated further north into the Zambezi Valley.

By late 1894, Lobengula was seriously ill, possibly with malaria. He continued to move north with a small group of followers, but his condition deteriorated rapidly. In January 1895, Lobengula died at a place called Shakambo, near the confluence of the Sanyati and Zambezi rivers in present day Zambia.

The exact cause of Lobengula's death is not known, but most sources attribute it to malaria. He was buried at Shakambo, where his grave is still a site of pilgrimage for some Ndebele people.