Established as Cetshwayo’s capital in 1873, Ondini was razed by British troops after the Battle of Ulundi (July 1879), the final engagement of the Anglo-Zulu War. The royal kraal section of the site has been rebuilt and you can see where archaeological digs have uncovered the floors of identifiable buildings. The floors, made of mud and cow dung, were preserved by the heat of the fires, which destroyed the huts above. The area is enclosed in a defensive perimeter of gnarled branches.
It took the British nearly six months to defeat the Zulu army, but the Battle of Ulundi went the same way as most of the campaign, with 10 to 15 times more Zulus than British killed. Part of the reason for the British victory at Ulundi was the adoption of the Boer laager tactic (creating a circle with their ox wagons to use for protection), with troops forming a hollow square to protect the cavalry, which attacked only after the Zulu army had exhausted itself trying to penetrate the walls.
To get to Ondini, take the ‘Cultural Museum’ turn-off from the highway just south of Ulundi centre and keep going for about 5km. Minibus shared taxis occasionally pass Ondini. This road continues on to Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (tarred for 30km). En route here from Ulundi you’ll pass the Ulundi Battlefield Memorial, a stone structure commemorating the Battle of Ulundi and the final defeat of the Zulus.