▁sett lers ▁continued ▁to ▁arrive . ▁ ▁Second ▁Ele ph ant ▁War ▁ ▁In ▁March ▁ 1 8 9 6 , ▁the ▁N de be le ▁revol ted ▁against ▁the ▁authority ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁South ▁Africa ▁Company ▁in ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁celebrated ▁in ▁Z imb ab we ▁as ▁the ▁First ▁Ch im ur eng a , ▁i . e ., ▁First ▁War ▁of ▁Independ ence . ▁M lim o , ▁the ▁N de be le ▁spiritual / rel ig ious ▁leader , ▁is ▁cred ited ▁with ▁f oment ing ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁anger ▁that ▁led ▁to ▁this ▁confront ation . ▁He ▁convinced ▁the ▁N de be le ▁that ▁the ▁white ▁sett lers ▁( al most ▁ 4 , 0 0 0 ▁strong ▁by ▁then ) ▁were ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁dr ought , ▁loc ust ▁pl agues ▁and ▁the ▁cattle ▁disease ▁r inder p est ▁rav aging ▁the ▁country ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁ ▁M lim o ' s ▁call ▁to ▁battle ▁was ▁well - tim ed . ▁Only ▁a ▁few ▁months ▁earlier , ▁the ▁British ▁South ▁Africa ▁Company ' s ▁Administr ator ▁General ▁for ▁Mat abe le land , ▁Le ander ▁St arr ▁James on , ▁had ▁sent ▁most ▁of ▁his ▁troops ▁and ▁arm aments ▁to ▁fight ▁the ▁Trans va al ▁Republic ▁in ▁the ▁ill - f ated ▁James on ▁Ra id . ▁This ▁left ▁the ▁country ' s ▁security ▁in ▁dis array . ▁In ▁June ▁ 1 8 9 6 , ▁the ▁Sh ona ▁too ▁joined ▁the ▁war , ▁but ▁they ▁stayed