▁rose ▁to ▁prom in ence ▁as ▁a ▁highly ▁effective ▁war rior ▁under ▁Sh aka . ▁D ing ane ▁appointed ▁him ▁as ▁his ▁in D una , ▁or ▁chief ▁ad visor . ▁He ▁was ▁also ▁the ▁principal ▁commander ▁of ▁D ing ane ' s ▁arm ies . ▁However , ▁N d le la ' s ▁failure ▁to ▁defeat ▁the ▁Bo ers ▁under ▁And ries ▁P ret or ius ▁and ▁a ▁re bell ion ▁against ▁D ing ane ▁led ▁to ▁his ▁execution . ▁ ▁Career ▁According ▁to ▁E . ▁A . ▁Ritter ▁N d le la ▁was ▁a ▁" N t uli ▁can n ib al ▁rec ruit " ▁to ▁Sh aka ' s ▁army . ▁His ▁name ▁means ▁" road " ▁or ▁" path ". ▁During ▁the ▁N d wand we – Z ulu ▁War ▁N d ela ▁distinguished ▁himself ▁by ▁his ▁fighting ▁ability , ▁performing ▁" in cred ible ▁de eds ▁of ▁destruction " ▁on ▁Sh aka ' s ▁enemies . ▁He ▁was ▁sever ely ▁wounded ▁in ▁battle ▁with ▁the ▁N d wand we . ▁Despite ▁his ▁non - Z ulu ▁orig ins , ▁he ▁was ▁rapidly ▁promoted . ▁When ▁his ▁practice ▁of ▁prom oting ▁non - Z ulus ▁was ▁question ed , ▁Sh aka ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁replied , ▁" Any ▁man ▁who ▁joins ▁the ▁Z ulu ▁Army ▁becomes ▁a ▁Z ulu . ▁There after ▁his ▁promotion ▁is ▁purely ▁a ▁question ▁of ▁mer it , ▁ir res pective ▁of ▁the ▁road ▁( nd le la ) ▁he ▁came ▁by ", ▁referring