Ibutho izulu

Ibutho, also known as the Ibutho Nation (Ibutho: Isizwe Ibutho), is a central Artanian country nestled in between Dundorf to the north, Rutania to the west, Kundrati to the east, Luthori to the south and the Mad Dog Ocean to the south-east. With 93% of her population being Ibutho, she is famously the only black-majority nation in Terra. Despite possessing a relatively undeveloped economy and being amongst the poorest people in Terra, the Ibutho are intensely proud of their way of life. For centuries, all attempts to significantly reform them have been resisted, whether these have come in the form of direct colonisation, neo-colonial coercion, "international development programs" or the mulititude of temptations and pressures presented by the modern global economy. To the admiration of some but the despair of others, the Ibutho are, to an astounding extent, ezingaguquki - unchanging.

History
The story of the Ibutho is a remarkable saga of resistance to outside attempts to mould and change them. For as long as the historical record goes back, the nations and cultures surround them have regarded them as backward and doomed to extinction. Yet year after year, century after century, the Ibutho keep up their act and uphold their traditions. As the saying, goes, njalo okafanayo - always the same.

At different times the neighbouring powers - Luthori, Dundorf, Rutania and Kundrati - have all sought to control and subjugate the Ibutho, either directly or indirectly. The pattern of events has always been predictably cyclical,. Foreign overlords typically begin with trying to make the country more profitable through a program of economic modernisation, including using mechanised mining techniques in mineral-rich Izimayini and swapping subsistence crops like maize for lucrative cash crops like tea, coffee, cocoa and tobacco.

This the Ibutho, being so attached to their traditional, simple economic system based on national self-sufficiency, invariably resist as fanatically as they can. The occupier then increasingly loses faith in the colonial project, eventually being driven out - usually by a mixture of Ibutho insurgency and canny alliances formed between Ibutho Chiefs and other surrounding powers. For all their presumed lack of guile and cultural separateness from other Artanians, the Ibutho are proven masters of the art of shrewdly playing on Artanian nation off against the other in order to preserve their own independence.

Government and politics
The Inkosi or Chief serves as the central figure in the political, religious and social life of Ibutho. He is revered as a god-like figure. Even if he retires or is removed from office, he continues to be so revered and continues to be called "Inkosi". The Chief is one of the most powerful heads of government in Terra, ruling the country from the capital, Isizinda, and enjoying full control of the executive branch of the government. In constitutional theory, his Indaba or Cabinet is meant to help him govern, but in practice, it is an advisory body at best, with the ministers serving more as senior civil servants than as political decision-makers. In Ibutho, the Chief is also head of the judiciary, which mean that if push comes to shove, he can usually get his way if he squabbles with the legislature - the Iphalamande or Parliament. Or anyone else, for that matter. But in practice, in the interests of harmony and consensus, Chiefs generally prefer to exercise their judicial function responsibly, often delegating judgements to respected tribal elders.



As a nod towards democracy and a sop to the former Luthori occupiers, every 4 years the Ibutho go to the polls to elect a 100-member Parliament. This is a far from free and transparent process, however, since voters do not have the privilege of a secret ballot and it has been known for them to be punished if they do not vote in the correct way.

The country is divided into 5 isifundazwe or provinces, which serve as constitutuencies at election time. Each province is divided into 2 izigodi or administrative sub-divisions. Each sub-division is occupied by one of Ibutho's 10 tribes, and presided over by the relevant Izinduna or tribal headman. On occasion, the tribes quarrel with the Chief, but these days, differences are usually - although not always - settled peacefully.

Livestock
The Ibutho - especially Ibutho men - are more passionate about their herds of izinkoma or cattle than Luthorians are about their cars. Cattle ranching is a very masculine affair. Women and girls are not even allowed to enter the enclosures, whereas boys start helping to look after their fathers cows from the age of about 5. Nothing makes an Ibutho man prouder than to stand in his fields, gazing at his cows for hours on end, thinking about how many wives they could procure for himself and his sons. For him, his cows are a measure of his isithunzo or standing in the community.

When foreign powers have been in the ascendant, they have always tried to discourage the Ibutho away from cattle farming and towards more profitable ventures, but just as predictably, the Ibutho masses have always rebelled against this and returned to their cows at the nearest opportunity. To this day, cattle are the backbone of the Ibutho economy, providing yenkomo (beef) and amasi (curdled milk) for eating, manure for fertilser, ilobolo (bride price) for wives, amashoba (tufts of cow's tail) for fashionable adornment and sacrifices for invoking the help of the ancestors. On a smaller scale, Ibutho also rear other animals including sheep, goats, pigs and chickens, but socially this form of farming is regarded as very low status. In the forests of Bokufika, large quantities of game are hunted, and these contribute to the Ibutho cuisine.

Crops
Blessed with large stretches of fertile land, especially in Kwelakubo, the Ibutho love to grow their native crops - especially maize (used to make mielie-meal, an Ibutho staple), pumpkins, calabashes, watermelons, pineapples, bananas potatoes and a variety of different beans. During periods of political independence, as in the present era, crop yields tend to fall as the Ibutho abandon more sophisticated and mechanised agricultural techniques in favour of more traditional methods.

Mining
Izimayini is rich in minerals and a prime location for the mining of coal, iron, aluminium and copper. Foreigners have always been keen to use the latest technology to exploit these, but the Ibutho despise these processes, which they call "awayiphazamisi" or "intrusive",  fearing they cause earthquakes and upset the spirits of the ancestors whose bodies are in the ground. Under the present Ibutho regime, some mining still goes on in the old-fashioned style, but production levels are nothing like what they once were. The government continues to refuse to allow foreign companies or experts to have anything to do with the running of the mines.

Tourism
Ibutho has a reputation as one of the most exotic countries in Terra and is a popular destination for those who want a taste of something different. The tourist sector is mainly based in Emabhishi, where the beautiful beaches are a great magnet. Emabhisi's city, Bokufika, is the closest Ibutho has to a modern-style city, and is another hotspot for visitors. Popular with foreigners too are the forests of Amahlathi, where, according to the official tourist manual, "every conceivable flora and fauna may be found". Monkeys, elephants, lions, tigers and other endangered species inhabit the forests. Illegal hunting continues, despite efforts to stop it.