Battle of Bembezi

Gadade Battlefield
Mbembesi Battlefield
Gadade Battlefield; Mbembesi Battlefield;
National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe
	Gadade Battlefield Memorial, outside Bulawayo
	For the dead of the Battles of Bembesi
Established	1961
Location	20°02′13.4″S 28°52′35.3″E / 20.037056°S 28.876472°E; near Bulawayo
	BATTLE OF IMBEMBESI On a hillock 300 yards south of this pillar the Salisbury and Victoria Columns (British South Africa Company’s forces) formed laager about midday on the First of November 1893. During the halt they were heavily attacked by a large force of Matabele (iMbizo, iNgubo, iSiziba and iHlati regiments with Amavene iQobo and iNsukamini regiments in reserve). The battle was hard and the Matabele charged with the greatest courage three times in the face of machine gun fire but after suffering very many casualties were compelled to withdraw. This was the decisive battle for Rhodesia and the Columns marched on to Bulawayo which they occupied on the 4th November 1893. Erected by the Historical Monuments Commission

Battle of Bembezi
	Part of the First Matabele War
	Bembezi Battle of Bembezi (Zimbabwe)
Date	1 November 1893
Location	Bembezi
Result	Company victory
Belligerents
British South Africa Company	Ndebele Kingdom
Commanders and leaders
Patrick William Forbes	Lobengula
Strength
700 ; 5 Maxim guns ; 3 other rapid-fire guns ; 2 cannons	10,000
Casualties and losses
Unknown	2,500 killed

The Battle of Bembezi (1 November 1893) was an engagement of the First Matabele War, between the British South Africa Company and the Ndebele Kingdom.