Izithakazelo zakwa Hlatshwayo Clan Names & history

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From what l have heard from my from Chief Velamuva who is a brother to my father’s grandfather, the Hlatshwayos come from the Dlaminis through Prince Cebisa Dlamini (Nkhosi). Prince Cebisa is King Mswati I’s brother. He left Swaziland to get a wife from the Zulus. He got his first wife in Pongola and built his home there. His second home was built at Mkhunyane (Commondale, not far from Paulpietersburg) for his second wife. He built his home at a place called Bergville (near New Castle) for his third wife. It was when he was at Bergville that he decided to visit home (Swaziland) to show his family some of his children. When Cebisa arrived home, there was ‘sibhimbi’ (some kind of celebration in the royal kraal (in the Shiselweni Region). During that celebration, King Mswati saw his brother Cebisa’s beautiful daughter and took her as wife and then told him that he is no more a Nkhosi but a Hlatshwayo because ‘usemhlabile’ (stabbed him) by taking his daughter as one of his wives (a practice that is common among Swazi kings since they are not Dlaminis or Nkhosis but ‘Bayethes.’). This made Prince Cebisa very angry that he left immediately for South Africa and remained there until his death. His tomb is on a mountain not far from Commondale.

The lineage of the Hlatshwayos at Gege is as they are put but Mleshe’s son is not Mahubhu but Mahubhulu, who came to Swaziland and joined King Mswati II’s regiment and made himself a name there since he was a man of valour (ingwazi). After realizing his victories in war, the king gave him his brother Prince Lukhwabitsi’s daughter as one of his wives and asked Chief Mshengu of eMashobeni (in the Shiselweni Region) a piece of land for him. This is the land which is occupied by the Hlatshwayos at Gege. It covers the land from the Mahamba-Piet Retief road next to Mahamba border gate to Ndlotane river near Magubheleni.

Since a princess can not be ruled by a commoner, Mahubhulu became chief in his land. By that time Mahubhulu was a very old man but at such an old age his new wife commonly called ‘laLukhwabitsi’ gave birth to a son, ‘Velamuva,’ thus named because he was of his half-brothers’ grandchildren’s ages. After Mahubhulu’s death, Velamuva became chief of the area, and the place is also called, ‘eMlindazwe’ because Mahubhulu said he was keeping watch over it for Chief Mshengu of eMashobeni who was ‘insila yeNkhosi Mswati.’

The ‘izithakazelo’ for the Gege Hlatshwayos differ from those of the other Hatshwayos. I will write them the way l was taught by some of my elders:-

Hlatshwayo, Mhayise, Ngwanya, Cebisa wengwenyama lowacebisa emakhosi, Mabhengeta, Matsintsane lowatsintsa intsanga yakhe eMfabela watsi tinyawo tenkhosi yetfu tonakele, toniwe kusindza kukhala kumasoka, batsi Ngwanya wondzile kantsi Ngwanya ukhahlelekile, Ngwanya akangakanani ngobe nentsendzeni yesandla angahlala, Ngwanya lowabhula ingwe kwavuka ingwenyama, Ngwanya lomuhle wakalaMlobela.

Chief