The Ndebele are a Nguni people, they originate from Nguniland which was an area South East of Afrika which stretched from encompassed parts of Present day KZN, Swaziland and Eastern Transvaal. They first travelled with Abakwa Zelemu (AmaBhaca) to Ubombo Mountains and later broke away and entered the Transvaal. Their first known chief was Mafana. They proceeded to present day Mohlakeng (Mhlangeni) near Randfontein and continued to a place called Kwa-Mnyamana near Pretoria under the leadership of King Musi. After the death of Musi they split into two tribes Ndzundza and Manala due to succession dispute. Ndzundza and Manala were the sons of Musi Mhlanga.
Masombuka settled with the Ndzundza group while Mthombeni and Sibasa headed north with their followers. Sibasa later joined the be-Venda. Mrhwaduba joined the Pedi near Turfloop in Limpopo.
Dlomu went back to KZN, Mphafudi and Litjha ended with the South Sotho in Lesotho and Free State.
All the above were sons of Musi of Mhlanga.
The Ndzundza group moved past Middleburg and settled at Roosenekal (Kwasimkhulu) The Manala group returned to Kwamnyamana after the truce they made with the Ndzundza group near Loskop Dam Middleburg at a place called Konoqolo/Koqoli.
When Ndzundza died his son Mrhetja took over, and when Manal died his son Silamba took over kingship.
Later regents ruled the Ndzundza, those were Siboko, Somdeyi and Mabhoko.
Mabhoko died in 1865 and Masilela took over followed by Soqaleni who ruled until 1873, followed by Xobongo up to 1879, who was succeeded by Nyabela.
In the 1980’s the Musi Ndebele were given the land in the north-east of Pretoria near Groblersdal and Marblehall (Siyabuswa) as their semi-independent homeland. The youth and the Ndzundza royal house resisted apartheid independence. That place was called Kwandebele and is now under Mpumalanga province of the Republic of South Africa.
The language that these Ndebele spoke was a mixture of Nguni, Pedi and Afrikaans. In the 1980’s efforts were made to preserve a purer form of Ndebele and it has been very successful becaus now they speak pure undiluted Ndebela language which is also taught at schools. Previously they were taugth in Pedi and Zulu languages.
prudence mahlangu
Lotjhani mandebele ngingu mahlangu umarudili uza ngemva kwabobani abomahlangu begodu nesinanazelo sakhe ngiyasibawa
Aphane Matsatsela gener8 of Mbopha
Nzuza is the originator of what is called intelezi.visit ibanganathubana and see the very big tombstone of Nzuza.The kingdom calls
Sfiso
Ngibawa onelwazi lembongo zakwa Mahlangu umalila angakabethwa (umadlelila) angithumelele zona please.
Sam jabulani Mahlangu
So one can send me izithakazelozakwa bungela kokosi mahlangu mntungwa.
Maria
Hi Sam
Have you got what you requested if not so here it is
Mtungwa,bungela mbili,mbilako banjwako bungela kokosi,
mlangatshagase khoz’elakhaza kabili usombili wayikhetha
ayikhethela ka mzwakazane usombili wathi asakhasa kwaphel’ingobhe
umadlazabanye kwadliwe zakhe uyajabaja, umasimula ka makhanga ngutshokwe.
Eddy
Ndebele People left Kzn with Mzilikazi.They were originally Zulu.Just as they r told in Zimbabwe lesotho Botswana.They settled In Pretoria.Prior the war where the Tswana had a treaty with Boers and fought the Ndebele with Guns and Mzilikazi lost the war and ran of to Zim via Botswana.Arears Mzilikazi was in control of was from Free state parts of eastern cape northern cape north west gauteng and limpopo.A lot of ndebele stayed behind as their empire had crushed.Some for survival changed to Tswana and Pedi clans while the others remaned as they r the oned u find in Kwandebele.I c they wrote about Amabacha.Amabacha Are Zulu people who during the 1800 migrated to Eastern Cape Some.As they r bo Mageba.They r directly related to the Zulu royal family.So some of these stories written are in contraction to fact as they contradict time and origin.I think more Ndebele people must do research in terms of clan names cause some of these are living people are origins can be traced if u go to the kzn.But sometimes because they lived with the pedi and Tswana.Confusion occured.
BONGANI
(First sentence removed) But I don’t blame you, ts just what you were told. However, let me correct you and your previous Zulu generation that came With this false history about the ndebele people. They wannet to change real history and give people wrong history that proclaim Zulu tribe as the main Nguni tribe that all these tribes came from. But, I’m glad that some of Zulu people know exactly that Zulu tribe is one of the smallest tribes with history that started from around the 1800. Before this period, there was no Zulu tribe or clan. Shaka was the one who founded amaZulu, when he incorporated all the clans around under his newly formed Zulu nation. Many of Zulu people ignore this part because it exposes how the Zulu nation came about instead of the belief that Zulu tribe existed long ago before any tribe could immerge. COMING TO THE NDEBELE part. Ndebele people existed long ago, over 400 years before the emergence of the Zulu nation. As the title of this page states it ‘Ndebele of Musi’, the Zulus have no idea of who is Musi, who is Mafana and Jonono as well. Emnambiti used to be called Jonono’s kop. Confidently, Zulu also have no idea who is Jonono. In the north east of kzn so close to Swaziland, there is a place called ‘Mahlungulu’, also the Zulus have no idea what is ‘Mahlungulu’. If they know all that I’ve mentioned above, then they definitely stop saying ndebele people were originally Zulu, instead would say Zulus originated from ndebele tribe. What I’ve mentioned above confirms that ndebele people came from the south east (where there is kzn today) before coming to Transvaal. But that was around 1400. Because the last king to rule amandebele in the south east was king Jonono in Jonono’s kop presently called emnambiti. By this time, even in your recorded history there was no Zulu or something of Zulu nature. Musi was the last king to rule a united amandebele before their separation to Nzunza and Manala ndebele. Musi died In 1630, close to 200 years before Shaka dirth. Nzilikazi found the ndebele people already separated.
Author’s note:
Bongani Ndala; this page was written here with the aim of educating the Afrikan people about their history and to promote discussion. No matter how we differ in what we know, insults are uncalled for.
BONGANI
Dear author, I’m actually glad that you scrutinise every comment being posted here. I apologise for ‘insulting’ other people here. But it angers me very much to see some people robbing others. You as well have to account for this as the initial short history at the beginning about Ndebele people is incorrect. Presently Ndebele people are lost and know nothing about their real history because of similar things and incorrect information tha the previous generation was told. Thanks to our royal houses that managed to preserve this crucial history of Amandebele for such a very long time.
From the Author
Can you elaborate more Mr Ndala on what I have to account for. At no stage had I tried to distort any nation’s history. I repeat: the aim of this blog is to educate each other and sort the mistakes which can be identified. I have published to public known information, I would advice those who know differently to help correct those perceived mistakes.
Thank you very much for your response.
Mbathastan
Eddy
Shaka was not the first King of the Zulu.Prior him was Senzangakhona Prior him Jama.The History u read about Zulu people is from a European point of view.The Zulu was not a small tribe it was was one of the major Nguni clans.Their stay can be traced from over 2000 years ago firstly originating from Egypt and Settled in East Africa and settled two thousand years ago In arrival with other Nguni clans 2000 years ago.They The Bhaca who r members of the royal Zulu house hence they r Bo Zulu Mageba split during the mfecane times and migrated to the Eastern cape some.The only people i know with a surname Ndebele r Zulu people.Shaka was the first who came with the inter mixing of clans.Hence with most Nguni clan who broke away from the Zulu nation like the Swati and Some shangaan and xhosa u find each and Every clan like The Dlamini,Khumalo,Ndlovu,Ntuli Ngwenya,Ncube,Jiyane ,Nyati and sent them with Different Generals to conquer other tribes
THE SWATI NATION ORIGINATES IN PONGOLA AND WAS LED BY NGWENYA WHO WERE GREAT STRATEGIST AT WAR AND HIGHLY TRUSTED BY SHAKA HENCE U FIND THEM IN MOST NGUNI TRIBES WHO SPLIT FROM THE ZULU NATION.AND DLAMINI WHO WAS CHIEF OF ONE OF THE NGWANE CLANS AND A RELATIVE TO SHAKA.AFTER HIS DEATH WICH WAS CAUSE BY HIS ASSASINATION BY HIS BROTHER.THE PEOPLE GRADUALLY MIGRATED TO THE NOW ZWAZILAND WITH ALOT OF PEOPLE WHO WERE ART OF THE ZULU NATION HENCE SWATI PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME SURNAMES AS ZULU PEOPLE ETC.Dlamini,Ngwenya,Khumalo,Buthelezi,Nkomo,Ntshangase
THEY TRAVELED TO THE NOW ZWAZILAND VIA MOZAMBIQUE AND SETTLED IN NOW ZWAZILAND THE INTERACTED A LOT WITH ONE ONE OF THE ZULU CLANS THE TEMBE.IT IS BELIEVED SHAKA HAD A CHILD OF WICH HIS MOTHER HID FROM HIM AND TOOK HIM TO THE TEMBE OF WICH WERE STAYING WITH THE NOW TEMBE.THE SWATI ROYAL FAMILY IS CLOSELY IN BLOOD RELATION TO THE ZULU ROYAL.IT IS BELIEVED THAT SHAKAS AIR’S ARE HIDDEN IN ZWAZILAND
ZULU HISTORY HAS BEEN TWISTED AND TORMENTED FOR YEARS BY EUROPEAN PERCEPTION.NGUNI GROUPS HAVE SIMILARITIES AND THE STORIES WERE TWISTED TO CAUSE seperation.The Zulu Custom of Face Cutting and Stretching earlobes wich is also practices by the Bacha who r directly related to the Zulu royal house and Some Ndebele and other Nguni groups who split from the Zulu nation.Ndebele in Zim Botswana Eastern Cape Lesotho trace the origin to Mzilikakzi Khumalo who was General of Shaka and King of the Khumalo Son of Mashobane and The Mother was Daughter of the Ndwandwe King Zwide Nxumalo Ka Langa.Distancing urselves as Ndebele people is loosing urselves.Within Kingdoms there r subkingdoms and within Kingdoms there r subchiefs.Zwide was also related and can trace themselves to Malandela great great grandson of Nguni .The fore farther of all Nguni’s.Nguniland settled in the East coast of South africa 2000 years ago and intetmarried with the khoisan.Mzilikazi was the main king of the Mtungwa.Hence Mtungwa is the royal surname of the Ndebele moving away to another place does not seperate u from ur people.U can be a Mtungwa,Gatsheni ,Mageba and eithe be Zulu,Xhosa,Swati or Ndebele these r regimentsin most the swati and ndebele and shanggan wich were created by shaka to go and conquer and build the zulu empire and some never returned.These r only a few of the nation wich split from the zulu.Every nation has a seniir royal house.Like The British who r more senior and settle in a small area to repredent ellitness.Like in the Batswa the Bahurutshe are more Senior part of the Bakwena house.Ndebeles ar not only in kwandebele remember it was a migration and Ndebele in lesotho who is a mosotho never reached pretoria or zimbabwe or botswana or the north west.Aftet Mzilikazi died the Ndebele nation split and the main body ended up in now Zimbabwe.Hence u do find Khumalos ,Ngwenya’s Mahlangu’s,Mabena,Ntuli’s ,Mnguni’s in Zimbabwe Matebele land.Ndebele’s r everywere from limpopo to the northewest and because rhey were scattrerd and left behind during Mzilikazi defeat from the war against the boers others took on other nations idendities.Everywhere u go from lesotho to Botswana Ndebele people tell u they arrived there through Mzilkazi and were originally Zulu.There are alot of nations who split gro. The Zulu some retain theor customs and some forgot and are also confused and some submerged in to other nations.The other clans talked aboout like the Bacha wich I read are even Zulu even if the went to the Eastern cape and form part of the xhosa nation now.It’s very important not to assume.Zulu people cannot know that place in Zwaziland or kwandebele.If a tribe seperstes from another tribe they move elsewhere and create their own history and denying their past and creating their own for self entitlement will cause a lost soul.The Zulu were not a small tribe they were one of the bigger Nguni clans not the biggst.The Mthethwa were the largest and in Nguni culture it was known of Shakas coming to unify his people.Proper history must be presented cause what is witten on the internet is mostly assumption and mostly twisted stories wriiten by Europeans.Alot of Ndebeles must make proper research and Nguni’s.Eg.Mzilikazi’s son was born in Grahams town hence other ndebele’s in Zimbabwe have a xhosa accent.Mzilikazi was one of shaka’s greatest Generals and prior leaving him conqured manny a nations.Hence even some Ndebele in Zimbabwe are from Sotho’s and Tswana’s.And people Shaka was not the First Zulu King he was it’s Greatest.And secondly to bring some common sense.Not Γ llΔΊ Zulu are Mageba,Not all Ndebele are Mtungwa Not all swati are Ngwane.Shaka unfied Nguni people hence he intermingle Nguni people and regiments hence Ndebele People Swati Xhosa and Some shangaan u find people from different Nguni houses.Prior a regiment will only be a Khumalo regiment and Ndwandwe regiment Or an Nkosi regiment ora subclan coming from the same house.And I saw the in the topic were whoever wrote the topic cought himself and said the Ndebele split from the Bhaca.The Bhaca are infact directly bo Mageba Zulu and branched off during difecane to the Eastetn cape flering wars and prior some coming back.Hence I realised someone was assuming history.History on assumption is dangerous
rotatemolokomme123
Asking kingship of amandebele is with mabena or Mahlangu family sustain your answer who’s is having it right now and why
BONGANI
Eddy my brother. Saw your comment a few days ago, couldn’t read through, just needed much time. But you just confirmed that everything I know about the Zulu history is just what you know and that is it, nothing more to add. To remind you a bit, I did a lot of research about the Zulu history, the Ngunis and all related tribes in African. Well, in this case, im presenting you with the findings which a lot of Ndebele people themselves do not know because of the history that the Zulus gave them. I also studied IsiZulu at school, because isindebele was not available. Isindebele was only available at school in Kwandebele in 1985. Why is isindebele was not available in schools and areas where ndebele speaking people were dominant? The reason was, after the Mapoch wars between the ndebeles and Boers, (look for ‘mapoch wars’) the ndebeles lost the fight and the whole community was scattered across the farms to be slaves of white farmers. They were also denied the right to education. This was years before the end of colonisation. Other tribes, zulus, Xhosa’s, pedis, etc got to school. That is the reason why even recently ndebeles were behind academically. This then gave Zulus the advantage to the modify history as they wanted. …… Eddy, I previously mentioned the kings of thr ndebele people. The reason ndebele people found in Lesotho would say nzilikazi is their founder is because if the info they fnd on the internet. Even some of the ndebeles in kwandebele know mzilikazi as the founder of Ndebele people. Mzilikazi only attacked the manala ndebeles in Pretoria moved to Zim with them. Ndebeles had long existed. King who ruled ndebele people from their beginning; uMabhudu, Ndebele, Mkhalangana, Mntrungwa, Jonono, Nanasi, Mafana, Mhlanga, musi, nzunza/manala… down till today. The reason Mahlangu is called Mntrungwa is because of the fourth king Mntrungwa who ruled amandebele. You don’t know all the kings ive mentioned here, to prove your claim that Ndebeles come from the Zulus, explain who these people are, and the reason why emnambiti was called Jonono’s kop? And the uMhlanga as well??
Mabena Mpumelelo
howzit brother, I like how confidently you wrote this short history ngantu bakhethu igama uMabena Mpumelelo. Ngingatha ungi size ngawowoke umlando wama Ndebele osunolwazi ngawo, kanye umufuthi unolwazi ngisibongo sakwa Mabena ikakhulukazi ngizi thakazelo zakithi ngingathokozela usizo lwakho kakhulu you can send me a whatsapp text to 0735799511
Solemuko
Ndodekhethu uyakhuluma. Ukhuluma ngikuzwe rerh! Ngingathanda bona ubuye utlole godu ngomlando wamaNdebele. Nangabe kuneencwadi namkha umthombo lapha uthethe khona imininingwana le, yewungihlephulele nami!
Vusi
Bongani Hi uLamula ungena kuphi
BONGANE
Mr Ndala Is you I heard on Ikwekwezi Fm
Please I need some information about Masango surname the origin of it on detailed if possible and the( names or words used by uNdebele before languages mix ) this topic you discussed on the show with Bobo
Phangothi
Eddie you make your assumptions facts which is wrong.
Masotsha Mahlangu
You are lying muntu amandebele are the first people who make break away from Nguni people in Natal the year 1630 and after almost +200 years then it was changed and called kwaZulu when Zulu ka Malandela take over the kingship. Our relationship with Zulu as Ndebeles including Xhosas and Swazis is only that Nkosinkulu(Zulu), Ndebele, Xhosa and Swazi are sons of one man namely Mnguni who first settled at Natal area with his little group of people he was ruling coming far from centre of africa looking for his own settlement in Africa on which he end up by settled in Natal(South Africa) and ndebeles left Zulus,Xhosas and Swazis leaving together and known as amanguni(Nguni people) for many up to 200 years till the birth of Shaka who ruled them cruelly till Xhosas and Swazis also decided to leave, xhosas to eastern and western till northern cape and swazis to swaziland and all to form their own traditional leadership same as ndebeles. to be continue
Sue E. Syde
@Eddy that’s not true.
The Zim (Khumalo) Ndebele are a distinct group from the Southern (Nzunza) Ndebele. They may all trace lineage from Nguni, along with other Ngunis but they are currently distinct groups.
For instance, the culture of Initiation was a Nguni rite that Shaka Zulu abolished with the founding of tbe Zulu nation (he, along with his own father, was not initiated). Hence Xhosas and Nzunza Ndebeles still participate in it and Zulus (and by extension Khumalo Ndebeles) do not.
Mzilikazi even encountered the Nzunza Ndebele when he settled near present-day Hartebeespoort Dam. The Nzunza Ndebele had been near the Pretoria area since King Musi who was buried near present-day Wonderboom in Pretoria. Tshwane was a Nzunza Ndebele chief in fact.
Mhlanga
They are not Zulus how ever the first king or founder of the Zulu nation , king Shaka’s mother came from the Mhuhu nation who were originally known as Embo nation.
Musi himself was king of imiHuhu or what is today known as amHlubi for a period of 25 yrs as it was a tradition having taken over from king Mhlanga. After his reign he left to form the present amandebele nation. Please refer to umlando wamahlubi for more info.
Sinki Mahlangu Ndimande
From: Sinki Ndimande kanzunza
Eddy, Ndala is telling the truth, please you need more research to understand Ndebele history and the Zulu history. I think you should differentiate between Ndebeles of Mzilikazi and the Southern Ndebeles of South Africa (kaMusi). Please don’t confuse the two Ndebeles. Factually, the Ndebeles of Mzilikazi are simply the Zulus who originated from Kwazulu, since we know that Mzilikazi was one the powerful warriors of Shaka. He led a Zulu faction who called themselves Ndebeles, Mzilikazi invaded and conquered many tribes when he fled way from Shaka. Among the tribes that he conquered were the Ndebeles of King Musi (Southern Ndebeles). When Mzilikazi conquered the divided Ndebeles, he conquered the Nzunzas under King Magodongo and conquered the Nalas under King Sibindi, subsequently he took away some Ndebele people, that is why in Zimbabwe, especially in Matebele land there are many surnames like Mahlangu, Skhosana, Masango and others. AmaNdebele kaMusi are not originated from the Zulu tribe. Let me tell you a bit according to my personal knowledge, since I learned isiZulu at school until university level, the Zulu tribe was one of the weakest and the smallest tribe along the Southern coast, hence the powerful nation were led by uDingiswayo wakwaMthethwa. Shaka was trained by uDingiswayo and he became a strong and a trusted warrior of the AmamThethwa. After the death of King Dingiswayo, Shaka sought the opportunity to absorb the Dingiswayo nation to beef up the weak Zulu nation. Mind you , when Zulu nation was ruled by the likes of Mageba, Phunga, Ntombela and others it was one of the weakest tribes. Therefore, Shaka consolidated the Zulu nation. The Ndebele nation existed in years before 1400, wereas Shaka became a King in the 17th centuary. Please don’t confuse us with the Mzilikazi’s, perhaps Mzilikazi might had adopted the Ndebele name after he conquered the Ndebele nation. To support Ndala, King Jonono are legendary Ndebele kings who existed long ago before the King Mageba of the Zulu nation existed. On the word Mntungwa, I think Mntungwa is one of the word that is common among the Nguni group. Hence Mntungwa was once the Ndebele king in the ancient times. In actual sense I am not offending the Zulus, but the Mthethwa people were supposed to be respected regarded at the highest esteem among the Zulu nation, since they contributed a remarkable percentage in the building of the Zulu nation.
believe mtungwa
am BELIEVE MTUNGWA from zimbabwe ngifuna ukwazi izithakazelo zakhona