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.
Masotsha Mahlangu
Mkhuze Mahlangu. To my suprised I already asked many of Pedis people old and young who are even proud of themselves as Pedis but all they can’t tell me why they are known or called Bapedi or they will tell me different understandings about themselves. Some will tell you that they are Pedis because of the combination of mosotho(man) from Lesotho and motswana(woman) from Botswana, some will tell me about Venda name translated to their name and some says two basotho men has decided to marry many foreigners females as they can in founding the nation of Bapedi. I and you as ndebeles we know that ndebele is the name of our forefather Ndebele the son of Mnguni and that is why we are ndebeles of mnguni, same as zulus, xhosas and swazis. And please can you just tell me where are Pedis originated? I believe this one of mosotho and motswana togetherness and found the Bapedi family but can you tell me please???
My knowledge tells me that Sekhukhune name is a nickname because he(Sekhukhune) bekade akhukhutha too much on which kasepedi kegu khukhuna, ukhuthi bekakhukhutha enzani, abaleka noma asilwa angeze nawo aMapedi akutshela and now is too late to create something very good ngomunye umunndu begodu kwayena angazazi kuhle bona udabuka kuphi, iye khona unayo imvelaphi yakhe kodwa kwayena mopedi akazazisisi kuhle. They just claim that they know the history of Ndebeles which are Ngunis but they know nothing about other Nguni speaking people like zulus, xhosas and swazis then you must ask your self that this people(Bapedi) they are very intelligent in creating thier own history story about other tribes of people so that they can be recognised and known as the people who knows the origin history some people which is wrong.
Ngiphile nabo from 2002 till now Lebowakgomo, Petersburg, to Burgersfort and most of them they tell me that bona bayizi zukulwani zamandebele and again that bona their Surnames(Izibongo) NGEZABO KHOKHO BABO BABEFAZI(women) which tells me that most of them they are originated from Ndebeles, just take example about Kekana which is Thombeni who rules almost 25 percent of Pedi speaking people so that is why they use to claim that they know about Ndebeles origin because some of them Ndebeles in origin for example while I proposed a girl from surname Mahlaku, Mahlake, Mahlakwane they will tell me that nna ki abuti(brother) yabone baba buditse ko magabo that they are originated from Mahlangu wali tebele but bona ke Mapedi??? About their(Pedis) arrivals I said in South Africa, and that they found Nguni speaking people long many years arrived in this country as first group.
To me or to any south african citizen, all this nine provinces in this country is my home nomatter is high veld, low veld transval or what ever name of region name is. Why in the beginning the Bapedis were known as aBesuthu and suddenly they are no more basotho but they are Bapedi, NEW TRIBE HAS BEEN FORMED OR CREATED and no more Northern Sothos but Bapedi just because they can create their own unoriginated history and be well known plus publishing that lies on the media and internet? Let us not playing with our hard fought Education and Quality we have by creating lies about other people on which you even don’t know youself origin history.
SJ Tshabalala
Sthokoze ‘Hlangu. I’ll will contact you on Thursday.
SJ Tshabalala
Masotsha Mahlangu can you kindly SMS me your contact number i would like to contact you. SMS to 0761251539. Thanks!!!
Masotsha Mahlangu
081 045 4462 to Tjhabalala
Phephelaphi Mahlangu
Hi, Masotsha Mahlangu, Do you know people from sokhulumi, u Snanja William Mahlangu? I am Phephelaphi Mahlanhu WakoSokhulumi please if you know him can you get me his phone numbers please or anyone from his family ?
SJ Tshabalala
Thank you so much for your profound insight on this subject Mkhuze Mahlangu, I do hope one day all people will be able to accurately tell and document their own history. Much appreciated!!!
SJ Tshabalala
Hi. I’m in the Architecture Profession and currently doing a research on Ndebele indigenous architecture. Problem is that all literature about Ndebele architecture is European written, with many uncertainties/discrepancies. I would like to be part of any group that seeks to document Ndebele history, art and architecture as recited and related by the Ndebele people. I will be visiting Kghodwana Cultural Village (Kwa-Mhlanga) with assistance of Mr Petrus Mahlangu from MPG Tourism, on Friday 29-06-2018 as part of this research. Unfortunately i cannot get through to Botshabelo Cultural Village (Middleburg) as their number is not answered and a friend in Witbank tells me the place is closed.
Hoping for some response soon from anyone interested.
Mkhuze Mahlangu
I wish you luck! As a Ndebele speaking person myself – I don’t appreciate the co-operation one generally gets from the Ndebele speaking people. I wonder why? Again, doing a research – one seldomly gets any convincing explanation of the past or even the present events. One seldomly gets any neutral and objective testimonies. All what one gets are testimonies that seek to promote one’s own ethnic group or clan at the detriment of another. We cant work like that unfortunately.
We cannot afford to write a distorted history once again on top of the already distorted history that was composed by Afrikaners in collaboration with the Sotho speaking persons (who got education before Ndebeles) about the Ndebeles. For example, when I was child it was in the public discourse to say that “kgosi yamatebele itswile ko golong ka jeme”. That was a nice joke among the Sotho speaking people. I was almost convince it was true. I subscribe to the slogan of the people who live with disabilities which says, “Nothing about us without us.” The Boers and Sothos dared to write the Ndebele History to be taught at school in a totally distorted manner. To prove that the Sotho were involved the composition of the Ndebele History – one can tell from the terms like “Matebeleland, Letebele, and other terms that tend to take Sotho and Afrikaner accent such as Matlhanku instead of Mahlangu, Nduli instead of Ntuli, Schoesana instead of Skhosana, Mabena instead of Mabhena. When I worked for the ANC as the recruitment agent I noticed terrible distortion of the surnames of Ndebele speaking people on their ID documents. I could tell from the style who wrote the surname concerned so badly. We don’t want history like that any longer. Anyone who wants to write history must be level headed and free from bias. If could fall upon me to write anything for the Pedis I will invite one of them to help me with proper spelling. I wont do things as they did with Ndebele when they worked as clerks and police during Apartheid regime.
I did my own research. Alas! To my surprise I discovered it was the Pedis who caused King Nyabela to hide Mampuru from the Boer Forces in the Mabhoko Cave – the headquarters of King Nyabela. This was after he assassinated his own brother King Matsebe better known as King Sekhukhune. It is not in the public discourse to say that Mampuru was the English and Afrikaner informant who was opposed to the establishment of an independent Lebowa Kgomo for which Sekhukhune fought by tooth and nail. It is also not in the public discourse to say that the Boers made fool of Mampuru because after he helped them to eliminate Sekhukhune (who was a fierce rival of the Boer and English regime) Mampuru was strangely sought, hunted and capture to face a trial for murder. Why all of the sudden he had to be tried and subsequently be sentenced to death whereas he eliminated the Boer’s (part of the Pedis) and the English’s common enemy. Logically Mampuru should have been applauded for getting rid of Sekhukhune but more than half of the Pedis chased him from one territory to another until he subsequently sought asylum with King Nyabela. It is never revealed that in terms of the decision taken by convention among the Black kings – Nyabela was obliged to harbor Mampuru from the Boer forces. Instead every one is brainwashed by Pedi propaganda machine to say “kgosi yamatebele itswile ka jeme go Rholong”. This is both degrading and misleading in principle. And this is the king of crocked and distorted information one gets from bias people who indulged in demeaning other nationalities and ethic group.
Further down the line you still get the Ndebeles who narrate history in a totally bias manner that seeks to portray their immediate ancestors as better than the others. I don’t mean to brag – but I am from a powerful clan. However – it is possible for me or anyone to prays their hero’s without necessarily denigrating the others. And where it is due, it is also possible to credit a hero from one’s own historic rival group. For example – it is an open secret that after the Boers – the Ndebele’s and (Sothos) don’t see eye to eye. This is historic. The (Sotho speaking people) seek to regard themselves as the upper species compared to Ndebeles. However – I have huge respect for the heroism by which king Sekhukhune handled the political matters of Lebowa Kgomo which laid foundation for the contemporary political climate. Further backwards – I credit Sekhukhune’s father Kgosi Thulare for laying the strong basis for the Pedis and for being the fearless warrior of al times. He (Sekhukhune) is a force to reckon with. To me, a person to tells of his strengths from start to finish without alluding on their weakpoints is a turn off. If a submission is too positive it is likely to be false.
Under the circumstances I wish you luck. I wish you can get an open minded person who doesn’t discriminate against other people. A person who will assist you needs to be a very unbiased person even if it means he may look like a villain long as he will be telling the truth.
In final analysis – the naming convention used to name the former C-Max Prison so overwhelmingly after Mampuru thereby ignoring the role played by King Nyabela in the runup to his arrest and subsequent execution bears testament to prove how bias a humakind can be. If really they regard Nyabela as Mampuru’s friend with whom he wen through thick and thin – it would make big sense had they named former Potgieter Street after King Nyabela to demonstrate their solidarity that is so much spoken about. The naming convention used to rename the prison after Mampuru is a damning demonstration to prove an attempt to erase Nyabela’s foot prints from the history books. My philosophy is that, one can remain superior without being superior to anybody. During my time at school. I never denied my fellow students to copy from books. I had a policy that says, even if they can copy that will not decrease the marks I am supposed to get. I don’t care if they score more than me but mine will remain the same. What does a candle lose after lighting 100 more candles – does its flame decrease in size. The answer is, no, its flame does not decrease no matter how many more other candles it can light.
This is all the news that matters when it matters
Cheers
Masotsha Mahlangu
The aim of boers was just only to destroy the rich history and rich farming land of ndebele people and to separate them complitely so that they can gain or steal their rich land especialy from Gauteng to Mpumalanga. And as you know that the only way of defeating a black person is to use another black person whose next to in order to conquired him and the only people who were next to ndebele people in majority were northern sotho’s or bapedi people mostly belong to limpopo province which was the poorest province for the rest of apartheid time, that is why the boers were always using pedis to try and undermine the origin history of ndebele people and the pedis arrived very late here in South Africa.
The first group to arrive in this country are nguni speaking people which are Zulus, Ndebeles, Xhosas and Swazis and truly speaking the northern sothos or pedis people arrived in this country found Nguni speaking people on which they arrived and settled next to ndebele people and to all Ngunis people they were actually foreigners because they found Nguni speaking people long and many years arrived in South Africa. Therefore for them to pretend as they know the useless history of ndebeles, the likes of jam erholweni, soled erholweni to ndebeles that was just for them to try and gain the ground and be recognised in this country and at last we were together in fighting apartheid till today that is why they are now south african citizens.
Pedis and Boers knows nothing about the history of Ndebeles exept stupid wrong message of jam erholweni and the selling of konomtjharhelo to Ndebeles because Pedis and Boers were aiming to gain some rich land farming, cattles, sheeps(dinku), goats and pigs of ndebele people mostly arround Gauteng, Mpumalanga some in North West and Limpopo regions. The selling of nomtjharhelo is the issue of last 9years after the change of borders which took nomtjharhelo under Limpopo province where the Pedis are in majority. Again that is a useless stupid thinking of few individuals Pedis who are still trying to gain some groung in this country. MRUNGWA WEKOSI, MAHLANGU ONGAYINGWE SANGWENYAMA MKHUZE…
Mkhuze Mahlangu
Masotsha Mahlangu, I suppose you and I need to debate the origin of the Pedis very robustly. According to your knowledge – where did the Pedis originate? It will be refreshing to know their origin. It is puzzling to learn that the Ndebeles originate from Natal via Randfontein, Pretoria and landed in Eastern Transvaal around 1400 to 1600. But to be quite frank with you – I just don’t know where the Pedis originated. No matter what the case might be – to some extent – I do believe that they where the first people to arrive in Transvaal – first before the Ndebeles. Otherwise there is volume of evidence to prove that they arrived before the Ndebeles. The Ndebeles were led by Nzunza to Eastern Tvl and that is obvious. But that is too recent – about 600 years ago with reference to the years 1400s. Lets tell the truth where it is due. Some school of thought advocates that they originate from Botshwana but am not sure. What’s your take on this?
OK. It is an open secret that for a long period of time the Sothos in general collaborated with Whites to repress other black people. Of note – it is only king Sekhukhune who stood up right, unambiguously and unapologetically against White supremacy. After him, his prophesy of December 1879 was fulfilled. Immediately after King Sekhukhune was released from the present day Kgosi Mampuru Prison in 1879, he prophesied. He said, ” I feel sorry for you the people of black hair. Unless you unite like a bundle of wood, in the end, all of you shall work in Pretoria. After me, there shall no any other king that will fight and defeat the Pretoria. All the kings that shall come after me shall become the informants and puppets of Pretoria.”
The Pedis did exactly as king Sekhukhune and they are continuing to do that. The first major thing they did to affirm Sekhukhune’s prophesy was for Sekhukhune’s own sympathizers to join forces with the Boers to hunt for Mampuru after assassinating Sekhukhune on the night of the 13th August 1882. They supplied the Boers with information that led them to the whereabouts of Mampuru where he sought asylum with king Nyabela. The boers followed those tipoffs until they traced Mampuru.
The Boers then gave Nyabela and ultimatum to release Mampuru or face insurgency. King Nyabela denied to co-operate with the ultimatum with contempt while Mampuru sat in the headquarters of king Nyabela at eRholweni. On the 12 October 1882 the insurgency ensued. King Nyabela killed a number of the members of the commando but not limited to the noticeable soldiers who answered to the names of Stephanus Johannes Roos and Frederick Senekal.
During the lengthy insurgency that lasted for 10 months, the Boer forces under the command of general Piet Joubert had besieged king Nyabela with Mampuru sitting behind him, once again a Pedi speaking person from Mampuru’s sympathizers this time couldn’t withstand the hunger to which Nyabela and company were subjected to. He got out of the cave to update general Piet Joubert about the state-of-affairs back in the cave. He told Piet Joubert that Nyabela together with Mampuru and company had run out of food supplies and military supplies. That statement reassured general Piet Joubert to stop assaulting but to camp around the cave deeply assured that at no time King Nyabela would come out of the cave at his accord. And it happened just like that. The man who supplied Piet Joubert with that important information was one of Mampuru’s lieutenants – he was a Pedi speaking person. Remember in the meantime Boers had given Sekhukhune’s lieutenants some picks and shovels to dig the cave from behind so that the boers could reach Nyabela through shaft. The Afrikaans version of South African Military History suggests there were some 1500 Sekhukhune’s Pedis who collaborated with whites in pursued of the capture and arrest of Mampuru.
Guess what happened after they boers got hold of Nyabela and Mampuru? The duo and their lieutenants were escorted over to Pretoria to be prosecuted. Nyabela was sentenced to death but his death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment with hard labour. Mampuru was sentenced to death and hanged. Thereafter – the Boers apportioned Sekhukhune and Mabhoko land among the members of the commando as thanksgiving for defeating Nyabela who fougth with tooth and nail defense of Mampuru from the Boer forces. Thereafter – the Boers distributed the Pedis who helped to fight Nyabela in demand of their Mampuru among the farmers to serve as farm labourers. That’s how the Boers thanked the Pedis for helping them to hand over Mampuru. They were thanked by being made puppets which served on the farms instead of being given their land. This was a dramatic fulfillment of Sekhukhune’s prophesy of 1879.
They didn’t stop there. Over the year they have maintained their close relationship with Boers serving as farm supervisors. I remember when we used to harvest beans often than not it was a Pedi speaking person who used to be the second in charge. He used to ensure that not even a single shred of bean tree remains behind. He used to insult us with the insults that were used by the boss. He would command a defaulter to go back to the other end of the field to pick up one branch of bean tree. They were responsible for counting sheep in the absence of the land lord yet they were the ones who stole the most. Every knew tractor was given to a Pedi speaking person and the older ones where shifted down to the other nationalities. Driving with a lord he would sit on the front seat – took serious offence should he see a Ndebele speaking person on he front seat.
In towns the Pedis served as administration clerks, police, cooks, messengers, chefs, security guards, teachers implementing Bantu Education etc. They helped to enforce the Laws of the Apartheid Regime by working as police and security guards. Their main targets where the Ndebeles which they referred to as Matebele and the Shangaans. The hierarchy was thus: A White person was regarded as the top the range, the second superior person was a Pedi speaking person and the very last and the most inferior group were Ndebeles and Shangaans.
It is by no surprise the surnames of the Ndebele’s take the Pedi and Afrikaans accent on their IDs such as Mathlanku or Maslangu instead of Mahlangu, Nduli or Ntilie instead of Ntuli, Mabena instead of Mabhena, Schoesana or Sikhosana instead of Skhosana, Tshiyane or Tjian instead of Jiyane, Letebele instead of iNdebele, Matebeleland instead of (Ndebeleland), Mapoch instead of Mabhoko.
Against this background, it is by no surprise the former C-Max prison was renamed overwhelmingly after Mampuru and totally ignored the paramount role played by Nyabela in the run-up to the arrest of Mampuru. The bonus is to invite the Ndebeles to go and celebrate the so called solidarity of King Nyabela and Mampuru at the Annual Mamone Commemoration at Lebowa Kgomo. They Pedi’s have always sought to see themselves above the Ndebeles from time immemorial. And they regard themselves as being automatically second in charge after a white man even if they are not asked to.
Kwelagobe Maboko a Molefe
Mr Mkhuze Mahlangu, I wish to meet you, share the history of Matebele though I notice you got offended when you are spelled in grammer of other people but when whites are spelling your name in their way you dont’ get offended. But I so got shocked how you are venting your frustration over Bapedi. I wonder what they have done to you, equally you might find you are not clean either. I don’t think at this time and age there will be people- Africans being so angry on each other especially South Africans. Bapedi like Ndebele we have been through a lot in the history but not to vent the hatred you display. This platform should teach us, inform each other. What you need is information about yourself first and ask information about others. No one will know your parents house than you, if I need to know about it, I should find out from you verse versa. Hence I said let’s engage and share information not street sayings which maybe misleading and not informed. The street talk about Ndebele or Matebele as how you called in Sepedi not to offend you, to me it doesn’t determinate how I should regardn you, if I need information on Ndebele I will find out from them or reliable informative source read it and not follow street talk for is only for jokes and passing time. Is see you are insulting Bapedi, down grading them over street talks which you too , you do and I am not going to say anything about that for is only time passing talks. We need to learn about each other positive and truly, even our government has done nothing to teach us about our own history despite being at our disposal.
Call me at 082 324 9645 Kwelagobe Maboko or Kwelagobemaboko@gmail.com, I want to share with you vast history that will open you eyes on Bapedi even Ndebele too.
Hoping to hear from you Mr Mkhuze Mhlangu, indeed I am so shook over your wring above.