DEAR VATSONGA,
THIS IS WHAT ZULUS SAY ABOUT NDHAVEZITHA:
Nkwelo Major Zulu: The name is being misused, even in KwaZulu. They often refer to Chiefs as ‘NdabeZtha’.
Infact, NdabeZitha is a praise name that is found in the following surnames, Zulu, Mbatha, Biyela and Ntshangase. The Biyelas and the Ntshangases are descendants of King Ndaba kaPhunga Zulu of eGazini.
It was King Jama kaNdaba who descarded the praise name of the Zulu surname that said “Lobololwenja”. And came up with “NdabeZitha”. And ‘NdabeZitha’ is made up of two different names. Ndaba being the father of King Jama and Zitha being Mpangazitha the ancester of the Mbatha clan. These names were brought together to form the praise name “Ndabe-Zitha”. Zitha was King Mpangazitha Mbatha and Ndaba was King Ndaba Zulu. Thus we became ‘NdabeZitha’ utterly descarding ‘Lobololwenja’.
Because it sounded like an insult, but they say it was Queen MaGwabini’s name. The mother of King Zulu kaNtombela…Lol! Everyone wants to be a Zulu these days. Even abaThwakazi. I’m not surprised to learn that the Tsongas are embracing what makes us Zulus nowadays.