The Sunday News
Vusumuzi Dube, Municipal Reporter
THE Bulawayo City Council has begun a process of honouring chiefs from the Amangwe people and key figures in the city who played a major role in its development.
According to the latest council report, the local authority has resolved to name some of its streets in the new suburbs after chiefs from the Amangwe chieftainship, Nguni totems and key figures within the city’s history.
The local authority noted that it was becoming increasingly difficult for emergency services to navigate the new suburbs because of nameless streets hence the resolution to name those streets.
“Mahatshula South and North are developed and occupied. For years the roads within the suburb have remained without names making it difficult to manoeuvre within the suburb in terms of directions for both motorists and pedestrians. As such this has led to the need to provide names for the Mahatshula roads.
“In the case of Mahatshula, the residents have named the streets following the theme of the name of the suburb ‘Mahatshula’, which they related to the ‘Amangwe’. Mahatshula was one of the Amangwe people who resided in the suburb in question.
They believed that the street names of Mahatshula suburb should reflect the history of the Amangwe (Nguni people). As such the residents had provided street names based on the Nguni chieftaincy, Nguni totems and the Amangwe lineage in general,” read part of the report.
In Mahatshula North some of the chiefs that will be honoured in this new development include; Chief Bidi, Chief Khayisa, Chief Tshitshi, Chief Nkalakatha, Chief Sivalo, Chief Nyangazonke, Chief Sikhobokhobo, Chief Gwebu, Chief Tshugulu, Chief Dlodlo, Chief Mathuphula, Chief Maduna, Chief Mabhikwa, Chief Maqhekeni, Chief Mzimuni, Chief Magama, Chief Gampu and Chief Mguni.
Some of the streets will also bear the main names and totems of the Nguni which include; Sokhela, Manyewu, Mgutshini, Njola, Mguni, Fethe, Mazibuko, Thwalabesebe, Mangwana, Gogo Natali, Tshili, Mkheswa, Sibuzane, Masabayi, Mzizi, Lingwe, Jama, Zamangwe, Mdladla and Tshwaphito to mention but a few.
In Mahatshula South the road names will follow the lineage of the Amangwe people, which will include; Matshina, Wunda, Mahlahleni, Mhlambezi, Tsamayi, Wasi, Mkhulunyelwa and Gibixhegu.
According to the report in Parklands the themes chosen are names of late leaders whom council felt had contributed to the development of the city and country.
The selected names include Alderman Nicholas Mabodoko, Mayor of Bulawayo (1981-1983), Abel Siwela, first Executive Mayor of Bulawayo (1996-2000) and David Ndoda, a priest with the Salvation Army.
In Buena Vista — a privately developed residential suburb that was adjacent to Lochview along the Old Esigodini Road — it was resolved that the roads will be named after indigenous trees while in Emhlangeni suburb the roads will comprise names given to cattle, activities and things related to and are found in and around the kraal and cattle.
“Emhlangeni Township was named after King Lobengula’s paddock, ‘umlaga’, loosely called ‘isibaya’ that was used for keeping cattle that were collected as part of taxes paid to the king from the inhabitants of the kingdom. The place was full of reeds ‘imihlanga’, from which the name was derived.
“The proposed street names of the Emhlangeni suburb are therefore derived from ‘isibaya’, comprising names given to cattle, activities and things related to and are found in and around the kraal and cattle,” reads the report.
