The Sunday News
Pathisa Nyathi
RESIDENTS of Lupane and Nkayi will refer to the forecourt, iguma, after being swept, as white, ‘‘iguma limhlophe’’. We realised this when, as Amagugu Publishers, we worked on an anthology of short stories that pupils at Mabhikwa High School wrote. Last week, we explained the origin and meaning of the term ‘‘UMthwakazi ondlela zimhlophe’’.
There are numerous expressions and organisations whose names embrace ‘‘UMthwakazi’’. For example these include ‘‘Umthwakazi omhle’’ and its related expression, ‘‘UMthwakazi ondlela zimhlophe’’. The term ‘‘Umthwakazi’’ was popularised by Peter Sivalo Mahlangu in his book, ‘‘Umthwakazi,’’ which was one of pioneering Ndebele books. The first was ‘‘Umvukela WamaNdebele,’’ which later appeared under the title, ‘‘AmaNdebele KaMzilikazi’’. In the 1990s Barbara Nkala sought my opinion on whether it was then appropriate and safe to title an impending anthology of Ndebele poems ‘‘Giya Mthwakazi’’.
I gave an unequivocal nod to the title and, indeed, the anthology was published by Longman under that title. Seeking my opinion on the term ‘‘Mthwakazi’’ came against the background of ethnic animosity following attainment of independence in 1980. Prior to independence, there had been a radio station called Radio Mthwakazi which broadcast in IsiNdebele. The station was closed down and its broadcasters, who included, among others, Amon Nyamambi, Luke Mnkandla Nonceba Mnkandla and Englam Nyathi were either sent to Harare or terminated service.
In the 1994 I penned an Ndebele history book titled ‘‘Igugu LikaMthwakazi: Imbali yamaNdebele 1820-1893.’’ In later years the term began to invoke Ndebele nationalist sentiments. Recently, Arnold Mayibongwe Nkala wrote a history book titled, ‘‘Abethwakazi.’’ There is a plethora of organizations that have embraced the term. What we seek to explain and interpret is how the term came into being and the circumstances that gave rise to the term.
An article like this one will not give a definitive rendition of the term. However, the book on the Makhalimas that I am working on will. Be that as it may, there should be, at the end of this rendition, some background that will elucidate the relevant circumstances that shall be expanded upon next week. Researching Ndebele history and culture over a number of decades, I have realised how different people possess different accounts of history in terms of clarity, breadth and depth.
What became clear to me is that informants who are/were descended from grandparents who were part of royalty, especially if that royalty lived within Isigodlo, possessed intimate historical information. This was true of Lethizulu Wilson Fuyane whose father Siyatsha married Princess Sidambe, a daughter of King Lobengula kaMzilikazi. He possessed immense knowledge on Queen Lozikeyi, okaNgogo and her daughter Princess Sidambe okaLobengula.
It is true of John Dlodlo kaMazha (Nhlanhla) whose grandfather Tshotsha kaNdingindi was a twin brother of Ngogo. As a result, John is au feit with intimate knowledge concerning the history of Queen Lozikeyi, okaNgongo. Nkala (2017) extracted very invaluable historical information from the man who now lives in Bulawayo’s Magwegwe Township with son Nkosana Dlodlo.
With regard to the subject at hand, Cont Mhlanga equally possesses vast knowledge, but why? The Mhlangas, of the Khebesi clan, were intimately involved with King Mzilikazi kaMatshobana’s royal queens, namely Queen Mwaka Nxumalo and Fulatha, okaMabindela Tshabalala. The latter was usomthanyelwana for the former. It was the circumstance prevailing at the time which led Princess Mwaka Nxumalo to join the Ndebele together with her usomthanyelwana as a fall back measure. If she failed to conceive the heir, Queen Fulatha okaMabindela was going to. In normal circumstances, a surrogate wife, inhlanzi, would have been provided. The challenge then was that there was no possibility of going back to report to her parents.
To obviate that challenge, Queen Fulatha, okamabindela travelled with her cousin Princess Mwaka Nxumalo. Further, to take care of the turbulent situation relatives of the two cousins were assigned to become part of the Ndebele State. The two cousins were going to report to them as some kind of loco parentis. Their parents in the distant land were the Mhlangas, of the Khebesi clan. Cont is descended from and belongs to that clan. Essentially, that means the Mhlangas were privy to royal goings on in the Ndebele State. Like John Dlodlo, Lethizulu Wilson Fuyane and Antony Ntisi Magagula (grandson of Princess Sidambe, his mother was Pombo) belong to what may be termed, ‘‘abangaphakathi.’’
When the Ndebele were driven out of the Transvaal by the Afrikaners in 1837, it was not just running away haphazardly. Planting of crops was in progress at the time of departure. What is true is that normally they initiated migration in the winter months when rivers were fordable and after harvesting. Be that as it may, there must have been consultations out of which emerged strategies of how to proceed and ensure national survival.
Surely, the splitting of the Ndebele people into two groups and appointment of Khondwane kaNdlovu kaMkheswa as leader of the first group to leave was preplanned. Royal queens, princesses and princes were also in that group which settled in the Insiza-Umzingwane-Ncema Rivers. The king and his party remained behind for a while to give the Khondwane party some head start. When they finally left they struck a westerly direction, thus giving some impression the Khondwane party had travelled in the same direction too — recourse to a decoy, a strategy which the Ndebele made use of.
In south western Zimbabwe there already lived Queen Nyamazana Dlamini whose followers had killed the Lozwi Mambo at Manyanga (Izintaba zikaMambo). In essence therefore, there were already two nations prior to the arrival of King Mzilikazi kaMatshobana. The Khondwane party had installed Prince Nkulumane as king. Upon arrival, almost two years later, King Mzilikazi’s party practically became the third nation. It was a situation which demanded the sharp leadership acumen of King Mzilikazi to weld a single nation out of the three. It was the diplomatic process of creating a single nation out of three which led to the creation of the term ‘‘UMthwakazi,’’ first used by the king himself. What exactly did he mean?
