Thread by @Yvonne_Maphosa

Here's the promised thread on the origins and meanings of some of Bulawayo's suburbs 📃

The list is not complete because Bulawayo is huge 😅

Please feel free to add and subtract, correct and comment and everything in between 😁

NDEBELE ROYALTY 👑

KHUMALO - Surname of the Royal Clan of the Ndebele

MATSHOBANA: Chief Matshobana Khumalo. King Mzilikazi’s father

MZILIKAZI: King Mzilikazi

NKULUMANE: Prince/King Nkulumane, son of King Mzilikazi

LOBHENGULA: King Lobengula, Mzilikazi's son

NGUBOYENJA: King Lobhengula’s son and heir

NJUBE: Lobengula’s son

FAMONA: Named after Mfamona, Lobhengula's daughter. Means “fana mona” (umona owawusenza abanye abantu bengafuni ukuthi uLobengula abe yinkosi)

SIDOJIWE: Lobengula’s son.
Place also known as Number 5.

MALINDELA: A corruption of “Mabindela” one of Lobhengula’s daughters OR Malindela - Lobhengula’s grandmother

TSHABALALA: Surname of Falutha, Lobhengula’s mother

LOBENVALE: A combination of King Lobhengula's name and Umguza Valley

NDEBELE CHIEFS ✨

MAHATSHULA: Chief Mahatshula Ndiweni

MAGWEGWE: Senior Chief Magwegwe Fuyana

LUVEVE: Chief Luveve

GWABALANDA: Chief Gwabalanda Mathe

NDEBELE PLACES 🏡

EMAKHANDENI: The Ndebele name for Fort Rixon, the area where the regiment, amakhanda, were located.

ENTUMBANE: The place in Matopo where King Mzilikazi was buried

SIZINDA: Battle regiment of King Mzilikazi

NDEBELE WORDS📖

NKETHA: Short for ‘Nkethabetshabi’ meaning “Separate against foreigners”. In the restructuring of the Ndebele State, there was a census and people were separated according to their ethnic groups

[Tshabi from tjaba - a Kalanga word for nation/foreign tribes?🤔]

TEGELA: Derived from ‘ukwethekela’ meaning ‘to visit’.

PHUMULA: “A Resting Place” reference to the fact that many had built homes there to retire to.

MABUTHWENI: “Place of soldiers”. Was also known as eZinkabini or Number 5. Men were not supposed to bring their women there.

PHELANDABA: “The matter is concluded”, a reference to the successful conclusion to the struggle for security.

Blacks could now buy houses. Black elites like former V. P. Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo and Rev. Sengwayo had houses there

MAKHOKHOBA: Got its name from the actions of Mr. Fallon, a native administrator for the colonial masters. He was small and had a hunch back so wayeKHOKHOBA and walked with a stick.

Then he would go KHO-KHO-KHO with his stick on people's doors.

BIRDS AND NJE 🐦

ILANDA: Named after Tick-Birds (amalanda, nyenje) usually seen where there are cattle or buffaloes. The area was next to Enyathini (at the buffaloes) so ke amalanda must have been regulars in that area

SUBURBS: It was the first suburb and it retained that name

MANY TREES IN THE AREA 🎄

EMGANWINI: Amarula trees

IMINYELA: Iminyela trees

JACARANDA: Jacaranda trees

THORNGROVE: Mimosa (Thorn) trees

TOPOGRAPHY🗻

GREENHILL, HILLCREST, HILLSIDE: Self-explanatory

BEACON HILL aka BERYL DRIVE: It’s on higher ground. It has the highest marking beacon at its summit

FOUR WINDS: The first house was ontop of a hill so wind all round

BELLEVUE: Belle Vue - French for Beautiful View

DIRECTIONS AND NATURE 🔃

MATSHEUMHLOPE: Association with river white stones - amatshe amhlophe

MPOPHOMA: From the sound of the flowing river/stream near the suburb

NorthEnd: One Direction

Umguza Estate: Umguza River runs through it

Riverside: On the side of uMguza River

WHITE PEOPLE

BARBOURFIELDS: H.R. BARBOUR, Former colonial era Mayor

BARHAM GREEN: Former Bulawayo City Councillor Mrs. BARHAM and Reverend GREEN

BELMONT: Mr. KINMONT, City Engineer... [I think BEL from Bellevue because he named both places]

BRADFIELD: Mr BRADFIELD, a pioneer

PADDONHURST: Major C. PADDON, a pioneer

MONTGOMERY: General MONTGOMERY, British Army commander

QUEENS PARK: QUEEN and the 3 main roads- Victoria, Alexandra and Elizabeth

ROMNEY PARK: George ROMNEY, British Painter

SAUERSTOWN: Dr. H. SAUER, original owner of the land

The "founder" of the City of Bulawayo, Leander Starr Jameson, was SCOTTISH. So some suburbs (Listed Below) were

NAMED AFTER PLACES IN SCOTLAND

Douglasdale
Glencoe
Glengarry
Hume Park
Kelvin (E,N,W)
Lochview
Montrose
Morningside
Southdale
Kingsdale
Newton (W)
Sunnyside
Woodlands