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Mzala Tom

4 Sep, 14 tweets, 5 min read

1. LOVE, SEX & BETRAYALS : THE STORY OF CHIEF GAMPU SITHOLE 🇿🇼

Umnxeba...🏮

Gampu Sithole, was the son of Maqhekeni who was chief of Amagogo within Igabha section of the Ndebele State. Maqhekeni ruled from a village called Ndikimbela in present day Nata Reserve.

2. Maqhekeni who was Mzilikazi's trusted warrior was a twin with Ngqephu who later became chief of the regiment called Amatshovu. That chieftainship is today traceable to Bakwayi Sithole whose area of jurisdiction is in Matobo District, near Kezi.

3. Gampu Sithole was, by all accounts, one of the most powerful Ndebele chiefs before the fall of the Ndebele state in the Anglo-Ndebele war in 1893, where he commanded Amagogo regiment to fight against the British. He was a close friend and confidante of King Lobhengula.

4. Despite being close to the King Gampu Sithole, had a scandalous and controversial political career that caused clashes between him and the king. Gampu succeeded his father Maqhekeni as chief, after his death.

5. Gampu is remembered from one of our threads for disrupting the royal wedding designed to forge relations between the Ndebele state and the Soshangane kingdom in 1887.

6. During his reign, King Lobhengula, he sought to strengthen ties with the Gasa/Shangani kingdom. To do so, King Lobhengula married Princess Xhwalile Nxumalo the daughter of King Mzila of the Gasa kingdom.

7. In return King Lobhengula offered his most beautiful daughter Princess Sixubhuzelo to King Mzila . However, before the princess could be delivered to the Gasa monarch, Gampu Sithole who had already impregnated Sixubhuzelo, eloped with her to the Transvaal.

8. After a few seasons when the king's anger had subsided Sithole returned & reconciled with the king. His chieftaincy status was restored & his marriage to Sixubhuzelo was formalised.

9. However, after the storm of his sex scandal with Princess Sixubhuzelo had settled , Sithole was at it again. He started philandering, within sacred royal chambers, this time targeting royal wives.

10. Gampu was embroiled in a sex scandal involving two of King Lobhengula's queens. It is believed that one of the queens was executed, as a result of the sex scandal which was dealt with under hushed circumstances to avoid embarrassing the king.

11. Luckily, before a verdict could be passed on Gampu by the royal council, which was likely to be death, Matabeleland was invaded by the Pioneer column. Gampu quickly saw on opportunity to form an alliance with the British after a failed offensive against them.

12. After the fall of the Ndebele state Gampu then worked closely with the British. Gampu sided with the British in the 1896 uprisings. After the peace settlement between the Ndebele and the British, Gampu was heavily rewarded for his loyalty & assistance to the British.

13. Gampu was rewarded with a lot of cattle and was the first salaried chief under British rule. Two of his sons were sent to study at Thekwane Mission. The Ndebele never forgave Gampu for his betrayal.Gampu died in a case of suspected revenge poisoning by Ndebele conservatives.

14. The Gampu Sithole chieftaincy is still in existence to date in Tsholotsho.🇿🇼

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More from @tlsibanda

Mzala Tom

@tlsibanda

24 Aug

1. THE MAFALA CHIEFTAINCY OF ZVISHAVANE 🇿🇼

We have covered the Gwebu & Ngungumbane chieftaincies of Buhera Mberengwa East, respectively. Today we will look at yet another chieftaincy that was uprooted from Matabeleland, the Mafala chieftaincy which is found Zvishavane.

2. The Mafala chieftaincy in Zvishavane originates from the Indinana regiment which was held by the Matshazis in Mzilikazi's Ndebele state.

Mbungwana Matshazi, son of Nyanzamakhanda had an alliance with the Ndwandwe people in the early 1800s.

3. Mbungwana later shifted his allegiance alliance to the Khumalos of Matshobana and it was him who led the Matshazis into present day Matabeleland under King Mzilikazi Khumalo.

Read 13 tweets

Mzala Tom

@tlsibanda

20 Aug

1. THE NGUNGUMBANE CHIEFTAINCY OF MBERENGWA EAST 🇿🇼

Umnxeba....📝

Today we look at the Ndebele community of Chief Ngungumbane which was relocated to Mberengwa in the late 1920s. Their migration story is similar to that of the Chief Gwebu community of Buhera we once discussed.

2. The Ngungumbane chieftaincy originates from the Amakhwananzi clan hence their surname is Mkhwananzi. The chieftaincy was established at Entunteni, a village headed by Mhabahaba Mkhwananzi its founding chief. The village was within Umzingwane district.

3. Mhabahaba Mkhwananzi
was succeeded at the time of the Anglo-Ndebele War of 1896 by his son Dliso. Dliso died at a time when Mathalazana, who was his rightful heir, was a minor. As a result Majinkila, Dliso’s son by his wife of the Masuku clan, became regent.

Read 14 tweets

Mzala Tom

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14 Aug

1. THE MALABA PEOPLE OF ZIMBABWE 🇿🇼

Umnxeba....📝

The Malaba people came to south western Zimbabwe in the first quarter of the nineteenth
century. They are of Venda origins & are associated with the Thobela Mbedzi Mwali shrine at Njelele.

2. The Malaba chieftaincy is established in the Matobo district of Matabeleland South. The jurisdiction of Chief Malaba, resides the Nyubi, Sotho, Kalanga, Ndebele and the people of Venda origin. It is believed that the Malaba, Mabuza, Nkatha and Tshibale are the same people.

3. The Malaba were known because of their spiritusl gifts and knowledge of charms and magic. They later occupied senior positions in the Ndebele state as spiritual consultants and healers for kings Mzilikazi and Lobhengula.

Read 10 tweets

Mzala Tom

@tlsibanda

13 Aug

1. THE KHUPE CLANS OF ZIMBABWE 🇿🇼

Umnxeba.....📝

The Khupe people of Zimbabwe are of Pedi origin. They are of the hare totem. However, due to migration they eventually settled among the Kalanga people of Botswana and south western Zimbabwe.

2. The Khupe people of Zimbabwe come from three clans : Tshilalu/Tjilalu, Bangwadi and Malobela.

3. They originally came from south of the Limpopo, traversed through Botswana in the Tswapong areas and eventually stayed in what is modern day Botswana and south western Zimbabwe.

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Mzala Tom

@tlsibanda

4 Aug

1. THE NGUNI/SOTHO PEOPLE WHO OCCUPIED PARTS OF MODERN DAY ZIMBABWE BEFORE MZILIKAZI 🇿🇼

There is a general misconception that King Mzilikazi & his Ndebele people were the first Nguni group to traverse and settle in what is now modern day Zimbabwe. However, this is not accurate.

2. The evolution of the Ndebele can be divided into 2 phases: 1.1820-1840 was dominated by migration & wars.
2. 1841-1893 saw the Ndebele evolving to a new full-fledged settled heterogeneous state in present day Matabeleland & parts of Midlands in Zimbabwe.

3. During the political revolutions that rocked Nguniland commonly referred to as mfecane there are various Nguni and Sotho-Tswana groups that migrated north and traversed through the Zimbabwean plateau.

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Mzala Tom

@tlsibanda

2 Aug

1. THE NDLOVU CLANS OF ZIMBABWE 🇿🇼

The surname Ndlovu/Ndhlovu is found accross Zimbabwe who are of the elephant totem. Indlovu is the isiNdebele/Nguni name for an elephant. Before the standardisation of the isiNdebele language in Rhodesia, the word indlovu was spelt as indhlovu.

2. The Ndlovu people of Zimbabwe can be divided into two broad groups. The first group is the Ndlovus who migrated with Mzilikazi from South Africa who were from Nguni groups. In this group were also Sotho-Tswana groups, revering the elephant totem who were Ngunilised to Ndlovu.

3. The second group of Ndlovus is drawn from local tribes/groups revering the elephant totem who were assimilated into the Ndebele state when it was established in what is now south western Zimbabwe.Some have continued to use the Ndlovu surname & practice Ndebele culture to date.

Read 19 tweets

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