Welcome to the Tsonga History discussion blog, a simple platform for researching the history of the Tsonga people as part of efforts to rediscover the true history of Africa's people. We have to do this as a necessity to understand what the past was, in order to shape a future that is totally free of colonial distortions, a future whose tenure will mark the total freedom of Africa's people from the yoke of neo-colonialism.
Please feel free to contribute your thoughs, or whatever information that will help this blog achieve its mission.To kickstart the discussion on the history of the Tsonga people, we start with the publication of a document on the issue of Tsonga kingship, which is an abridged version of a submission to the Nhlapo Commission, opposing the claim by Eric Nxumalo that he be enthroned as a King of the Tsonga (and Shangaan people).
Given the complexity of the debate and the issues at hand, we think that this blog will allow us to have a responsible debate, with everyone exercising their rights to make their views known. We are of the view that there is no need for current generations to settle the unfinished business of yesteryear; rather our challenge is to engage in a collective journey to locate our distant past in order to build a shared, prosporous future.
Participants are encouraged to be responsible by exercising the necessary restraint, avoiding at all costs the use of offensive langauge. It is possible to grow from our current differences around the current efforts to resurrect the 18th century Gaza Kingdom.
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195 comments:
Mr. Mathebula,
I should say I find your views challenging Hosi Nxumalo quite interesting, and they are substantially deepening my understanding of history. I am a Zulu-speaking Mpisane from KZN. I know that the 4 generations preceding me were all Zulus, but I clearly understand they are descendants of Soshangane who himself came from the Ngunis. I understood early this year, he was from the Ndwandwes.
I am still continuing with my study of history in this area, particularly to find out more about my Mpisane ancestors, but also about the history of SA tribes in general.
Thank you for an interesting piece, particularly your arguments clarifying how Machangana differ from Tsongas, and what role our great grandfather (as it were) Soshangane played in the whole thing.
Thank you....
Vika Mpisane
I never try and read such long theses and I must say that this is a
theory proven by a single group with the same interest of not allowing
Hosi Eric Nxumalo to be the king of the "shangan". This report clearly
indicate that of all the Tsonga(I'll use Tsonga and shangan
interchangeable to be politically correct) chiefs, only the mafemane
tribal autority needed to reclaim what should have been claimed my
shoshangana before mawewe negatively worked on it.
The research lack flow and the presentation of the subject is more
questionable than chalenging. According to my understanding, this
doesn't say anything about the nyiko yamafemani tribal authority.
A question that I would like to ask you gentle man is "With due respect,
do you guys think that Hosi Eric Mafemani" is in a right space of mind
or have the qualities of ruling all of the Tsonga/shangan clans in the
lower Limpopo and Mpumalanga region?"
Lets read the research and see if we can learn something.
After going through this document, I realize the information contain in this document contradicts with the history the we knew and I decided to classify this type of documents under rubbish bin because they might mislead the public. While on the document, the following questions comes to my mind
What are they trying to say about us (Nxumalo's)?
Are we coming from the royal family or what ?
Is Eric going to become the future Hosi ya Matsonga or what ?
Are we trying to claim something that belong to someone else ?
If not us, Who should be the Hosi ya Matsonga ?
What about the stature of Ngungunyana e Giyani ?
Matimba Nxumalo
Vamakwerhu
Mhaka ya vuhosi ha yi twa. Xana a ri mani hosi ya Vastonga lava tshama
swimitanini leswi nga hlayiwa laha tsalweni? Loko tihosi ta Vatsonga a
ti ri kona, hi yihi nyipi leyi ti nga yi lwa ti hlula? Hi ku angarhela
tihosi leti nga tsariwa laha tsalweni leri hi tona ti tivekaka, handleka
swona hibyeleni tihosi ta Vatsonga. Tihosi heti a ti vulavula xitsonga
naswona a ti hanya na vatsonga. Swingaleswi a ni voni hikwalaho ka yini
these people should not be called Vatsonga.
Loyi a nga sungula ku tiveka hi kuva hosi va vatsonga i Shoshangan
(Changana) hikokwalaho vatsonga va vitaniwa shangaans (Machangani). I
believe vatsonga va vitaniwa machangana hikwalaho ka hosi ya duna
Shoshangane. Muyisa loyi o lava recognition hikwalaho a vitana Vatsonga
lava a va rhangela Machangani not because va vulavula xichangana! Ni
yima hi ra hosi Nxumalo a nge hi Machangana/Vatsonga.
Xana hi kwihi ku hambana ka Xitsonga na Xichangana? Swilo leswi swa fana
mani! Lava vulavulaka ku hambana hi lava le ka Maputsu (Maputo), mara hi
xo xichangana/xitsonga xolo eta. Hi ku mali va ri i xuma, ku languta i
ku civuka. Mara loko u lo yingisela kahle swa fana swilo leswi hikuva hi
na wona Marito lawa yo ka ya nga tirhisiwi ngopfu. Swifana na xinghezi
lexiya xa va "thy" xa king James.
Gaza a ku ri yona capital cicy ya machangana (united states of xitsonga
speaking people). A ku ri na hosi yo dawuka mutsonga lahaya? Do! Tsonga
warriors originally came from tizula (Shoshangane/ Changana) because hi
vona a va tsama hi ku lwa le Natal a ze a tsutsuma a ta dzondza
xitsonga. Vatsonga a va ri hava murhangeli hence a va nga lwi. Don't you
know the saying, Vatsonga a va tsongoli xa munhu? Vatsonga va dume hi ku
rhula, ko biwa mati tingwenya ti etlela. Kasi miri Soshangane a swi
tivela kwihi le swo ba mati loko a ta ze a ba mati ka mabunu?
Loko mi lava vuhosi a hi rhangeni hi endla capital city of
machangana/vatsonga (if Giyani does not serve the purpose) then scrap
the saying vuhosi bya tswaleriwa and elect a King of Machangana/Vatsonga
by sparring all Machangana/Vatsonga surname representatives then crown
the winner as a King.
Matimba Ya Nxumalo
i really find this blog not only intriguing, but also interesting and somehow revolutionary. i will neither hesitate nor hasten to jump into bed with it, but i will take it as a challenge to research and find more about my history and origin (as either Mutsonga or Muchangana or even both).
i therefore want to challenge other readers especially the young generation, not to be emotional when dealing with these, but to roll our sleeves and dig deep into our history to rediscover ourselves.
for long enough other people have classified and defined us the way it suit them for the simple reason that we don't know exactly who we are.
it is about time that we redefine ourselves correctly and i think this blog opens up a good opportunity for debate that will help us if we research correctly and objectively........
Khindlimuka u tlhela u kula Gazankulu......
Neil Shikwambana
There's a book called "Matimu ya Vatsonga" by Junod, this is a must have book
I find the information very interesting we need to consolidate our history and make it available to the next generation. I do not subscribe to the notion that we should have a king. There is a lot of sense and follow in the research work. I respect the authors. I am impressed .I am not convinced that we need one. What are we trying to establish here. We never heard of this "one king" all along, it is only now people want to raise this issue. Our history has shown through different accounts that we have been living separate "set-ups".
This not a platform for people to raise and utter their unfinised Gazankulu "issues".
I thank you
Tinyiko
I thank you
Well, i feel is time we step-up to the next gear...i will be happy if our History can be rewritten...how about we start an Organisation that will deal with this issue...
This is a very interesting and informative blog. Thank you for your continued posts!
When I first came across your blog, I thought you might enjoy this Tsonga website that tracks modern usage of the language:
Xitsonga wiki browser
I was disappointed when I receive this documentation from a non Tsonga Shangaan person. However I did find the extracts themselves to be informative and ot me to wonder as to what happened to my book titled “Matimu ya Vatsonga” that I read when I was still at primary school.. The dedications of persons like the late Ntsanwisi will be missed.
In all, thanks To the authors or those persons that brought about this topic.
Thanks Khalanga (Mathebula/ Baloyi to the uninitiated) for this interesting piece history.
While the Gaza empire never subdued all the Tsonga speaking political groupings of its time, I have a feeling you are making it appear weaker than it actually was (I concede I need to research on this)
PS: Can anyone tell me about the origins of my clan, the Chavalalas/ VaXingwidzi/ MaShengu: are we Swazis who later became Zulus and Shangaans or, Zulus who became Swazis and Shangaans, or Shangaans who became Swazis and Zulus?
Greet u in the name of the great powerful king Mutsonga.
Please provide us with also history of king mutsonga, as history prove this King Shaka Zulu, 4 zulu,
Vatsonga never had one single powerfull chief.The word Tsonga, according to the history books ringava ri huma eka rito "Dzonga" vaDzonga, people from the south, South of Mozamzique.
Loko u lava kuri hi burisana kahle hi mhaka leyi natin'wana join the forum in the link below:http://limpopo.lefora.com
Vatsonga never had one single powerfull chief.The word Tsonga, according to the history books ringava ri huma eka rito "Dzonga" vaDzonga, people from the south, South of Mozamzique.
Loko u lava kuri hi burisana kahle hi mhaka leyi natin'wana join the forum in the link below:http://limpopo.lefora.com
I little bit differ with u rural boy....the tribes had named after their powerful king......de reason we r not familiar abt dis in Tsonga king, is bcs shoxangana and his son try to destry everything abt us....we r de son of King Tsonga
I little bit differ with u rural boy....the tribes had named after their powerful king......de reason we r not familiar abt dis in Tsonga king, is bcs shoxangana and his son try to destry everything abt us....we r de son of King Tsonga
1. The MaChangana/ VaTsonga share a common language and culture and not necessarily a common political history. In other words:
2. The Vatsonga/ Machangana were never under a single political entity. Therefore Enough waka Mbhovo is clearly wrong on that score.
3. Even in present day Southern Africa, the MaChangana/ VaTsonga pay allegience to three separate political entities, namely, the Republic of South Africa, The Republic of Zimbabwe and the People's Republic of Mozambique.
4. The present day type of ethnic identity is a creation of colonial and missionary authorities. The present form of Machangana/ Vatsonga ethnic identity is a creation of the Afrikaners and the Swiss.
5.In conclusion, one has to reiterate that while the MaChangana/ VaTsonga are the same people by language, culture and blood they have never been under one Hosi or King, but have always belonged to various chiefdoms (Tihosi na Swihosana) that are now spread across three countries as a result of colonialism.
@Michavi do iu know dt Zulu r from one KIng Shaka..dis man is de one who create today's nations called Zulu....do u knw dt Shangana r frm King Shoxangana......Mchavi all nations in de world created by one king, den they split to thousands of chiefs......do u know dt Bolobedu ppl ar frm the father of Queen Modjaddji......hey Mchavi, u call urself Mchavi bcs of someone started with dt surname....dt is why today u will find someone say ndzi wa ka N'wamitwa" meaning i'm from N'wamitwa chief.......God bless Matsonga Machangana as cousins for ever not brothers
one more mchavi, i know ur familiar with bible,do u know Isreal named after Jacob" now ur name will be no longer Jacob but Israel."
even today this nations are called Idom...frm Bible
U my son Juda, u will be nations too" de nations of Judas still there in isreal..
We all belong to the certain names..hope now u get it Mchavi...
@Mchavi do u know dis early prayer of Matsonga ppl" mi vikela na yena Mutsonga.......
He Mchavi...
Xana u yikuma kwihi mhaka ya ku aku ri na hosi muTsonga? This is the first time to hear about this king Tsonga.
If i may ask you,how much do you know about your history?
Well i will suggest you get yourself a book called "Life of a South African Tribe" or Matimu ya vatsonga.
what about common surnames, lyk sithole,ngobeni,hlungwani,khosa amongst zulus and tsongas,the chabalalas are mshengus in both tsonga en zulu.if tsongas en shangaans are regarded as one group, why do we have different cultures..shangaans dont wear shibelani en tsongas dont dance xincayincayi...
what about common surnames, lyk sithole,ngobeni,hlungwani,khosa amongst zulus and tsongas,the chabalalas are mshengus in both tsonga en zulu.if tsongas en shangaans are regarded as one group, why do we have different cultures..shangaans dont wear shibelani en tsongas dont dance xincayincayi...
ha ha ha, The Sitholes are Ndau's oldest Shona from Zimbabwe and Northern Mozambique.
Hlungwani's are related to the Sono's, they are pure Tsonga.
Chabalala (Mshengu, Miyen) are Nguni's. You find both this surnames in Tsongas, Swazi's and Zulus yes...it is so because the wars during Shaka's time.
Interesting peace of reading, I agree that as African's and specific the Tsonga people have to try and understand our history. As it stand now the history of Tsonga people is mainly based on events after the birth of Shaka Zulu. I find this to be bias and to an extent claiming that one tribe is superior to any other tribes that co exist in this country called South Africa.
History according to what my grandfather Hezekias Miyen [may his soul rest in peace] told me is : We are all from Up Africa and had to migrate due to the search of a better place to live in and war between the different tribes of Africa. Matsonga, Mavenda, Manghuni, Masotho and many other tribes already existed. Things could have took a turn when the Nghuni's reached the ocean and realising there was no where else to go, they decided to fight for survival and the Khoi-san decided to move on the edge of Africa to the west since they were the first tribe to reach the shore.
Since the Nghuni's were prepared to fight and the other tribes were just roaming the country, most of the tribes were taken by surprise hence they were easily disarmed and became slaves to the Nghuni tribe. Hence the word Shangane it is used as a derogatory word to any foreign amongst the Nghuni majority are popularly known as Zulu's
Shangane - when showing disrespect without fear of anything, the Zulu's even say "amashiya nghane" meaning, those who ran and left their kids behind.
Most definitely this is not all of our history we are not Shangaan's but Matsonga, I agree those who ran from the rule of King Shaka can accept the word Shangane but before they were that they were something else and that is what this research should be about and not necessarily about who is the king ya maTsonga
Tsan'wakulala!
Our Tsonga history is well documented my brother, there are loads of books written by the Sailors, Arabs etc...Which explain our lives way before the Shaka Zulu’s era?
Ethiopia oriental By João dos Santos, Luciano Cordeiro, Life of a South African Tribe etc.
era.
I think most of the peeps on this page are just generalising just becoz you are born and growng up speaking Tsonga may not necessarily constfitute you to be only Tsonga. I tend to think (through unrelenting reserch-); that we r both Shangana and Tsonga. But WHY you may ask? when the Ngunis/Zulus left naboSoshangane eKZN iN 1818; THEY LEFT DURING THE TIMES THE WERE SENT FOR WAR and when arrived in Mozambique they primarily found the Peaceful Tsonga Tribe along with The Ndawus,..(Rhonga/Thonga (Subgroups of TSONGA Tribe!!) etc and the warriors amaButho did nt leave with their wmen so they had to marry among these nations..especially the Tsonga tribe..Tinduna to fana naboSoshangane, Nxaba, Zwangendaba had their different regiments of warriors who then flooded the AREAS covering most of Moz.Nkulunkumba Nyiko Nxumalo you are making so much more sense tome than most folks here..Ya of coz, the only Kings were are descending from that i knw for Shangane(hayi Changani-that is when you Tsongalise it)/Tsonga are Soshangane,Mzila (Mawewe tried bt failed decimally and heade 4 Mpumalanga..bt they are still our blood brothers..;and Nghunghunyane, the others may not be that popular to me bt they are important.The language Shishangane sprang from Nghonyama yamunhu yenaSoshangane, as for Tsonga is the mothertongue we acquired from our Tsonga mothers in that country, hence Tsonga/Shangaan,..meaning the mixture of isiZulu and ShiTsonga..these two feed offeach other..we are One!hence we evn live together as Shanga/Tsonga. and as for the King of Tsonga I do not know of that thing and would like to ask from those who knw kubanigabelanyana tona ntwehiyoosha nyama naminabu..!Check the meaning of surnames such as Mkhabele,Maluleke,Makhubela, Sithole,Ngobeni etc..u can clearly notice the resemblance of Nguni origin..the only difference nakonaahidiffernce ikushincha ka 'a' yiyaka 'e' and as for Ngobeni they mayhavebeen a slight shift from Ngubeni or connection with boNgobese okumbe Ngubane..Remember that many things had to be changed to give this newly-formed tribe a new and unique id. evn surnames were adjusted hence we resemble. most of us the Zulu names and Surnames and why not other nations such as Venda, sotho, or evn Tswana..?Jus becoz the Ngunis are our blood ancestors..as for this man ruralbwoy..mfanakithi dont just waffle and generalise that if ygou went to Zim and found a Sithole there then everySithole is Shona..remember that The Ndebeles are our brothers who left Zululand with Mzilikazi for Zim..ang yuo can imagine that they inter-married with Shonas..that is how you get BoSithole le eZim..and what does Mkhabele/a,Makhubela or Ngobeni mean in our language??no-one will give u a meaning .y? dats bcoz we these meanings are in Zulu meaning ukuKhaba,Ukuthola or ithole, Ngobe (a rhino or sum anymal) of which you dont find in Tsonga..thanks..as for Nyiko Nxumalo, ka Zwide, ka Ndwandwe, ka Langa, Ka Manukosi we should hook up,!! I like yo ideology..
When i first posted a comment in 2007 in this blog I was grateful for a thought-provoking research & statements made in the Tsonga history. Not that I was accepting all the points made, but I found them, and I still find them, as good ideas to bear in mind in trying to understand South Africa's tribal history, and particularly that of the Mpisanes.
I visited Bushbuckridge in December 2008, and was (to my surprise) welcomed by the locals with such honor. They said being a Mpisane, there was a whole area (interestingly named "area" or "eriya") which belonged to Mpisane. They said as a descendant of Mpisane, I should return to reclaim that area:-).
Now what I would like to know is: from whence cometh "Mpisane"? From Soshangane (and therefore, Nxumalo) or from Nkuna (because my father tells me we're descendants of Nkuna). Now can anybody tell me what they know about the Mpisane origins?
Mpisana was Sochangana's son. Other Sochangana's sons were:
Mudamise
Dumanenhla
Muzila
Mawewe
Konto
Mabingwani
Musayeya
etc.
Vana Va Mpisana hilava:
Mphiti
Mathiyendlanzi
Mzangwede
Mayo
Nzonzobaya
Magona
Muyunguza
Masaya
Nqokisa
Ngphezu
Caka cana
Hope you are answerd
vandawu na vacopi a hi vatsonga, hi lo va related swintsanana marha tindzimu ti hambne swinene, vandzawu va huma a zimbabwe close na bodara ya muzambiki,the reason hi hlangane na vona i ku a ku ngari na bodara between mozambiki na zimbabwe
Just have to say I find this post an amusing read as (to me) it sounds well researched and it is presented in debate form. History as we've come to find is subjective. This is the best perspective I've encountered in my research to know who I am and where I hail from, in an attempt to forge a new informed future.
Allow me to take this opportunity to say most of our history is lost because we seek it when it has passed. History is a continuum, everyday it's happening.
Myself and others have formed a group on Facebook named Malamulele Writers Club, please join us if you wish to write with us, our main goal being to capture history as it unfolds. Our most recent, ongoing project is the Malamulele/Thulamela Municipality debate. We could use great writers and researchers like the four who penned this down. Find us here: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/group.php?gid=370470651185&ref=ts and here http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/group.php?gid=94978530809&ref=search&sid=1648265458.2377806544..1
Mmmh, suspicious heh!Furthermore, many Shangaan surnames, you must bear in mind, have been altered for whatever reasons, take for an example, Shibambo kumbe Shivambu, has been changed or derived from Sibambo/Mbambo actually that is the original other than Shibambu. A surname like like Honwana(I have brothers/cousins who are Honwana, which is actually Nkomomde, the Honwana surname was used as Nkomondo symbolises or means a cow with a horns or horn.Moreover, Ntshani is actually Mzankomo-whether they have call it Ntshani/ne eNatal am not sure- but it originated there probably from the same area the Manganyis, Maswanganyes, Khosas/zas, Ngobenis, Mabundas are coming form. You must also bear in mind that some people migrated way far back be4 Soshangane's migration, and surely even later on. How, or Why you may ask, you see by the surnames. Most of this history has sadly been lost long time ago and it is goin to be a mammoth task of some sort to trace it 100% of its true and genuine content and reference. We therefore also have to shun away from having other people, not want us to re-unite and have GAZANKULU again especially if we SUPPORT THEM by being divided as proven in SOME PARTS OF THE RESEARCH. I personaly do not see anything wrong with having representanives when it comes to Kingship,Chiefdom or kumbe Bunduna. Before we were ONE, now we have become NONE to the content of our enemies. Just imagine the envy we would have people having concerning our GAZANKULU RE-UNION. PLS, PLS, PLS BAMAKWERHU, AHIZAMENI FUTHI BAKAHINA. It is therefore evident that Tsonga or King yaVaTsonga has never been knwn in history, and we should wonder why because in olden days people needed a powerful king to lead and protect them against wars, so where was he? DO! Akuna cilo lahaya, kahle ku vele kubonakala ku these poeple may have origianlly come from the Nguni guiding leadership. Moreover, kamhaka yoleyo yamadlozi kumbe swikwembu; there is no such a thing traditionally, culturally as A FRIENDS SPIRIT OR NEIGHBOUR WHO WAS FRIENDS TO YOUR ANCESTORS, CAN POSSESS A PERSON, if you have a Tsonga/Shangaan person possesed by a Nguni spirit it is DEFINITELY his flesh and Blood otherwise they would not be concerned with him!Why am i saying this?? TSONGA/SHANGAAN PEOPLE HAVE NEIGHBOURS AND FRIENDS WHO ARE NOT TSONGA OR SHANGAAN, such as Vendas,Pedis, Tswanas, Sothos etc but I have never come across an idlozi from these language-groups speaking through Shangaan/Tsonga, Why dont they POSSESS YOU MAY ASK? Its because it is not their blood offspring. If the reason mentioned by The above researchers is true about what they wrote concerning spirit possessions; then WE SHOULD ALSO HAVE OUR NON-TSONG/SHANGAAN FRIENDS/NEIGHBOURS POSSESSING US JUST BECAUSE WE LIVE AMONGST THEM. IT IS FURTHER PROVEN TO BE A WEAK RESEARCH REGARDING SPIRIT POSSESSIONS. I think ifever one comes across a Hlengwe, Rhonga,Ndau spirit in person with Nguni surname that may be his RELATIVES AS THERE WERE SURELY INTER-MARRIAGES BETWEEN GROUPS, NOT NECESSARILY THAT THEY ARE FRIENDS TO THE PERSON'S ANCESTORS.!!
visit http://www.gazakingdom.com to get more info aswell as saving Urself 4rm this vernom of mandla mathebula who was promised land by the people he represented at the nhlapho commission n lost.
Dear Mandla,
A lot has ben said already in this blog.
My take is that the Nxumalo's are taking a chance.
Were this an issue on the Mozambican side of Tsonga territory,maybe more depth of information about us would be available to be able to make a determination.
Interesting Read, when will we get anything new or where can u suggest that i read to get any more history on the Tsonga people.
Easy...if you are based in JHB, u nge milenge mimbirhi u ya a Bramfontein a Sasavona Book Shop u ya xava buku kumbe tibuku timbirhi leti: Matimu ya Vatsonga na Swivongo swa Vatsonga/Machangana...
If you have a bit of cash you can also get the mother of all Tsonga History books called "Life of the South African tribe"
i dont understand why you so - called tsonga people you dont have king , each every tribe in the world have their kings,i read your history that you dont have king but question still stand do you have kind or not
Hey Jong, ta for the interest in our blog.
Historicaly yes, we do not have a
King who ruled all the Tsonga people.
But we do have Kings though; but the kings normally rule a village and other villages in the surroundings, but not the whole of the Tsonga nation.
i read Junod
i have read Junod over and over again, the book called "Life of a South African tribe" i find most of the stuff he wrote there is irrelevant, especially on the surname part. how can Junod being a white person, probably a Portuguese happen to know so much about the Shangaa-Tsonga history. one thing: he does not even seem to understand the meaning of Bantu words. he goes as far as saying that Tshabalalas, Malulekes, Mabundas, Nkunas, Sitholes etc originate from other tribes other than Ndwandwe/Nguni origin. i think what is missing here is very very much easier..most of us came from Nguni origins( check surnames they correspond with Nguni)-and then later got incorporated into Tsonga language, due to migrations. i would also want this gentleman Ruralbwoy to explain why most of these surnames are also found in the Nguni, and also try to tell us the meanings of those surnames such Tshabalala, Ngobeni, Maluleka, Ntshane, Khoza, Dlamini etc..also knowing some Ndwandwe-Zulu war will definitely open peoples eyes. We are mostly Nguni originally by surnames, but later incorporated into Tsonga and other languages. Google these things also.
to answer KITTS first am going to say yes go ahead and read about the Tsonga history then after you finish you try and get the balance between Tsonga and Shangaan..by also concetrating on the two's history. i dont think a good researcher should only focus on one aspect of the matter and ignore the other. this is easy in order to understand the Shangaan part: Shangaan was formed when the Ndwandwe/Nguni from Natal merged with the Thonga tribes as the result of the civil war between Zulu and Ndwandwe and the migration from thereon. then the Tsonga language became dominant as children naturally had to speak their mothers' language, of which is Tsonga.. i therefore suggest for people to read both histories and not only Tsonga. anyone will concurr with me when i say that the following surnames could be the ones which are pure Tsonga/Thonga: Marivate, Shithlelane, Shirilele, Rivele, Mahatlane and some others..why is it so you may ask? because these surnames have their meanings in Xitsonga but no-one can explain Mkhabele to be in Tsonga because it is Nguni, same as Mabasa, Mathebula, Sithole, Khoza/Khosa,Ngobeni..my other question is for these authors MR Mandla Mathebula, Mabasa and Nkuna..why you base your roots only on XiTsonga only while your surnames are that of NGUNI?? There is a huge misunderstanding and even older people have forgotten to explain these things. you just to also some Zulu or Nguni language to understand the meanings of some surnames otherwise it remains a guessing game for you guys. anyone who wants to inquire more info. contact me on: t.hustle74@yahoo.com
Mbezula, Junod was from Switzerland, he drank and ate xiTsonga mfo and i was lucky to have been taught by one of his great grandsons at Leman High school (Elim).
This is a fact, some of the Tsonga surnames originated from other tribes; it is so because of the tribal wars at Zululand, most of the men who were with nyankwave Soshangana when he hijacked the Tsonga,Copi,Ronga,Tswa people...in Mozambique keepted their surnames.
I am so disappointed if you say most of us come from Nguni, (unfortunaley i don’t know your surname) the surnames that are of a Nguni origin among the Tsonga people are not really much.
I am a Maluleke (ku longoloka kumbe ku famba) and i know my clan history like the back of my hand, we are NOT and we will never be Nguni, but Tsonga (vaCopi).
Khoza (Khosa) is the largest Tsonga group they are not Nguni.
Chabalala
Mavunda ( va vundzeli va ti hongonyi) is pure Tsonga.
If you want to dive deep into who are the pure Tsonga or Nguni don’t ask Google, google is full of unfound facts. Mena i have been to Mozambique twice and Zimbabwe (Chiredzi, the capital of Tsonga people in Zim) because of this subject. The other thing that i have found about your comments is that you are stressing that most of the Tsonga people are from Nguni’s which is totally wrong.
Your focusing is a drop in the ocean, Tsonga surnames are also found in Shona, Kalanga, Tswa, Copi, Tswa, Swazi, Ndawu, Ronga etc.
From today try to cast your net deeper into this subject and you will have a different view on how you see things. What i suggest is that you must first understand the history of the people in the Southern Africa region, The Venda, Shona, Kalanga, Zulu, Soto etc before you can dwell on the surnames.
This will pave a way for you to understand why the Maluleke are mostly found in and around the Mhinga area and the Nkuna’s at Vukhaha, the Nxumayo’s at Thulilamahaxi....and why Junod wrote the books, and why the Swiss mission church started at Valdezia – Elim....etc
Why we are not passed by our oun Tsonga spirits but Zulu and Ndawu...
thanx for that info. like i always say you have not tried to explain the similarities..if one says he is Mtileni, then you find things like Mthunzi, Shirilele and other stuff, we should be able to explain the Nguni part of Mthunzi. mina am a Ngobeni, which also has Ngobe Zitha. and what i have found out about people moving around especially in migrations caused by wars is that, they tend to be incorporated into new clans, such as what happened with Zwangendaba, Nxaba's Ngoni ( i bet you know that they changed from Nguni)..and are found all over Tanzania, Zambia, Zim, Malawi of which now they speak the local dialects or languages of those areas, but use Ngoni in special ceremonies. next thing, what happened is the same as some of us, the Mabundas arrived in the Bahlabe kumbe vahlave clan hence they were called so, but they had come from Ngome area in the KZN, same with Manganyis..i think you are being misled by the Tsonga praise surnames in most Tsonga-Shangaan surnames that is because people were later integrated into the Tsonga clan or tribe. that is your confusion. are you aware that what you just called Chavalala is actually AMaShengu and are Nguni..you also said that yourself above addressing a certain Chabalala. Mr Maluleke yes you did go to all those areas to search for your roots but you must bear in mind that these people would define their surnames according to the kind of people they integrated with. am not even surprised of that. you can write a long thesis on that i will still stand my ground. The Tshabalalas, Chavalalas, Chabalalas, are the same there is no difference there, the only difference is that it is written in Tsonga but originally Nguni. you hear them saying they are vashingwizi, that is the clan they got integrated into in a new country. the Boers are the same analogy, they are a bit different from the old Dutch because now they no longer speak the exact same language van Riebeeck was initially von Riebeeck in Dutch..!use common sense. one more other thing> DONT TELL GOOGLE COULD BE UNFOUNDED ON SOME INFO..I KNOW THAT! THE thing is i have reliable sources that are genuine and sconded by well-researched books. if you think my sources are lying then i will say even that Swiss guy is a lier, i dont expect a white person to know our history better than we do. Also you are undermining and insulting my elders who help in some of my reseach. you are not a Ngobeni so i do no need you to decide for me..! yes some of the groups may not have come fron Soshangane's group but also with zwangendaba, and Nxaba and others as they got defeated by Soshangane and headed northward. still you are grossly misled by some writers who lack vision. it is so easy to praise you surnames in Tsonga cause that is your language.also explain why the Khozas/Khosas have their izithakazelo done in Nguni, also Mabunda,Sibiya, Rikhotso i have come to find it is Ubisi. tell us why? and as for your surname anyone can define differently..from the word kululeka- ku rhulisa munhu kumbe olovisa that is the meaning i know myself, if it was in Tsonga perhaps it is maolovisa kumbe marhulisa, kumbe mawisisa! now define Ngobeni in TSONGA in see if you can come out of with something. AND PLS DONT TELL ME ABOUT MLAMBYA, I ALREADY KNOW THAT AND THAT IS BECAUSE OF THE CLAN WE WERE INTEGRATED INTO, JUST LIKE THE Mabundas, Bhahlabe. bona Junod even says Mhlengwe means "beautifull one" is that Tsonga or Nguni? i think the debate here could be that thses surnames were already in what we call Natal even before the wars, but were in various clans of different surnames but such as Mbayi (Swazi), hence the Nguni resembence!!
Okay ruralbwoy, what language is that defining Maluleke, meaning "kufamba kumbe kulongoloka"??
Maluleke, if now a shona person using a shona surname comes and lives amongst the Matsonga people, and he is defined in Tsonga terms is he originally tsonga or Shona in blood. this is because you can still find all these surnames in Swazi, Chopi, Ndawu etc as Tsonga surnames like you said, that could be because people got consumed into new tribes and clans.!! i dont know why you fail to see that, its too easy for me to see and understand!! anyone with better views plse lets comment even if you may not be Tsonga or Shangaan!! we need both sides here not only Tsonga one. we need to be encompassed into all of this!!
to answer ruralbwoy in his waffling generalisation; referring to Ntwananos questions about the surnames, this is what i am finding: i interviewed the Shona/Ndawu people about Sithole being originally Ndawu..and this is what they say "No it is not, never, this surname is Ndebele"( and we know Ndebeles came from the Nguni-AmaKhumalos) what happened here it is obvious: they intermarried with Shonas and others such as Ndawus. piece of cake!! hope you are answered my man NTWANANO..guys dont just read things and conclude the final answer, like some are doing on this blog, you will get lost!*a constantly questioning mind becomes successful at the END*_BY Mbezula waGaza!!
Easy Mbhezula, easy… let’s have a fare and clean debate here….
...like i said, we can debate this issue till the moon is full...You are not the first person to come gun blazing about this issue and I am not forcing anyone to believe what I am waffling…we are old enough to take sound decisions.
I don’t want to be seen as someone who is holding a gun to some body’s head and forcing him to gobble my Mopani warms vomit.
Yes, the Tsonga people share surnames with Nguni tribes but they are not a majority within the Tsonga tribes.
I think the debate here is about the way forward. We've established the Tsonga and Nguni (Zulu) roots but now we're trying to decide who we wanna be. Do we want to be Tsonga or Shangaan or both? Some are leaning so much on their Zulu roots they forget a new nation has been formed. Soshangana ruled over SOME Tsonga people by force. Do we really want to perpetrate that in this day and age. What he did was another form of mfecane. I'd say we agree to be Tsonga, where we went and not where we escaped from. Soshangana's people have already denounced their Nguni-ness by virtue of abandoning Shaka and his people. Of course it is so engraved in our culture we can't rid of it. My plea is that we do not try to rule over the peaciful Tsonga people and continue that tradition of having clan chiefs by surname and having a democratic way of making decisions that involve the whole Tsonga Kingdom. I find it disturbing that the Ngunis came and found the Tsonga people and now they want to address us a Machangana/Vatsonga and not Vatsonga/Machangana, as we came to be known. The million rand question is whether the Tsonga have a King of their own and if so that person should be reinstated. If not, let's not run the risk of installing someone and then removing them when new information surfices. That will not end well. Winning a war should not be used as the basis on which our kingdom is brought back on its feet. Already we will have a lot of discomfort. A mutual understanding is what we need. In the history that I've come to read Vutsonga is a place in Mozambique where the Valoyi's settled in 1822, while some dispersed to Zimbabwe. I do not see this fact or fallacy being debated.
Makhandeni!
The battle of retaining our Tsonganes is now on and we know who is claiming to rule over the Tsonga people (The Nxumalos at Bushbuckridge).
There are some institutions that we will be approaching to make noise about this Tsonga/Shangaan issue.eg.
• The language board
• SABC - Munghana Lonene FM (Currently the station is in a language mess and people like DJ Mchangana are making things worse, he needs to go back to class and learn xiTsonga in Higher Grade)
• Chiefs – There is a big support by our clan chiefs to retain our Tsonganes and I bet they will support this project.
We need to influence people to address as correctly not as
Shangaan/Tsonga but Tsonga/shangan if possible just Tsonga.
How long are we gonna allow the Nxumalos to bully us, is about time we hit back. If it was my wish that Nghunghunyani statue at Giyani was gonna be moved to Mandlhakazi in Mozambique or at the Nxumalo’s tribal office in Bushbuckridge.
It might be difficult to locate the persons (or families) that were kings then. Even finding out where one come from (i.e from Nguni or Tsonga).
I totally agree Ruralbwoy! My wish is not to aleniate Shangaan people because I think the Tsonga and Shangaan need each other. News just in is that Sunday Times has launched a Zulu edition. This made me reflect on where we're going as a country, and then as a continent. Zulu is taking over! Let's retain our Zuluness because every kingdom needs warriors. Nghunghunyani lost to Albasini while Soshangane lost to Shaka. Lessons learned, I hope. It was said that Vatsonga are a peace-loving people, great! But for a nation to thrive, a certain degree of force needs to be exerted. That is why we have the Nxumalos of Gaza decent. My wish is to bring back the Gaza Kingdom, maybe rename it to Tswa-Ronga Kingdom to incorporate the Thonga, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswha, Rhonga, Shangaan, etc. We need to go big guys. Languages and peoples are becoming extinct. In the same breath, I think we might have been robbed of our own country while demarcating Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South Africa. Isn't it strange that Tsonga people dominate the regions on the borders of these countries? The Limpopo Transfrontier Park is Tsonga Territory if my calculations are correct. I remember when I was young we had lots of fauna that were moved to the Kruger National Park and people must have been moved out of the Park. But I'm figuring that there are other agendas way above us: World animal conservation. Although the Khoisan are said to have inhabited the area for a short while, we could still have a case coz that's where we eventually settled. South Africa has too much on its plate I know for sure it can't deliver for the Tsonga people. We have other bigger needs than a TV show. Thus I'm tempted to say we need our own country carved out of those borders but it does not need to go that far.
On involving other institutions like the SABC and chiefs, I'd like to draw your attention to the Malamulele Municipality issue. The people over there could use all the assistance they can get because that to me is the first step in displacing a people. If hosi Nxumalo cares, he must intervene - not for his own gain but for the gain of vanhu va ka Malamulele. MLFM aired the story and people's views when this issue was hot in 2001 but very few chiefs were vocal. Which brings me to the question: WHY? The discussions haven't stopped and we're saying it's not too late to come on board. There's a "Malamulele Municipality Poetry and Short Stories Competition" where people are encouraged to tell their heartfelt stories on what they are currently experiencing as a result of government negligence. To my surprise as one of the editors, people are not talking! The only story I received was mine! You can find it on Facebook, page called 851. I don't believe we're even doing this, inviting "owners of the land" to the party. CHIEFS MUST GET INVOLVED, we can no longer wait in silence!
@Thulani, kambe a hi ringeteni. A hi lweli hina hikuva mihandzu leyi hi nge yi dyi, kambe vana verhu va ta tinyungibyisa hi laha va pfaka kona. Hi nga tshiki ku hlota vutitivi.
Makhandeni!
I am inviting you in our online forum...
http://limpopo.lefora.com/
@ruralbwoy, I joined as mkbaloyi. Thanks for extending the invite!
This for those who think once they say they are Zulu va hetile. Zulus also have origins, they've not always been Zulus. Va ka Ndwandwe, which is the point I'm trying to drive home, were never Zulu. In fact, after killing Dingiswayo, they fought Shaka on two occasions. Had they won, Ndwandwe would still be Ndwandwe, or much more ambitiously, the Zulus as we've come to know them, would be called the Ndwandwes. http://www.sahistory.org.za/pages/people/bios/dingiswayo.htm. I hope the Zulu origins argument is omitted from further debates.
i have a heap of well-researched historical books hence i can back it up. THANKS for your insight wena Makhandeni. You are so right it is not necessarilly about Zulu. The latter were only under a number of 2000 or 3000 in membership during the rule of Senzangakhona of the Zulus and Dingiswayo's, of the AmaMthethwa. in the north were the dominant and most in number, the NDWANDWE led by the powerful Zwide Nxumalo, Soshangane's blood relative or brother or something but they were bood related, hence the latter was an Induna. the NDWANDWES WERE so numerous in number and had subjugated all the other clans around including the Zulus, Swazi etc..but Shaka managed to defeat the NDWANDWES after a long and fierce battle of which he obtained victory through other tribes or clans' assistance such as the AmaKhumalos of Matshobane, Mzilakazi's father. After the defeat _MOST_ of the NDWANDWE sections moved away to different future-determined destinations such as Mozambique, Swaziland, Limpopo. In mozambique internal squabbles between the Ndwandwes broke out, resulting from shortage of grazing land. Whereby Nxaba, Zwangendaba, Maseko, and etc broke away from the now-called Shangaan people and re-established themselves as waNgoni. of which all the AMaShanganis had been called. it is from Nguni. the migratting groups ventured around some remained around Limpopo, some went Zim, Namibia, ZAmbia, Malawi, Tanzania to the west, Congo. hence there you have earlier versions of Shangaans who were around Limpopo around 1830's or earlier, and that is how the heritage has been lost. Not forgeting the Sister tribe the Tsonga they played a very significant role of bearing offsprings and language of which we are today. MY THAT there are more SHANGAANS lies in the surnames not LANGUAGE.BUT WE ARE ONE. GUYS. THANKS FOR YOUR EARS.!!
the only COMMON and SAME things between the Ndwandwes and the Zulu were LANGUAGE and CULTURE. Actually there were/are thing just split into different clans fo better management.
Firstly, i must indicate that i wouldn't want as i will never adress Va/Mutsonga(myself) as a sha/changaan as i believe the perception and imaginations around this name is nully & void as it is also pejorative in its implication. True as it is that my ( Tsonga people's) geneological offsprings is explicitly detached from any existing tribes or ethnicity in South Africa, as the undoubted and most celebrated scholars delineate the early history of Vatsonga hailing as far afield to the Central African countries transcending late to the Southern-Eastern part of our now SADEC region.
Again, the instilled perception around this thing of adressing Vatsonga as machangani is a figment of imagination existed since after the emergence of your Soshangaan in my people, and i believe is a hallucination that could vanish only if we, the Tsonga people, are willing to cease adressing each other as machangani and, tell truely about our being.
Shangaani is a very derogative word as everybody(especially these precocious media people) is now aware of, and i believe when the then Vatsonga people coined themselves as such never wish to insult their generations.....
Hi to you all.
I am a Nghonyama. Can anyone tell the origins of this clan?
Nghonyama of who?
If you know your surname breakdown it will help, be more explicit.
Guys,guys, guys!!!! Plaese no wonder even today we seem to be lost in the New South Africa.Why are so defferent to other groups.Look at cultural groups such zulus,sothos, xhosas, pedis, vendas and etc even the boewers are better than us. We can blame each other here. Firstly let reseach we did we found ourselves in SA. We know that no one except the Khoisan belong to SA. But one thing i want to mension is KUHAVA MUNHU LOYI VANGE I MUCHANGANA LA HA MISAVENI. NDZI HLAYELO SWILO SWO TALA. Loko ko languta endzhaku mita swivona swa kuri hini vuxaka na vhanhu vale maputo. Hinkwalaho ni ku muchangana anga hanyi laha misaveni. Hina hi vatsonga ku hava xinwana xo tlula xexo. HINA HI VATSONGA NAKONA A HINA YONA HOSI YA VATSONGA. NAKONA YINGE TSHUKI YI VEKONA. Maputukezi ya tlange hihina. They have used us to gain lands an everything in south africa. Hosi ya vatsonga yisale emaputo. Minga vula swivongo swa nwina hinkwaswo kambe a swi nge pfuni chumu sweswo. tihosi leti nga kona te vekiwe hi maputukeziloko vafika na hina la Afrika Dzonga. We were slaves of the Purtugese. Hina heve na Ndunakulu Tatana Ntsanwisi(Maluleke). His family are from maputo and all Vatsonga are Mozambique finish and klaar. You can do reseach and you will it the way it is. Nxumalo wa swi vona kuri loko claimer vuhosi a tiva kuri uta humelela kambe a swinge endli. Nxumalo uta loko Ntsanwisi anga hari kona. Why now, so why did he wait for 100 decades to such a thing. You guys you talk the swiss in elim and let me remind you that even Giyani does not even belong to us u forget. That are for vendas which were defeated by purtugese and called it giyani to dom us. Infact we dont have anything like history we belong to Maputo.
Since we've established a lot of things and agree on most, I think what this discussion should be about i ku aka hi vuntshwa (reconstruction). What can we do to rebuild the nation? For me it would work best if larger kingdoms were regrouped. Ngunis + Khoisan in a country of their own - say South Africa, Tsongas (Tswa, Ronga, Shangaan, Ndzawu, Chopi, etc) + Makhuwa as well - say Mozambique, Sotho (Tswana, Pedi, Sotho, etc) - say Botswana, Shona + Venda and related - say Zimbabwe, et cetera. For peoples like the Ndebeles an option between Zim & SA would be presented. Countries might need to be re-demarcated in the process. The problem with this arrangement we have right now is more people are sidelined and their cultures and languages are disrespected. One nation, one language would serve a better purpose! If a people chooses to stay in a particular country, they must accept to be swallowed/integrated. In some cases two or three languages might need to share one country but that's better than 10! This is a long shot and it would be a costly process but it would be fairer. In the long run, costs would be saved coz people would need to only speak once and be heard all across. Maybe our governments should start looking into such a thing. It's just an idea that I think could work if our governments put time and effort in it early on to implement gradually after a century or later.
Just look at it, initiatives like SABC 4 & 5 don't even cater for previously disadvantaged languages! How long have Zulu & Xhosa been on TV? Aren't they the most dominant on SABC 1? How long have Sotho, Tswana and Pedi been on SABC 2? But they are also putting them on SABC's 4 & 5. And you think they won't dominate these new channels? I was of the impression that one new TV channel would be for Tsonga and the other for Venda?
May someone help with the link between Langa of Zwide clan, Mthethwa clan and Nguni. The link between Xhosa, Luzumane, Ndebele and Swazi to Nguni is crystal clear. Another unclear link is that of tonga in Africa, Dzonga in the north of KZN and Tsongas in Mozambique how do they link to Nguni or do they have the same origin with differ dialects with different origin with Nguni?
May someone clarify the link between Zwide clan, Mthetwa clan and Nguni. Also the link between Tonga in Mozambique and the whole of central africa, Tsongas in Mozambique and northern KZN and the Dzongas in North KZN to Nguni. There is no mention of the link between Langa of the Zwide clan to Nguni.
you guys need to do a proper history, and real research. if you don't know where your roots are the are guidelines on each and every african clan/tribe.
example if you are a Ngobeni you know that your ancerstors" A ma Ndlozi" they manifest in IsiZULU/Nguni/Ngoni. if you are another clan some Amandlozi manifest in Ndzawu. that is your actual line or roots.
do more research you will see that Amashangane not changana "changana" is a portugese name. are originating from KZN even though there were migrations but their bloodline still follows them wherever they are even if you are in Giyani far from Mpumalanga they will manifest in Isizulu you will just hear Vumani Bo you reply siya vuma you will never hear them saying pfumelani ka
To use the ancestors as a reference for your roots is incorrect.
If you are possessed by the so called “A ma Ndlozi” swikwembu if those spirits speak Ndau or Zulu it has nothing to do with your line roots.
Why don’t we get possessed by our own people who speak xiTsonga, Ronga, Tswa or Copi but by those of other clans?
The Ndau spirits mostly possess you just to pay revenge for what happened during the era of Sochangana’s rule. Most of them were badly treated and enslaved by Sochangana and his followers.
The Nguni’s believed that they were superior to other tribes that’s why even when they are dead their spirits still believe they are superior they can take over your living soul by hijacking it.
Be observant and ask around, you’ll find that most of the Tsonga people get possessed by restless spirits of the MEN who died during the tribal wars in the 18hundreds century and the women spirits are less.
Originaly, we the Tsonga's never had a spiritual link with the Ndau or Ngunis(Zulu). This happened durring Sochangana's rule.
And Themba, why are you saying changana "changana" is a portugese name?
Daz, Tsonga, Dzonga (Thonga) Ronga and other tribes that we share the same dialect are said to be originated from a tribe called Beja-Tonga (from Congo basin)
Delete Comment From: TSONGA HISTORY DISCOURSE
Blogger Themba Tjnas Ngobeni said...
ruralbwoy,
I disagree with your views, first to make it clear to you the portuguese people they don't have Sh in their vocab/pronaunciation when they refer to Shaka Zulu they say Chaka when they refer to soshangana they say sochangana. im sure in tsonga you learnt Swi hluvi swa mbulavulo na mintlawa ya kona e.g. Xi -Swi, Ri-Ma etc
Amandlozi usually follows your blood line(they guide and direct their descendants) if you know what you im talking about you will differentiate between Amandlozi and amaDimona. amandlozi usually shows you how to treat otherpeople diseases etc while asmadimona they hijack your life make you not to prosper or kill you sometimes just like you said.
these are two different things usually amandlozi will be found more into the Inyanga/n'anga, va nyamsoro just to guide and heal while the others they make you to do evil etc
Remember that Ngobeni a sister tribe of Ngobese its still there in KZN near louwsville around pongola. try google it you will find it was named after King Shaka it stands until the present day. check abaqulisi municipality.
OK to cut the story shot re-visit the history of amondlhozi you will find it follows a bloodline, if you are a christian like me they will teach you the same thing.
back to the discussion, We the Amashangana of south africa we are you will find us in Mpumalanga we are the descendents of Ndwandwe Isithakazelo from my uncle's site Nxumalo it mentions from Ndwandwe,Zwide kaLanga,etc
Thanks khalanga and your team for the info,i think people write what they want our history to be which is not true no can claim the the batsonga kingdom.for instance the Baloyi/Mathebula clan are a big group in the batsonga people today but we our of khalanga origins in mono mutapa,shoshangane never conquered us actually he use to bow before our ancesters because we are kings and queens in our own right.people must stop generalizing this issue unless they come with facts,people must remain chiefs where they are staying and stop claiming to be kings of the batsonga people.even shaka zulu bowed before the rain queen Mdjadji which is our closest in south South africa in terms of ancestry.
Please assist me with the Author/s contact details. We're pushing a documentary and would like to have their opinion on this subject.
Godfrey Maluleke at 083 294 0547
A, mi hi luma ndleve loko documentary leyi yi humile!
http://www.scribd.com/doc/7161305/MA-History-of-the-MabhuduTembe-RJ-Kloppers
http://www.facebook.com/pages/First-Online-Tsonga-Dictionary/131184953572643
How can a Nxumalo be a king of all Tsonga speaking people, Nxumalo is not even Tsonga its Zulu
@Manganyi: unfortunately there's no like button on Blogspot, I'd have liked your comment a thousand times!
@Themba Ngoveni, you're most uninformed. Mandlhozi na swikwembu a swi fani. Swikwembu i ti-ancestor, mandlhozi i madimoni/demons - that's why they need to be exorcised. This according to Thomas F Johnston in Music of the Shangana-Tsonga.. Exorcism kumbe mancomani ya chayeriwa ku humesa mimoya yo biha. Why would you not want your own ancestors' spirits to possess you? Does that make sense to you?
A lot of the literature that I'm reading refers to Nghunghunyane as "chief". A case in point is the aforementioned research report.
@MKB did you read i quote "Amandlozi usually follows your blood line(they guide and direct their descendants)"
your statements shows that you didnt read that statement, if you read it you will see Swikwembu/madimona while I talked about Amandlozi above.
try to read analyse and understand before making a comment it will help you next time. cheers.
@MKB I like the first Tsonga-Online dictionary you posted.
First before you comment on the Clan Ngobeni you must know the history very well and researched it thoroughly. I work with people who do language profiency in the parliament most doing Ririmi ra Xitsonga, historically the is no Ngobeni/Ngoveni in Tsonga. Ngobeni,Ngobese,Ngobeza,Ngubane,ngubeni,Ngobe its a nguni/ngoni clan that was integrated into Valambya in the olden days the is no line in Tsonga that line-up Ngobeni except Nguni/Ngoni.
I can see you love to give examples, did you also listen to the song by Penny-Penny Bangoni I vana va mani, it says ingane ya Mashangane he starts calling Ngobeni,Maluleke etc. historically does that not tell you which Ancestors will follow your bloodline? if you understand you will see it wont be Tsonga amandlozi it will be Nguni/Ngoni Amandlozi.
I see you talked about literature on Ngungunyane, thats good but most of the genealogy around Ngungunyane/Mdungaze the way we know him was suppose to be from Mzila,Manukuze II A.K.A Soshangane from Zigode ka GazaII ka MaKweya Wa Manukuze I ka Langa obuya kwa Mkhatswa ka Ndwandwe wa Nxumalo Ka Ndabezitha wa Mngoni.
try to follow that line you will see where Mdungaze falls following the family tree
I wonder if you read mine. Mandlhozi i madimoni. Get it?
@MKB I think we are talking on a different view here. Amadlozi its not Tsonga its IsiZulu/nguni in Zulu Amadlozi are defined/described as: Amadlozi ngabantu asebashona. Idlozi elidala lalihlonishwa kakhulu, kucelwa kuqondiswe ikakhulu kulo. Ayehlatshelwa amadlozi:lapho ebongwa,lapho kushwelezwa, kucelwa Izinhlanhla etc I can explain as much as i can, because i was raised on both Nguni/Tsonga/shangaan way. if you look at it from this level you can see Amadlozi Zulu its like Swikwembu in Our Tsonga/shangaan vale hansi lava nga fa khale va hloniphiwa va kombeliwa ku nika nhlanhla kumbe ku holisa ka lava hanyaka.
we can still discuss some more it sounds interesting because we are all coming from different view points, I wish other people can join and discuss some more
You just said a bunch of things I do not understand, but then again that might have been your intention. Ndzi ri Swikwembu na va le hansi a swi fani na Mandlhozi. Kasi ndzi ta vula kangani naa? Hi Xizulu kumbexana. Ndzi ku nyike link ha yini u nga hlayanga? Mandlhozi i rito ra Xitsonga loko u nga swi tivi. Marito a ya tirhisiwi ku fana eka tindzimi. Laha hi vulavula hi Xitsonga se hi tirhisa nhlamuselo ya Xitsonga. U nga ndzi byeli hi vanhu va le parliament va na swikongomelo swa vona.
Ndzi ta ku nyika xikombiso, i Xitswana mona hi mavondzo kasi hi Xitsonga swi vula swin'wana.
Since you are all struggling to find your past, I suggest you pave your future. What is stopping you from starting your own generation?
As far as I understand, Shaka never fought with amaHlubi. They kept very good relations with each other, and Shaka even had a regiment of Hlubi warriors in his army. Shaka was given protection with amaHlubi when he was still young, and learned a lot from the king of amaHlubi. The Hlubi were never engaged in battle with amaHlubi, so how could he have defeated them?
I would like to say that we as tsonga people feel marginalised and like a minority not because we are so in number but because we are a discriminated and most disliked culture in south africa.A hi pfukeni maxaka ya ka hina,magaza
N'wa Mkhantshwa,
Mina ni confused, i mean i would like to understand more of the history of the Shangaans.
The day i have realised that i need to know my origins as a Nxumalo, it is when i was a University. I have met with lots of Zulu people and they started speaking to me in Zulu, and i said i am a Nxumalo who speaks Shangaan, and they were so interested, they asked why? the've asked if there are Shangaans with Zulu Surnames, and i said yes. After that, i have spoke to my dad and questioned him. Also, i met with VaTsonga people from Tzaneen and Giyani, they always told me that my Tsonga is broken, meaning i speak Xitsonga and some Zulu and Xhosa.
All i want to say is that it is good to know where we come from, and be proud of who we are. And promote our culture and langauge, and educate the ignorant South Africans.
Is there a published book about the history of the VaTsonga/Machangana people
Yeah there is. 800 Years of Tsonga History, from which this article was based. There's also Matimu ya Vatsonga by Henri Philippe Junod. You might also was to see Life of a South African tribe, by his father, Henri Alexander Junod.
Xikongomele lexikulu akuve ku Gaza Kingdom iva iti imele iri yoche, ya e Kazete
There we go our differences from Machana imuchongolo, xibelani na pronunciations
Ofcoz ngunis were the main rulers of Gaza,mpofu and part of Sofala kingdoms,bt ngunis never destroyed the beliefs,norms and cultures of other endeginouses hence they had their own Ndunas and activities bt Under the one Emperor Muninkosi.Ngunis were the reason of growin the Empire and multy cultural smallcans 2 unite as one but still kip their ways of culture bcoz of their military attackin&offensive skills they migrated with Eastward and thefore Empirer was stronger in manyways...there had been some many attempts that Shaka wanted 2 invade soshangan Empirer but with no success...dats why Gaza kingdom is one of those who resisted long even during European colonial..changana/tsonga o wateva we were one then,we are one now,and will be one foerver Siblings 4 life!!!!!
don't be fooled that if we differ from some of cultural activities then we are not one.That happens in every race in the world like Xhosa can be divided into amaBovhana,amaBaqa,amaMpondo etc bt are all xhosas as in Tswana their r Barolong,Bakwena,Bahurutshe,Batlharo their way differs a bit but they are all Batswana...Jst lyk Churches we have different churches names and paths in worshipin bt still one God...Tsonga derives from the name Dzonga/maTsonga/maDzomga-people of da south...Their are no real Tsongas exist even those who wrongfuly dscrib demselves as Tsongas they r diversed like SAMBO,RIKhotso,Risimati ect those r chopi/copi mixed with Ndau names so thefore Tsonga Simply means dzonga...i hve neva seen idlozi speak so called Tsonga so it duznt exist by culture only by descriptions.maDlozi either uses Ndau/shona,copi,or nguni languages not pure Tsonga nor pure shangaan.I'm Mkha(b)vel(e)a u can eitha call me xangaan o tsonga it duznt metta coz Tsonga is used stricly 2 describe southxangaans...I've bin 2 mozambik numerus tyms people of Maputsu province and Gaza province don't call demselves Tsongas its ida Ronga/or xangaans with unique acsent bt same people...People are one since the rein of ngunis that united all of us 2 form a 1EMpire with diversity...I'm not Zulu coz I'm not a subodinant of Shaka Zulu,bt of muninkosi soxangaan Nxumalo hence I'm nguni xangaan muchanganamungoni.....phambili Gaza phambili!!!we are same people now aand ever!!!!
"Swiminta tintsengele switshembe nkolo"
"Swiminta tintsengele swi tshembe nkolo"- my thought for the day
"Swiminta tintsengele switshembe nkolo"
Himina nwana Albert wa Willy wa Makasela wa Matshavatshi wa Mamitela wa Gulukhulu wa Changamire Ni Munyai,Murhodzi Mukhalanga hina ahi hlangani helo na Nghunghunyani.Hina a hina swihluke swa yena
Can someone tell me the origin of Zitha people? Which tribe do they belong to? Where did they first settle? Zitha's history is confusing because the elders has passed on without leaving the relevant information, we are a very diverse family with some saying they originate from Mozambique, Swaziland, Mahlabathini, Nongoma, Msinga, Bergville in KZN, to date we are having the following surnames under Zitha: Labase, Ndawonde, Nkwinika, Mngwengwe, Mhlambo, Nkanyane, Zava, Nyanisa, Kotelo, Thobela, Jwara, Mbongwa, Mlotshwa kaZitha. We all have our own history which doesn't correspond with each other? What we need to find out is Zitha's origin; some are saying ngamaLala while others are saying they are Tsonga's. Should you have information regarding Zitha, please contact me on: 084 313 9024; jacklabase10@gmail.com
xangaans are somehow descendants of zulu. they were a prominent tribe during shaka zulu's time. when shaka was fighting and engulfing neigbouring tribes, he encountered the shangaans. when the then shangaan chief, soshangana, saw defeat, he took his troops and fled back to his grandparents tribe somewhere in mozambique. seeing that they had fled, king shake feared that they may come back to claim his kingdom, so he sent soldiers to go after the shangaan chief. this time shakas troops were defeated. these troops were scared to go back and report to shaka because shaka was ruthless, so they never whent back to the zulu king.
while spending time in mozambique the shangaan chief recruited soldiers from his grandparents and started using shaka methods to engulf and rule other kingdoms. when he left mozambique he took some Mozambican troops and people with him. this lead to a new language forming, soshangana the then chief named it shangaan and new kingdom was formed.
he decided to move back into south africa, conquering many other tribes. his campaign was put to a halt when he encountered a venda king who proved to be strong. soshangana remained ruler of most of the land from mozambique, through limpopo and into mpumalanga. the shangaan king probably ruled over acres of land equivalent to that of shaka. the difference between shakas ruling style and soshangana was that soshangana allowed submission and wouldnt slain a chief a chief as long as they agreed to be under him, where shaka killed the chief of every tribe he conquered and enforecd zulu rule.
looking at eric nxumalos family true, he is a direct descendant of soshangana, the king that fomred the nation. he is the rightful king. thats why he is claiming this kingdom.. whoever contests this, heres one simple question, why are shangaans known as shangaans and not their own grandfathers name? every king has a praise poem and its customary that for a king to be called u'bayete, which means exalted king and is the highest for of respect given to a king. in king eric's. it is only in king erics praise peom were you will find bayete, no other king making claim to the throne is called bayete besides eric. he is clearly the rightful king and should be inaugurated, this way it will be simpler for xangaans to trace back their roots. the sooner they inaugurate him the closer we'll get to knowing exact facts about xangaan history from the horses mouth, the one who will be trusted and believed to be the rightful heir to the throne.
He Walktall Mabunda, i see someone has been feeding you whole loads of crap facts. Can you kindly share with us the source of this crap history edition.
The Italians/Romans decided to do away with kingdoms governance systems more than 2000 years ago, and turned the then Roman Empire into a Republic. As a result of that, they progressed as a nation in a very big way and became the greatest nation in the whole world. I find these whole issue of tribalism as very primitive and stupid indeed. We have to do away with this primitive practices of kings/chief and indunas whatever you call them and replace this nonsense with modern governance systems. I am MoTsong who happen to live in Lynnwood Glen in Pretoria, and own my own piece of land and I am not a subject of some luni with bad breath and no one luni is going to claim me.I am sure all of you will agree with me when I say put I it to you that, we did exist way before Shaka? Why are we defined interms of this Shaka and his bunch of war crazy morons like Soshangane? Wakeup and smell the coffee, and forget about this tribalism. We the Tsongas don't have a so called King Tsonga, we are free people and do not belong to anyone. This Nxumalo guy is crazy we are no one 's subjects and we not looking for some luni to come and claim to be our King. We are a free people. Viva VaTsonga Viva.
hina hivatsonga. kuhava ririmi lerivange ixichangana, unga fa, kuna xitsonga kahle kahle ririmi ramunhu loyi anvamucbangana ixizulu kumbe xinguni. nile kazn sweswi la dbn hintirho and .ivutise kotal himatimu yaka zulu. senikume kunavona lava hansi kamazulu avaswitwi kahle, kahle kahle clan na clan yitiyimela yoxe like. leswiswivulaku kuna vachauke vamthethwa van'wanati etc etc. phela zulu kova n'wana malandela loyi arihosi yavanguni angtswariwa na qwabe gumede, so ahitlheleleni kaswivongo swahina. like mina nimuhlengwe.kahlehle and vakachauke itihosi ahlengweni axikarhi katiko rale mazombique. so for me swolava kutshikiwa hingesepandzeka tihloko. futhi nje hona vala giya.i nale kavomalamulele hilandele ngopfu xivenda hiku vakokwa wabina vafikele kona loko vasuka akagaza. loko switaka swikwembu kumbe madlozi. swanihlamarisa hiku a vatata wahina navahahani avarinaswikwembu swavanguni van'wana swavandawu. mina nikulele kahahanioyi arinaswavangoni swikwembu. ahiyimbelela tisimu tofana naleri: siyaya syoygwaza kanjani kumbe : loyadabuka luvalo na malandela. .... nivutisa kasi ndlozi rinvena loko switeyini.
nitsala hi touch manje yini endlisa ti mistake. sorry
He Philani... yes is true, most of the Tsonga people don't get possessed by the restless souls of Tsonga speaking spirits but by mostly the Ngoni/Zulu, Ndau etc.
The reason for this is that eg. the Ndau spirits are paying revenge for the diabolic merciless treatment that they got during Soshangan's raids in the present day Mozambique. The Tsonga people were used by Soshangana as soldiers to carry some of the diabolic murders to the Ndau people. So when you get possed by a Ndau spirits they are paying revenge.
The Ngoni/Zulu spirits that posses most Tsonga people are mostly those Zulus who were with Soshangana when he raided Mozambique. They possess the Tsonga people 'cos they believe that they are superior, even when they are dead and most of these restless Zulu spirits are what is called lost souls.
deron chauke i dont think we have to debate much on who will lead tsona/shangaane tribe because every comminty they use to have their own chief eg hlengweni,chauke Phafuri,maluleke
Europeans know nothing about Tsonga's history. All they wrote was a mission to divide all Bantu people who are by origin Tsonga from the Nile Egypt. the word Ngoni is Tsonga word for west Africa and it has no meaning in other so called nguni languages. stop listening to these dividers, if you call yourself a Nguni know you are Tsonga
Viva @ Leon Maluleke
we are free ppl indeed
yep, i now understand that the shangaans are zulus and cannot rule the tsonga. There are only two languages here tsonga and zulu.
Chauke Tinyiko
ku hambana ka matsonga na machangan hileswaku machangana aya nga ri kona loko soshangane a nga se fika mozambique. a ku ri ntsena mazulu, matsonga na tinxsaka tinwana. soshangaan u fikile a mozambique a tumbuluxa mashangana (ku katsa mazulu na matsonga) hikokwalaho machangana matumbuluxe hi Soshangaan not hi xikwembu. mazulu ya kona na matsonga ma kona. mashagaan i cross breed ya vatsonga na mazulu. tnyiso wa vava.
can someone help me find my origins, the surname Moyoshe/moioche and any known descendents or predecessors. ni lava ku tiva ntumbuluku wa mina
@ Curious Shangaan, Moyoshe/moioche does not sound correct, is it not Muyeshe/Muyexe, please advise.
Loko hifamba hiti buma hiku ahiyina machangani himatsonga irihikuri everyone knows us as machangani hiti yisa e hansi hatinyadyisa so muchangani mutsonga akuhambani nchumu ahi khomaneni hirhandzana hita rhandzeka hingavi swilema.
xana wena Mathebula u kuma yini eka mhaka leyi,uti vangele ntirho lowukulu lowu wu yisaka Machangana Vatsonga e hansi. Hala tlhelo ule kule na vuhosi. Kumbe ho twa mavondzo muthondolovhani.Tshika a hi ya wena mhaka leyi.Xana wa tsaka loko tinxaka tin'wana ti vungunya Machangana vatsonga.a wu kahle u dlaye xindhzuti xa Machangana vatsonga wena na vanghana va wena. Matsonga Machangana va lava hosi yin'we leyi nga ta vulavulela Machangani hinkwawo.Leswi uswi tsaleke la ko va thyaka ntsena.
Machangana va lava hosi va lava tiko va lava xindzhuti.Famba le kule na tidyondzo ta wena ta ka peni u wolola ncila wolowo.
U tiyisile Tatana Nxumalo,hakunene machangani amangari na hosi yinwe kambe a va rinitihosi ta swivongo ni miganga ya vona.A Ku bhaleka ka va ngoni a ka Zulu loko va chava a tihanyi ta chaka.Soshangaani ni vanhu va yena a fika ka maputsu a kuma a vatsonga lava Vange I varhonga. A hosi ya muganga lowo akuri maputsu'se xiputukezi xiku Maputo.
Loko soshangani a fika a magudu a kume a va ka khosa a hosi kuri magigwani a lava akulwa kambe hikola kaku rhandza a Ku rhula makhosa mayalani ni mhaka ya nyimpi va pfumela a kuva mahlonga ya soshangani.kava loko va teka a tihomu tamakhosa /machangani vadya'hilaha Vange a vangoni va Mozambique a Vadyi nhlampfi ni swoswi.The Nguni domination devastated so many local people as far as musurinzi in Manica province (north of Mozambique)the Nguni occupation in Mozambique was weakened by the coming of Portuguese to a such extend that ngungunyani was captured to Portugal where he died in 1906..A ntiyiso wakona hi leswaku a hiri va vatsonga kutafikela ka soshangani hi vitaniwa machangani hikola ka vito rayena soshangani.Loko matimba yava Nguni mahelile a xitsonga xisalile ni marito yo lomba tani hi kudla(kudya) ni Ku khuluma matshanwini yaku vulavula.Hina hi vatsonga originally kambe hi vitaniwe machangani hikola ka nuna lweyi wa muzulu.There is lot to talk about in our history.
Lweyi hi Khosa wa magigwani mutsonga wa xiviri
Khalanga mina ndzi Madanci,wa nengwana,wa gulukhulu,wa magulasavi,wa makhuva, wa phangweni, wa xilowa,wa makaringe, wa khalanga wa changamire dombo hi xikalanga. Valozwi ahi machangana iva tsonga hileswi va nga amukela ririmi ra xitsonga. Nxumalo ule kule ni Varodzwi angaka angavi hosi ya valozi
From Advocate Jeffrey Madanci Baloyi the great.great,great grandson of Changamire Dombo who was founder and King of the Varodzwi in present day Kutama in Zimbabwe
hallo people. if anyone can help I am trying to trace my origins. I an Ralph hlomani sibanda(2), kaMadiki, kaHlomani(1), kaNjitimane, kaMateta. Sibanda is not our original surname. my grandfather hlomani1 changed it when he came into Zimbabwe. he did not want to tell us his original surname but his account is that they left gazaland kwaMateta (their grandfathers kraal in search of jobs. this was after receiving an education in agriculture at mount selinda. As today's generation sidings umlandu wethu so that we could pass this on to the next generation. if anyone could help.
Where can I buy this book?
Nkuna Bikana
Nzi kombela ku hlamuleriwa swivutiso leswi landzelaka
Xana N'wambatini a ku ri MuNgoni kumbe Mutsonga?
Vito N'waMbatini ri vula yini?
Xana i ntiyiso leswaku va ka Nkuna va huma eNgome (Namuntlha yi tiviwaka hi kwaNomgoma - KZN)[Nkuna- came from Ngome in KZN]
Hi ku ya hi xitsalwana lexi nga la hansi
Mutswari wa N'wambatini i mani?
Mutswari wa Hoxani i mani?
BUSHBUCKRIDGE
The Tsonga communities who inhabited the Bushbuckridge area were mainly the Vanhlanganu (Mnisi and Khosa) and the Hoxani branch of the Nkuna. When Mpisana and other senior members of the Ndwandwe Royal families and some subjects migrated to Bushbuckridge after the defeat and capture of Nghunghunyani in 1895, Magwagwaza ruled the Mnisi, Njonjela ruled the Khosa while N’wambatini ruled the Hoxani. These communities were independent from each other and also independent from the Gaza. To show that they were indeed independent from the Gaza, Mpisana did not even bother to contact these leaders on his arrival.
The southern African tribes trace their roots and ancestry in the area of the great lakes/Vukhalaka. These tribes migrated south with their different leaders and built places like Maphungubwe, Thulamela and the Great Zimbabwe before populating other places of South Africa. The Tsonga communities like all the other southern African communities had sub-groups that exists to this day. This Tsonga groups existed long before the influx of Ngunis and Soshangane. For a Tsonga community to trace their roots, they have to understand their history against the backdrop of Soshangane. The arrival of Soshangane in Mozambique did not change the Tsonga identity. To call Tsonga people Amashangana is an insult to the ancestors of Tsonga people who fell victim of Soshangane the warlord. Before Shaka became the king in the Zulu kingdom there was no superior king in Kwa-Zulu. Soshangane thought he would be the same by annexing and annihilating all Tsonga chiefs but he failed. He wanted to rule Tsonga people when he was not of Tsonga descent. The Nkuna people came to settle in Tzaneen around 1834 running away from Soshangane who never ruled them. The Nkuna like other Tsonga groups, Van'wanati, Baloyi, Rikhotso etc, have been independent, and to say they must submit to Nxumalo kraal would be an insult. I have read some comments where people regards themselves as a lost tribe. You are not lost, your roots are in Mozambique. Even the Northern Sotho tribes don't have what they call a King of all Northern Sotho speaking people. We all know that each an every community is ruled by a chief and their indunas. If the descendants of Soshangane are to become Kings, let them go back to Natal and reestablish their lost kingdoms there.
Dios
THAT IS NOT TRUE SITHOLE IS NOT NDAU.IT IS NDEBELE.THE IS A HIGH RATE OF INTETMARRIAGE BETWEEN NDEBELE AND SHONA CLANS AND OTHER TAKE THEIR MATERNAL LINEAGE AND KEEP THE NGUNI SURNAME.NDAU IN ZIMBABWE HAVE INTERMINGLED WITHE NDEBELE AND HAVE ADAPTED SOME OF THEIR DIALECTS AND CUSTOMS.KALANGA IS ALSO A HYBREED OF NDEBELE AND SHONA.REMEMBER MZILIKAZI HAD CONQURED THE WHOLE OF ZIMBABWE AND THE ONED OF NGUNI ORIGINS WETE KEPT IN MATEBELE LAND AND ITHERS INTERBRED WITH THE OTHER SHONA CLANS.NDEBELE OR ZULU HAS INFLUENCE THE LANGUAGES IN ZIMBABWE AND ZAMBIA
AND SOME NDEBELE TOOK A SHONA IDENTITY IN FEAR OF PERSECUTION.REMEMBER hence u see some shona wilth ndebele surnames and only later admit that their ancestors arrived with mzilikazi and some just choose to be shona because of staying amongst them.I have met a few.Just like in s.a when u find some people choose to be either of Sotho or Nguni origin because of location of intermarriage .Zimbabwe is veryvsimilar to South africa
Your history is precise.Shangaan is a mix of zulu or Nguni and the different tribes found in mozambique.And those zZulu warrirs who left for mozabique were men unlikr the swati when migrating from swaziland peacefully left after shakas death with men women and children hence retaining alot of nguni culture and Ndebeles in zimbabwe who speak a language exactly the same as Zulu and customs who stayed along time in s.a even after disbanding from the zulu only after a war in gauteng pretoria to be precise when the tswana and pedi clans asdited the boers thinking they will be accepted.And some stayed behind only to be treated badly other asdumed twana or pedi identity not tobbe persecured by the boers via botswana cause alit of nguni or ndebele people are found in botswana and hybreds like kalanga wich is a mix of ndebele tswana and shona or venda and remember the venda ran from the shona people wich they wrre part of to seek protection from mzilkazi hence their arear is close to matebeleland and u do find ndebeles in venda or some venda a few of ndebele origins or nguni origins.Personally i think some of the Generals sent by Shaka were loyal to him and afret his death because his brother killed hense u find the sawti only fought with some zulu clans after shakas death.Some of the war stories were written by european story tellers to cause conflict and to undermine african intellect and fear amongst each other.Persnally i think most of us are of Nguni origin who some are still part of the Zulu nation and others other nation were carved out by Shakas generals.Most ofthe Zulu xhosa swati ndebele shangaan were all once one zulu nation of nguni lineage who is our ancestor who split because of different reason but under shaka himself we were ounce one and prior that were all spoke one nguni language andare related and because of migration and intermarriage a slight difference here and the but our clan praises unite us.Wether we like it or not.No one is superior to the other
Khoza is of Zulu origins.Hence you find some Are Ndebele but most people of the surname belong to the Zulu denomination even till today
Just like Sithole most of who u meet in South africa are Zulu and Some are South african Ndebele and with alot Zimbabwean ndebele's coming in.You cannot fight something that is in your face.Most of these surname are more dominant is South africa amongst their Nguni denomination and it cannot be disputed and most Alot of Zimbabweans because of current illtreatment of ndebeles either lie or do not know and were not told by their parents most do not know the difference between the sotho or nguni and even shona and just say shona because its the majority in Zimbabwe just like the tsonga or alot of them of Zulu origin and when they come to south africa from mozambique ofr others ftom ganzankulu wonder why their surnames are dominant mostly amongst the zulu and xhosathe ln the ndebele and then the swati who were also of the zulu nation and just split over time by they speak the same language and look like the Zulu because they did not mix much with other african ethnicities and just continued with nguni customs
Sithole is of Zulu or Nguni origin.Mzilikazi was king of the khumalo a subclan of the Zulu nation.He was one of King Shakas greatest generals.The Ndebele are made up by people from various Zulu clans and the atmy was setup by shaka hence even in Zim some of shakas oldest generals or friends who r the ones who groomed and taught mzilikazi the zulu war fare justtook people from different clan in the zulu and sent the to war under a General he chose hence u can find khumalos who r ndebele orswati or shangaan or xhosa but xhosas change their syrnames a lot and here their origins when they do clan praise.InZimbabwe the ndebele subdued the shona and those of pure nguni stayed and Ndebele but half casts like kalanga wich is a mix of shona and ndebele and ndau 's mixed alot with the ndebele as a result ndau in zimbabwe took alot if words and clicks from the ndebele and because of inter marriage alot have ndebele surnames.Alot of people in Zimbabwe are confused or do not know the difference between nguni shona and sotho and automatically take on a shona identity also because of thr persecution of the ndebele currently and previously when the shona joined forces with the british to over come ndebele rule and some changed to avoid persecution and currently when 40 000 ndebele were killed for no resson when mugabe became king and because of illtreatment of ndebeles in Zimbabwe.Most Sitholes are Zulu and some are sooth african ndebele or any of the Nation the split from the Zulu or Nguni during different times during and after shaks reighn.You cannot deny something that is in your face as Zimbabwe zambia mozambique and other areas in south africa and parts of africa were heavily influenced by the Zulu or Nguni hence u find some words similar or other who assimilated have the surnames and clan praise even if some are in dispute but clan praise proves them otherwise.Most sithole are Nguni and otheres assimilatefd in to other tribes just like other Nguni people and surnames
The shangaan nation was already there before Nxumalo ran to mozambique.Soshangaan was one of Shakas generals and Nxumalo ran there for protection .Gaza is different fro nxumalo and other Zulu tribes had already bn sent in to other parts of africa and south africa and shaka had alot of Generals and allies.So its very difficult to think what might have hsppened and the ndwandwe and Zulu spoke one language just all the nguni who did not mix and share a common ancestor malendela who is the ancestor of alot of Nfguni people.and Since shangaan is made up of alot seperate clans Like zulu tsonga tonga rodzi and chopi anfd are tsonga people not also nguni.King Shaka and King Tsonga had a peaceful relationship leading me to think are they not also nguni and were under king shaka.Remember Soshangaan was sent to conquer the northern
And other parts of mozambique as the Southern part was already under shakas control.The Zulu king on his land claim of what was ounce part of the Zulu nations tribal land include large parts of the free state Eastern cape mpumalanga zwaziland lesotho and mozambique and said constituents outside south africa he will not interfere.Remember tribes who assisred the boers or british against other Nguni clans since some seperated from the zulu after shaka were given guns and horses to assist numbers and land asvpayment only to be enslaved after and made to pay taxes.And some assimilated in to the clans there or others stayed the same.You do find Zulus in mozambique swaziland mpumalanga eastern cape lesotho mpumalanga and the free state who stayed Zulu .The nations who came of the Zulu became great nations themselves and wrre problematic against other tribes and Europeans because of the war tactics learnt from shaka
THAT IS A LIE CREATED BY AUTHORS.THE ZULUS UNDER SENZANGAKHONA WAS WAS ALSO ONE OF THE LARGER NGUNI GROUPS WICH HAD CONTROL OF ALOT OF NGUNI CLANS AND LARGE AREAS ITS JUST THAT THE WERE OTHER BIGGER ONES OTHER STORIES WERE NOT CORRECTLY WRITTEN ABOUT THE ZULU THE NGUNI HAVE BEEN IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF S.A FOR OVER 2000 YEARS AND WERE IN MOZAMBIQUE BEFORE OTHER CLANS EVEN MOZAMBIQUE SINCE NDAU AND RODZI ARE FROM ZIMBABWE AND ALSO HAVE AN NGUNI OR ZULU INFLUENCE BECAUSE OF THE NDEBELE.I PERSONALLY THINK KING SHAKA IS ONE OF THE GREATEST LEADERS AFRICA HAS EVER SINCE.HENCE THE BRITISH HAVE THE UTTER MOST RESPECT FOR THEM.BECAUSE THEY ARE THE ONLY NATION TO GIVE THEM SERIOUS PROBLEMS IN AFRICA WITHOUT UDING MODERN WEAPONRY AND AFTER CLANS WICH SPLIT FROM THE ZULU.IF SHAKA WAS NOT BORN THE HISTORY OF SOUTHERN AFRICA WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT AND MOST NGUNI WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO TRACE THEMSELVES OR FIGHT WITHOUT KNOWING THEY ARE RELATED AND AFRICAN HISTORY IS ORAL AND OTHER PEOPLE CHANGE TO SUPRESS OR MAKE PEOPLE FIGHT HENCE FALSE INFORMATION WASCWRITTEN ABOUT THE ZULU KING SHAKA TO TURN HIM IN TO A POWER HUNGRY MAN.I THINK IF IT WAS NOT FOR HIM NATIONS RELATING WOULD BE FIGHTING MORE.INSTEAD OF CAUSING WAR HE UNITED.LOOK IN MOZAMBIQUE DIFFERNET UNRELATED GROUPINGS ARE ONE UNDER SOSHANGAA.BEFORE IT WAS KHUMALOS TO KHUMALO RHADEBES OR HADEBES TO THEMSELVES AND EVEN THOUGH RELATED WOULD BE FIGHTING AND MOST OF THIS GROUPING ZULU KHUMALO NDWANDWE ETC WERE ALREADY RELATED VIA MALANDELA AND MOST NGUNI SINCE HE IS THE MOST SENIOR AND TRUE FATHER OF THE PEOPLE
SABC ONE IS THE NGUNI CHANNEL AND ZULU ARE THE LARGEST ETHNI NATION IN SOUTHERN AFRICA THEN COMES XHOSA AND THE LANGUAGES ARE THE SAME AND REMEMBER VENDAS AND SHANGAANS HAVE NOT LONG BEEN IN SOOUTH AFRICA AND ARE A MINORITY HENCE THE IS SABC 2 AND SABC 3 IS English.In lesotho there is lesotho tv in botswana botswana tv in zwaziland swaziland tv.and Sabc does accomodate the othe minority languages.And shows created by the Zulu and the xhosa bring a large revenue because of the numbers.Ukhozi fm is the second most listened to channel in the world since Zulu is one of the most spoken languages in africa or understood languages in africa after swahili and the Zulu are the most famous african tribe and spoken about tribe in the world since the word and books about shaka were written even though conscrewd or misleading people made the nation famous hence everybosy thinks if your from africa you are Zulu.People learn Zulu before even coming to south africa and because of its similarity to other languages makes it easy to go by.Hense because of what shaka did to unifying people it was written so that other people fear him and if the real story was written tribes under oppression from the europeans or other african tribes to join the zulu nation.Just like the Venda who fled their own shona people to ask protection from mzilikazi who had recently arrived from south africa.Its only practical hence the are different radio stations for different audiences and others would chow revenue because of a small audience unless .I think its only practical and sabc is a oublic broadcaster i do not think people in other countries like zimbabwe mozambique botswana lesotho or swaziland woyld pay soyth africa to watch sabc unless it was on dstv.Things are done for revenue.And Sabc1 is Nguni because they are the majority and everything done in nguni languages brings in large somes of money in South africa.Its only practical
SABC ONE IS THE NGUNI CHANNEL AND ZULU ARE THE LARGEST ETHNI NATION IN SOUTHERN AFRICA THEN COMES XHOSA AND THE LANGUAGES ARE THE SAME AND REMEMBER VENDAS AND SHANGAANS HAVE NOT LONG BEEN IN SOOUTH AFRICA AND ARE A MINORITY HENCE THE IS SABC 2 AND SABC 3 IS English.In lesotho there is lesotho tv in botswana botswana tv in zwaziland swaziland tv.and Sabc does accomodate the othe minority languages.And shows created by the Zulu and the xhosa bring a large revenue because of the numbers.Ukhozi fm is the second most listened to channel in the world since Zulu is one of the most spoken languages in africa or understood languages in africa after swahili and the Zulu are the most famous african tribe and spoken about tribe in the world since the word and books about shaka were written even though conscrewd or misleading people made the nation famous hence everybosy thinks if your from africa you are Zulu.People learn Zulu before even coming to south africa and because of its similarity to other languages makes it easy to go by.Hense because of what shaka did to unifying people it was written so that other people fear him and if the real story was written tribes under oppression from the europeans or other african tribes to join the zulu nation.Just like the Venda who fled their own shona people to ask protection from mzilikazi who had recently arrived from south africa.Its only practical hence the are different radio stations for different audiences and others would chow revenue because of a small audience unless .I think its only practical and sabc is a oublic broadcaster i do not think people in other countries like zimbabwe mozambique botswana lesotho or swaziland woyld pay soyth africa to watch sabc unless it was on dstv.Things are done for revenue.And Sabc1 is Nguni because they are the majority and everything done in nguni languages brings in large somes of money in South africa.Its only practical
All those clans are Nguni
Shaka never stayedvwith the Hlubi.He stayed with the Mthethwa of wich.Shaka and Hlubi were both in the Mthethwa regiment and soldiers there and hlubi was one of shakas greatest friends .And when the mthethwa were defeated by zwide of the ndwandwe and Zwide kilked Dingiswayo and they wrre left leaderless and Shaka had already assumed his fathers thrown and had alreadyvassimilated lager nguni clans and began sending regiments in to other parts ofvafrica becoming avthreat to Zwide and most clans preffered to join Shaka since Zwide was a cruel leader who completely dedtructructed people and cut of the heads of the kings of those nation.Just like Mashobane king of the khumalos father of Mzilikazi prefered to join forces with shaka and the zulu clan had always sgared cordial relations with the zulu befire shaka apart by being relared just like they wrre related to the ndwandwe and Mashobane was married to Zwides daughter and bore him a son Mzilikazi hnece lobengula his son is Lonbengula ka langa Khumalo and founder of the hybreed nation in zimbabwee the kalanga.Hlubi Mthethwa was given hi rank in the zulu nation meanin lots of wives cattle hence his power was through the zulu nation.After Dingaan killed shaka every general wich wrre made chiefs by shaka as shaka ciuld take a commoner and make him a chief over his zulu people and give them land.Alot of people were made chiefs amongst the Zulu nation.After shakas was killed by his brother he annailated grouping closest to shska in fear of assasination as the Hlubi were in high ranking and could be a threat to his reighn due to their closeness to shaka and some ran ro the Eastern Cape.Other were in alot of regiments sent bybshaka with different Generals to expand the zulu nation.If shaka was alive today he would have an excellent strategist and polotician.The case was thrown out of court and anyway shaka was was killed and some hlubi very close to shaka ran away but most stayed since they were just like any person in the zulu nation.The Is nothing special about hlubis to any other people in the Zulu nation hence some left with different tribes wich solit from the zulu
You are totally lost
Why r u dsying things thst dont exist thst u wanna believe the where no shangaan people before soshiyangane as a few thousand Zulu warriorß were sent by shaka and he was a commoner who rose to the level of General under shaka.And nxumalo came there running seeking refufe from soshiyangane.The is a place were he is from in Kzn and his family is still waiting for him as he had left his kids.He was supposed to return but he never came back .Just like Zwide who ran and most of his people and family got assimilated in to the zulu nation wich they already related with in blood language and sharing a common ancestor
Why r u dsying things thst dont exist thst u wanna believe the where no shangaan people before soshiyangane as a few thousand Zulu warriorß were sent by shaka and he was a commoner who rose to the level of General under shaka.And nxumalo came there running seeking refufe from soshiyangane.The is a place were he is from in Kzn and his family is still waiting for him as he had left his kids.He was supposed to return but he never came back .Just like Zwide who ran and most of his people and family got assimilated in to the zulu nation wich they already related with in blood language and sharing a common ancestor
Eddie, Please read about Soshangaan, he comes from the Langa leneage and he is a Nxumalo, same group that Zwide Nxumalo ruled and he was not a commoner as you put it. The Shangaan group is named after his name (Soshangaan)
if you check his geneology you will see that Zwide is Langa's son and Soshangaan's grandfather (Gaza) share same blood with Langa.
Edward Ngwenya you are talking nonsense. VaTsonga are not shangaans.
I think if Chief Nxumalo wants to be the King, he should just revive his forefathers' kingdom and leave VaTsonga out of this. VaTsonga have been in existence long before his great great grand father Soshangane arrived in Mozambique.
Mina ninwana waka Makwakwa muTsonga wale Gaza xibutsu nati nyungubyisa hikuva muTsonga I don't feel shame about
Hello everyone. I am working on a screenplay based on Tsonga history. I would like to purchase a copy of "800 Years of Tsonga History". Can anyone point me in the right direction? I am also looking for some background info on the Chabane family. How do they fit into the Tsonga vs Shangaan debate?
Hi Gideon
Contact Justice Ndabane:
https://www.facebook.com/Blaza4Life?fref=ts
You can also look at this very old books:
Life of a South African Tribe Vol 1 (PDF)
https://archive.org/details/lifeofsouthafric01junouoft
Life of a South African Tribe Vol 2 (PDF)
https://archive.org/details/lifeofsouthafric02junouoft
Fantastic resources! Thank you...
hi, I just found this blog and love it. I am from Mozambique Maputo. to add on that I always and still believe that Ronga is different tribe from Shangana.
ineresting presentation. however, i am seeking help to anyone who knows about the historical relationship between the hlengwe and the karanga
that is not true
Sithole is zulu guys. Its originates in kzn but because of wars they were scattrd all over thats why you find some are shangane some are ndebele some are swazi now.. this all happend during shaka's madness a lot of ngunis were scattered all the way to zimbabwe. There is nk ndau or shona that is sithole thaf is mistaken identity, sithole is zulu
Interesting comments made in this blog, I come from Tiyondzoma (meaning Va Rhonga/Dzonga/amaTonga) depending which language you speak, my surname i Shirindja and I am second generation South African which means I still have very very close ties to the country yava Tsonga as we are know in SA.
However the argument kuri what is the difference between Vatsonga and Machangani is a big one in our recently formed clan ya Vatsonga which came about when Ntsanwisi was chief minister of the homeland of Gazankulu, that is when the term yava Tsonga was used extensively.
The reason for this is that in our mother country ya Mozambique not everyone is Shagaan/Machangani but there are people who refer themselves as as Machangani and are proud of it.
Coming back to South Africa one thing Ntsanwisi and his adminstration wanted to do was unite people that come from Mozambique and that had settled in SA so they used the term Tsonga to encompass every tribe in Mozambique that now resided in SA.
So the Tsonga term came about, so as my grand father Bande Shirindja explained it that is how we came to be known as Tsonga which incorporates the following clans fromantic Mozambique in SA Va Rhonga (Dzonga or Tonga), Swingondo (Tswa), Va Nyembena, Vacopi and many much more smaller clans and lastly Machangani.
Crap. Khalanga is a mix of shona and Ndebele wich is originslly zulu or Nguni. So clearly the guy is misinformed. Khalanga only started when mzilikazi arrived in zimbabwe. And his sun got lost in Botswana with tribe of mostly Ndebele of shoot of the zulu. Tswana /Shona.They fall under the Ndebele nation but r not of pure bread ndebele Zulu/Nguni stalk. Hence some have shona some have Zulu/Ndebele or u can say Nguni tswana and sotho. They r are a mixture of tribes just like Shangaans or these days they wanna becaled Tsongas who r mixed beteeen Zulu /Nguni and Mozambiquean and some zambian and some enece in parts of zim and have shona origins
Sithole is not Ndau.It is from Zulu and arrived via Mzilikazi in Zimbabwe.And remember the was interbreeding between shona's and ndebele's and the mix is Kalanga's .Hence within Kalanga other's have Zulu/Nguni other sotho or tswana surnames and mostly shona surnames.Kalanga is a hybred just like shangaan of people from different ethnic grouping.Most shangaan are not from zulu or Nguni just like mostr kalanga it's just that tese group were subdued by the break of tribes from the Zulu /Nguni who broke of from Shaka hence you find People with Zulu surnames withing these tribes and some zulu or Nguni words withing but the language is mostly dominated by the language wich was spoken by the people of those counties.So Zulu or Nguni did also influence or change a bit the languages of those people.Because those break away groups from the zulu or Nguni came as conquerers.Remember Shaka's iniatial plan was to create one zulu nation
Remember Pure Nguni Speaking tribes is Zulu xhosa swati ndebele.The language is the same and they share common ancestors.And with the formation of the zulu empire alot of generals broke of to form their own nations.Shobuza from the Ngwane clan withing the zulu nation by the broke of to form the swati nation just as mzilikazi and many others.It's like within ndebele most are from Zulu or Nguni roots but some are from sotho cause mizilikazi passed by Lesotho and other's joined him and the northwest gauteng and botswana and other's joining hi.The groups coming from the shona who joined and interbred were classified under Kalanga while pure shona had their own grouping even if they were subdued by the Ndebele.In Zambia you find alot of tribes who broke of from the zulu or who were sent by ska who never returned the lala who conqured the tribes in zambia even the the newly fromed shangaan nation passed through including people int otherir nation the Ngoni who conqured and colonised from zambia malawi and tanzania.Hence you find people with zulu aor nguni surnames there.And if you do research Zulu and Nguni people were part of the nilitic migration and originally from EAST aFRICA HENCE EAST AFRICAN LANGUAGES ARE VERY SIMILAR TO THE ZULU OR NGUNI LANGUAGE AND ORIGINALLY SOUTHERN NUBIA WICH IS CURRENTLY CALLED EGYPT.FROM HENCE NGUNI OR NOW ZULU PEOPLE ARRIVED 2000 YEARS AGO AND SETTLED IN THE EAST COAST OF SOUTH AFRICA WICH IS NOW CALLED KZN AND THE EASTERN CAPE.HENCE MOST OF THE NGUNI PEOPL ARE ZULU AND XHOSA AND ARE UNITED BY LANGUAGE AND ANCESTORS.
WITHIN THE SHANGAAN NATION IT WAS ZULU OR NGUNI WHO CAME AS COLONISERS AND SUBDUED THE GROUPS FROM THE RODZI,NDAU WHO ORIGINATE FROM ZIMBABWE .THE NDAU ARE OFFSHOOTS OF THE NDAU AND WERE PART OF THE RODZI EMPIRE HENCE THE IS A HUGE RELATION BETWEEN MOST OF THE TRIBES WITHIN VENDA AND SHONA AND THE TRIBES IN ZAMBIA.SO SAHANGAAN IS A MIX OF RODZI NDAU CHOPI TSONGA ,THONGA UNDER THE LEADER OF SOSHANGAAN WHO ARRIVED BEING SENT BY SHAKA ZULU TO ADD THOSE TRIBES TO THE ZULU OR NGUNI NATIN SHAKA WAS BULDING AND SHOGAAN SENT WITH A FEW THOUSAND OR ZULU WARRIORS SUBDUED THOSE TRIBES AND DID NOT GO BACK BUT STARED A NATION OF HIS OWN.AND REMBER PRIOR SOSHANGAAN SHAKA DID FIGHT WITH THE PORTUGUESE UNTIL MAPUTO SO OTHER PEOPLE WITH ZULU SURNAMES IN MOZAMBIQUE DID ARRICVE PRIPOR SOSHANGAAN AND ARE ZULU AND NOT SHANGAAN AND OTHER ZULU WARRIOR WERE SENT TO FETCH SOSHANGAAN TO TAKE HIM BACK TO THE ORIGINAL BULAWAYO IN ZULULAND WICH WAS SHAKA'S CAPITAL WICH WAS BURNT DOWN AFTER HIS BROTHER KILLED HIM AND RELOCATED THE CAPITAL .HENCE THE IS A BULAWAYO IN ZIMBABWE OR SOUTHERN RHODESIA WICH WAS IN HONOUR FROM MZILIKAZI TO HIS MENTOR SHAKA.MOST OF THE PEOPLE OF THAT BROKE OF OR ZULU'S THAT BROKE OF FROM THE ZULU NATION INITIALLY BEING SENT AND THE ARMIES BEING SENT BY SHAKA ENDED IN MATEBELLAN WICH IS NOW ZIMBABWE AND FROMER RHODESIA.HENCE THE LANGUAGE CUSTOMS AND SURMAES ARE THE SAME SIMILA TO THE SWATI.MOZAMBIQUE WAS A DESTINATION FOR ALOT OF ZULU TRIBES OR PEOPLE OR CHIEFS WHO AFTER LOOSING BATTLES WOULD RUN OF TO.EVEN SHAKA'S BODY GUARD JEQE HID IN MOZAMBIQUE AND RETURNED TO ZULULAND AFTER DINGAAN HAD IT IS ALSO BELIVED BAMBATA OF THE ZONDI HID IN MOZMABIQUE AFTER LOOSING TO THE BRITISH.SOBHUZA THE FIRST WHEN BREAKING OF FROM THE ZULU NATION TOOK THE MOZAMBIQUE ROOT PRIOR SETTLING IN THE NOW SWAZILAND.
Remember Not everyone within the sahnagaan nation is Tsonga or from Zulu or Nguni,Some are from Ndau ,Rodzi Chopi ,Lingala from Drc and the other tribes you find in Mozambique Zambia and Zimbabwe.Hence shangaan do not speak the same language It's a nation with people from different Ethnic or Bantu roots and a nation was formed under soshangaan ka Gaza and later his two son added other tribes in to the nation.Wich was and ideolgy wich was inheritted from Shaka of wich he mentored alot of Generals.These are only a few Generals who broke of from the Zulu nation and fomed tribes of thier own.Remember shaka also had a mentor who he learnt alot from and his Uniqueness was based on him staying with differnt tribes and running away from his father tribe,because it was taboo for a child to have been conceived out of wedlock and the mother was the father's cousine within the Zulu nation wich had been carved by his grand father Jama wich was inherited by Shaka's father Senzangakhona.Of wich Shaka went to Claim his rightfull ttle was air to the throne of his father tribe or Kingdom.Remember Nguni people wich are today Mostly the Zulu and xhosa people arrived 2000 YEARS AGO .In what is today known as Zululand and the eastern Cape found the Khoisan groups and intermarried with them.The Khoisan groups were really not the much hence the Nguni Language dominate with the zulu and the Xhosa and the sawti and Ndebel are mostly offshoots from the zulu nation carved by shaka hence the Zulu swati and ndebele and xhosa have mostly same customs.
Recounting the legends of the Tembe and Ba-ka-Baloyi [or BaLozwi] who now live among the Tsonga and Zulu, Junod pointed out the following:
Almost every clan pretends to have come from afar, and strange to say, they came from all points of the compass. Two of their clans, without doubt, came from the north, the Ba-ka-Baloyi and the Tembe. The Ba-ka-Baloyi, they say, came down the valley of the Limpopo in very remote times … According to some of the Native historians, the Ba-Loyi came from the Ba-Nyai country along with the Ba-Nwanati (a Hlengwe group), who also belonged to the Nyai or Kalanga race. As regards the Tembe clan, it is said to have come down as far as Delagoa Bay from the Kalanga country by the Nkomati River on a floating island of payrus, and to have crossed the Tembe river and settled to the south of the Bay … The Tembe people, when they greet each other, sometimes use the salutation Nkalanga, i.e. man of the north or of the Kalanga country, and there is little doubt that, notwithstanding the legendary traits of this tradition, the fact itself of the northern origin of these clans is true (Junod 1927, 21-23).[13]
Junod’s report on the Bukalanga origins of the Tembe is also attested to by W.S. Felgate who, in The Tembe Thonga of Natal and Mozambique: An Ecological Approach, reports that the Tembe claim to have migrated from Kalanga country (Felgate, in Kloppers 1982, Online). The names of Mabudu/Mabhudu-Tembe chiefs given by the missionary A. T. Bryant in 1905 seem to confirm a Kalanga origin. We have such names as Sikuke (c.1692-1710), Ludahumba (1710-1728), Silamboya (1728-1746), Mangobe (1746-1764) Mabudu/Mabhudu (1764-1782), Mwayi (1782-1800) and Muhali (no reign).
In an abridged version of a document published in submission to the Nhlapho Commission opposing the claim by Eric Nxumalo that he should be installed as King of the Tsonga (and Shangaan people) in 2007, Mandla Mathebula, Robert Nkuna, Hlengani Mabasa, and Mukhacani Maluleke wrote that over the centuries, the Tsonga have assimilated other cultural groups who came to live with them in South East Africa, and among those were:
Tembe-Karanga (Kalanga), who were in the Delagoa Bay region by 1554. The Baloyi–Rozvi (Lozwi), were already in the N’walungu region during the time of the Dutch occupation of the Delagoa Bay (1721-31). Some Hlengwe oral traditions claimed that the Hlengwe were actually the ones who converted the Valoyi from Rozvi (Lozwi) into Tsonga in Zimbabwe and Mozambique. This probably happened after the death of the powerful king of Rozvi, Changameri Dombo [Tjangamire Dombo or Dombolakona-Tjing’wango] in 1696 (Mathebula, et al 2007, Online).
In my personal blog, www.ndzimuunamiblogspot.com, I have provided a list of AmaHlubi surnames (the AmaHlubi are a Nguni group) which shows that the surnames amongst them similar to the Kalanga ones given in this chapter have an external origin separate from the Nguni. The list was provided by Henry Masila-Ndawo in 1938. Masila-Ndawo was born in Matatiele amongst the AmaHlubi, and became a leading imbongi (praise poet) among the AmaXhosa
From the list, the occurrence of animal and body parts name surnames is about 7%. Interestingly, when Masila-Ndawo goes into the detailed histories and praise-poetry (iziduko) of these people, those with animal name surnames begin to be shown to be what we may call ‘outsiders’ to the AmaHlubi nation. For example, the Msimanga, a Nguni variant of Nsimango (similar to Shoko and Ncube), Masila-Ndawo writes (in isiXhosa) that “aba bantu babonwa befika kwaMhlanga, bekunye nabaTwa. Bathi bangabaTwa nanamhla oku. Kodwa ke thina sibafumana bengamaHlubi ngqe” (trans. “these people were seen arriving kwaMhlanga together with the Khoisan. Even today they identify themselves as Khoisan. Though we now find them today identified as AmaHlubi”). The Mncube-Khambule [Ncube-im’Zilankatha] are shown to have formerly been an independent kindgdom from the AmaZulu, akin to the Mabudu-Tembe [the Dube-Mthembu] that we have referred to above. They were originally two independent groups - Mncube and Khambule - although they have now come to be viewed as one. They do have a Mlotshwa affiliation only through having once lived under that chieftainship.
Also of interest are the Ndlovu some of who now view themselves as the true AmaNtungwa (core-AmaNdebele), ooNdlovu zidl’ ekhaya ngokuswela umalusi. A look at Masila-Ndawo’s history seems to give the impression that they became AmaNtungwa by assimilation. They are the sons of Ndlovu, and Ndlovu is rarely if ever a first name among southern Bantu peoples. Even its rate of occurrence amongst Nguni surnames shows that it is not traditionally a first name, or name of a clan progenitor. Even more interesting is the fact that in his book, Uphoko, Dr Sipho R. Khumalo traces the Ndlovus in Zululand up north, tracing their origins among the Sotho, where we know that Bakalanga in the Maphungubgwe area and most of Limpopo Province were absorbed by the Sotho (Dr Khumalo has been quoted from the Ndebele website Inkundla at http://www.inkundla.com).
Masila-Ndawo’s statements that some of the groups forming the AmaHlubi Nation came from outside is confirmed by the AmaHlubi King’s Planing Committee, AmaHlubi Royal Committee and the AmaHlubi National Working Committee. In a document titled Isizwe samaHlubi: Submission to the Commission on Traditional Leadership Disputes and Claims, arguing that the AmaHlubi are a separate nation from AmaZulu, they state that certain groups such as the Nkomo, Msimang, Nkala, and others were incorporated into the AmaHlubi Nation, but were not originally part of it. They also argue that they were the largest segment of the AbaMbo who we learned that on their southward march they incorporated many Bakalanga into their ranks. They state that they settled in the territory marked by the Pongola River to the north-east, east of which were settled the Mabudu-Tembe of Chief Mthembu, which clan we have already encountered above. They also state that their language belongs to the tekeza or tekela variety of the AmaLala, a Kalanga group, though now identified as Nguni. All this shows that intermarriages and intermixtures between the AmaHlubi and Bakalanga cannot be ruled out, hence explaining what we believe to be typically Bukalanga surnames such as Nkomo, Ndlovu, Nkala, etc (the 2004 document referred to here is available online in pdf format under the title Isizwe samaHlubi).
A complete list of Nguni clan names or surnames is also provided in my blog at http://www.ndzimuunami.blogspot.com for those readers familiar with Nguni languages. What will be noticed from that list is that the rate of occurrence of animal name surnames is just about 3% out of about 1400, showing that these surnames are traditionally not Nguni surnames. A list is also provided of Xhosa clan names. The occurrence of animal name surnames is only about 2.1% of the total of about 95 clan names, excluding the hundreds of sub-clan names. On the contrary, among peoples of Bukalanga stock - Bakalanga, BaNambya, some Venda - and the majority of those now called Ndebele - the occurrence of these type of surnames is about 100%, proving our position correct that Bukalanga is the source and origin of these surnames.[14]
A look at the Maseko-Ngoni in Malawi will reveal the same trend reported above. Samuel Kadyakale provides a fine list in his blog posting titled The Clans of the Ngoni According to G.T. Nurse, posted in October 2010. His material is sourced from G. T. Nurse’s 1978 book, Clanship in Central Malawi. Similarly there, the surnames we have identified as of people with origins in Bukalanga are identified too as Kalanga, with just a few slight variations. In fact, I have received emails from north of the Zambezi (Zambia and Malawi) confirming many of the claims made in my works, especially with regards to Bukalanga identity. Let me just quote two of those, starting with the one from Malawi. It reads:
I write [to] you from Malawi. I am Mzondi Moyo. I have read your articles on Bukalanga with interest. You are an amazing researcher, the type which would fill professors with envy. From my Totem you see that I am a Moyo. In fact I am Kalanga originally from your area. We were taken by the people under Zwangendawa and we are currently under Inkosi ya Makosi M’mbelwa. Zwangendawa preceded Mzilikazi of [the] Ndebele. To most people [in Malawi] Moyos are Ngoni, just like some people have mistaken you for the Ndebeles. In my country we have a lot of people who call themselves Kalanga, e.g., Tembo, Shumba, Shoko/Mafeni, Shaba, etc. A little more about myself. I am [a] male working as a District Education Manager, responsible for education delivery in my district [of Nkatha Bay].
From Zambia I received the following email from Barotseland, now Western Province:
Interesting piece on the Kalanga Nation. There are three clans of Bakalanga in Western Zambia or Barotseland. These are the Mananzwa, Manyai and Mahumbe. As should be expected these people are now Lozi or Rotse by acculturation. Their mother tongue is now Silozi and not iKalanga. I am a descendant of an ironsmith by the name of Machambuzi. Our village is also called Machambuzi. We still carry our Kalanga names such as Mbulayi, Mbulawa, Mbano, Siyanda, Mukundu, Galilo, Mulapesi, Tubapi, Chibu, Kwati, Lumbidzani, etc. (Email received on June 15th, 2012).
I acknowledge the history above narrated of the Va Kalanga from Mozambique.
But I want to tell where the Va Kalanga are found today.
I grow up in Maputo, and in my teenager hood we used to distinguish the Va Kalanga people with their strong accent of the Ronga/ Thonga language, the language spoken in the capital province of Mozambique, Maputo. The tribe Va Kalanga currently live on the peripheral of Maputo, district of Manhica/ Manyisa next to Marracuene and Gaza, Xai Xai. They are generally supper light in complexion that could even be identified with that...
the person who wrote this history was drunk
Can i know moree of the rivele's
Yoh you are trying too hard to convert us to being Nguni, read history, the Ubisi yoy are talking about their surnames were changed from Rivisi, the whole Mpumalanga tried so much to change our Surnames to sound Ngoni, e.g Xivuri to Sibuyi, Hlungwani to Hlongwane, Mpfundlha to Mvundla,Xirindza to Silinda etc. Kindly tell me what does Hlungwani mean in Zulu or Mhangani, Zivuko, Makamu? N to come from Northern KZN doesn't mean you are Zulu by the way, there are a lot of people who come from there of Tsonga origin or related to us like Tembe, you changed some of their surnames to Mthembhu and Temba. Read about St Lucia on Google you'll see who occupied that land before you did. Also check the Royal Swazi lineage, you'll see who they are related to. You guys are full of yourselves, next time don't include us in you inflated kingdom. Some surnames there's a reason why they sound Nguni, like Mathebula, it was a nick name given to the Baloyi's (Barodzi) because they were famous for being good when it comes to Witchcraft By the way Barodzvi or Balozvi means the destroyers in Shona or Kalanga. So for most Tsonga surnames they do have a meaning, it's just that you already made your mind and wanna change us. For something to sound Nguni, doesn't mean it's Nguni, come up with meanings for Surnames like Ngoveni, the only explanation you'll come is it means a certain animal in old Nguni, what is this Old Nguni? Yoh mi rhandza ku recruit
You are the one talking crap, Kalanga existed way before your Mzilikazi arrived in present day Zimbabwe, you wouldn't even understand 20 words from Tjikalanga, go and watch some videos from YouTube and tell me if you find Ndebele words there. You guys really think that the earth revolves around you
Hi n'wina mi nga dakwa hiku va mi cince from Nyarhi to Nyathi mi pfumela. Mi rilela ngopfu ku va Vangoni swi tlhe swi nyumisa.
Please help trace my surname. Nghunyule also referred to as Chuma
Many of us, if not all of us who are the descendents of the shangaan and tsonga can no longer claim to be pure Shangaans nor pure Tsongas. Some were even raised by mother's and took our mothers' surnames and are claiming to be Tsonga not Shangaans or Shangaans not Tsongas, Going by Maluleke surname does not necessarily mean you are pure Tsonga. Things happened Dover the year's, The fact remains we share the same Tsonga/Shanghaan history and should fight for a common future and swlf-determination. Let do away with the decide and rule mentality fostered upon us by colonialism. When you research our history, various authors push for differences between us but what is common is that overtime we became one and should be fighting for unity in stead of division. Not everyone i was Zulu but they are now a force to be reckoned with, why can't we do the same? Our language, the official one is the same and unites us irrespective, We need to look forcommonalities and forge a common future. Does it help for anyone to claim their differences in terms of locations nor any differentiating factor? Other Nations will just laugh and rejoice in making the gap wider so as to easily conquer us, i therefore don't believe what the Whites wrote about our differences nor what those who want to differentiate us along the lines of Tsonga or Shangaan lines. Shangaan and Tsonga in this day an age means one, same mother and can forge destiny/
future.
I tend to disagree with your statement.
Ronga or Tsonga Nation from Maputo, Tsonga Nation from South Afrika cannot be regarded as Shangaan but Shangaan can be regarded as Tsonga.I assume this was one nation before for they all speak one language and live in the same proxemix. But it happened that Soshangaan came and domintated a peace of the Land of the Tsonga Nation, where that peace was changed the name of the tribe to the name of their King Soshangaan.
Same Soshangaan was never a king of the Tsonga Nation in Maputo and elsewhere. But it will be fair for shangaan nation to claim to be Tsonga, but its completely incorrect to say that Tsonga nation is Shangaan.in the Ronga or Tsonga culture or History there is no king called Soshangaan ...
I tried to be short as ppossible for a clear understanding to those that fail to...
Thank you
In order to be recognised lets do something that will make people around SA that we also The Tsongas ..va Tsonga va xidzi haswi kota.Langutani ririmi ra Xitsonga ri tekeliwa ehansi.Hina hi bexe hi hina hiswi tumbuluxakaka.Langutani vantshwa loko vaya eswikolweni vafika va cica ririmu ra vona xivangelo anina ntiyiso wa xona.Kambe loko hina tani hi vantshwa ho endla xa nwa nchumu lexi xinga endlaka leswaku hiti komba exikarhi ka vanhu leswaku na hinavu haswikota.Ndzi vula leswi norho wa mina kuri kutsala tibuku kungari tibuku tsena kambe tibuku leti tinga tava tiri ta swi torhi wa lowo i norho hikuva mina ndza hari eka gondzo ra tidyondzo.Kutsala tibuku ahi wona norho ntsena kambe naku va kona eka mintlangu yati mavonakule na ku nghenelela eka vanwambhuri vamisava iku navela ka mbilu yanga.swinga saseka njhani kasi loko nwina vatsonga vaka hina minga ndzi sapota phela ku va kona eka tlangu hi ririmi ra xitsonga swi endla leswaku matsonga na mona matinyungubyisa.Matsonga andzi ehleketa leswaku leswi swi endlaku leswaku hinga vi ehenhla kumbe ku tekeliwa enhlokweni hileswaku ahi nyandza yinwe .Ahi sapotani eka leswi hiswi endlaka
Thank you
I would like to know ubisi's clan
Ni pfumelelana na wena Tivani, Khalanga is an ancient language that was spoken in Southern Zimbabwe way before Mzilikazi invaded the territory of the people he found there. The language could have been influenced by isindeble because Ndebeles later settled amongst Bakalanga but it was not created in the 19th century.
Very interesting topic so to say.I now understand the history of Shangaan/Tsonga people of Zululand and Mozambique
Seems strictly speaking there is no language called Shangani. If Shangani is used to identify various tribes assimilated by Soshongani, it doesn't make sense for Soshangani who most likely spoke zulu to have his subjects speak tsonga which the people wrongly identified as Shanganis speak. Why would Soshangani who most likely did not speak tsonga make all his subjects speak tsonga called shangani by people who seem not to get the logic? I agree with the position that the tsongas were there before Soshangani with different clans or tribes, Soshongani defeated some of them, called them shangans, but they maintained their language which for identity and bringing together the various clans is tsonga and not Shangani. Seems some not all the tsonga who fell under Soshongani were the dominant group and their language tsonga ended up being corruptly labelled Shangani.
Chabalala history is one interesting in fact closer look at mavuso origin. Vs the migration of chabalala to various part of south Africa long before mswati the first was born let alone mswati the second whom th name of the nation was coined confuses the vast vatsonga speaking chabalala whethere they are Ngunis or changaan or vatsonga.
Mehe ndzi Murhonga waku tswariwa eRsa...Ndzi vona swinga khomeki loko kahari niku chava eka hehe hingo hi Vatsonga!Swiendla onge hina kuhava ni un'we anga Nghena eNatal.Lavaku tivaka eka Tembe Maputo ni Catembe Rsa vata twisisa.Evanhu lava tshamaka eMhlabayalingana,Jozini,Mangoze,Dumbe,Mkhanyakunde.Emanyiseni eNgwavuma,Muzumuhle,Hluhluwe,Mnambeti eTsakani,Nongoma vaniswivongo swa Varhonga eg Manyisi (Mayise)Ritshuri(Luthuli)Thovela(Ndobela)Mkhavele(Mkhabela)Matshinyi(Matshiye)Bila(Vila)Thwala(twala)etc.Naswona veri hi vona Varhonga tani hiku R ayi laveki kahle eVangonini.Emaputo kuni Vangoni ni Tinzula tinga tswariwa kwele.Tembe i Xivongo xoka xinga cinceki naka ntsongo.Swaziland yi hume eMaputo khale laha vange hile Mwamba nava Ngwane eMaputo.Tsundzukani leswi Mazulu lawa yanga Majozi,Msinga na le Phongolo Zwelithini anga va tekeli enhlokweni naka ntsongo!B4 1652 Maputsu na Natal akuri ndzhawu yin'we.Akuri British Maputaland na Portugal Maputaland.Natal I xiportuguese moes swivula Xmas!Catembe Rsa na Katembe Rsa switeka 3kilos naswona akuna Boarder but Bridge done by China.Loko vanghena la Rsa ava pfumeleriwi Ku Khanela Xirhonga kambe Xizula ntsee.I policy... Mozambique yi tswale evanhu vanyingi eRsa Vaka Sekhukhune lands veri hi vona Baroka(Varhonga) swivongo I va Nalana,Nkwane,Magagani,Maisa,Mathavane,Monama,Hi Xirhonga i Ndalana,Ngwane,Mayisa,Mathavele,Manyama,Nukede(Nukeri)!!!Vatsonga I vanhu vaku chava Ku tsongola xa vanhu.Hambi munhu o tshama na hehe ahi n'wu Cinci identities...Hala ka hina kuna Ramalepe,Ramodike,Hlatswayo,Sekepe,Molomo,Nemaungani,Mudau,Nesengani,Malema,Phatudi etc.Loyi I Mavuyantsena embeveni Evarhongeni...Eka Bungeni egogonya khatsaaa!!!
Zulus vahuma kwihi ke?Ematilweni ke?Varhandza ku lawula niku owner vanhu...Why Evanhu vaka Mhlavayalingana sides vaphahla eMaputo ke? Hikokwalaho kayini vahi venga hiri Vatukulu va vona ke? Hikokwalaho kayini Loko vati phata lavele Ka Mhlava vaku ":Mina ngi Murhonga ke?Lavele Berdvile next to Matatiela vaku Mina ngi Musotho ke?Vale kusuhi ni Maseru.Mazulu I Vatukulu hayi hina Ni!!!
Chayimeti is where he was born in Gaza province.
Not all Swingomantanda hitirhisaka Siyavuma...Mina ndziri ":Maswi vona leswi...Ha pfumela...Leswi vuriwaka hitinhlolo...
Guys, why wasting time? There are no Tsonga people in South Africa, maybe only those that emigrated here with the Zulu contigent of Soshangane, the Zulu leader who led amabutho from uShaka. They settled in part of Mozambique when they received news that Shaka had been murdered or assassinated by his brothers. They settled there as those of Soshangane, later called Shangaan people by the colonisers. The Tsonga people referred to them as the Ngunis.They lived side by side with the Tsonga people of Mozambique ( from North of Mozambique). Some of these Shangaan people attempted to return to their places in the Zulu Kingdom. Because of various wars they never reached their intended destination. They consisted of many clans from Umbuso kaZulu, with the Ndwandwes, the Ntulis, the Ngomanes, the Mahlalela's and others who had high positions in the Zulu Kingdom. They then organised themselves in those clans. Of course they would have married Tsonga women as they conqured part of Mozambique. Some Tsonga men who were captured lived amongst these Ngunis.
The different clans started organising themselves in those powerful groupings of authorities and started calling themselves Chiefs, not Kings. You then find them in today's Giyane, Nkomazi and other regions in these chieftainships. The Mkhatshwa group, which originated from the Ndwandwes dominated parts of the regions, as you would find them in Giyane and Nkomazi. They are still fighting amongst themselves as to who is the original Chief. Let them be, but the fact is they all belong to one clan, the Ndwandwe's. They all should pay alliance to the Zulu Kingdom or the Soshangane regiment. I suspect he installed himself as King of those who never returned to the Zulu Kingdom. Soshangane was just the leader of the Amabutho, he was never a chief or anything in the Zulu Kingdom under Shaka. Stop the fight against each other for what is not yours. If you study the surnames of these people you will trace a strong Zulu genealogy plus the few Tsongas who lived amongst them. No wonder you will find the Shangaans ( those of Soshangane) in the Southern part of 🇲🇿 still referred to as Ngunis. You won't find that in the Northern part of Mozambique.
Eric and his group or opponents must stop the fighting, they are not Kings but chiefs who were leading regiments of Amabutho. Ndwandwe was never a king but close to the Zulu Kingdom by marriage, nothing else.
This is very interesting because my late father born Nyaka told me that we are not Tsongas but Hlanganes. His great great grandparents left KZN in the time of Shaka with Soshangane to Mozambique. I've been trying to understand why they were speaking a Zulu mixed with Siswati. Reading your arguments made me realize that we are indeed Nguni. Aluta continua good work done there to help our descendants to understand history of our origin.👏
Xivongo xaka Ntshani xi huma kwini n Mzankomo I mani...I want to know more abt this surname
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